Kokesh at Alberto Gonzales Hearing
Yeah, sure. Wearing his uniform at a protest is the only reason they want to dishonorably discharge him.
Marine Corps Wants America’s Favorite Marine To Shut Up!
Iraq veteran and honorably discharged Marine Sgt. Adam Kokesh has been the Pentagon’s biggest public relations nightmare this year, because he’s some kind of magical Cindy Sheehan — people actually like him!
And while right-wingers had no problem mocking the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, they have a tougher time mocking an actual living Marine male veteran who actually fought in the war they just write about on their blogs.
[..]
The funeral stunt earned the protesters a coveted “political protest” arrest — apparently it’s now illegal to protest anything for political reasons — and your favorite Marine was also charged with “Unlawful Assembly — Loud and Boisterous,” despite the fact that he was silent during the performance.
Here’s something from Kokesh’s personal blog about his forcing a hearing — the last thing the Marines want is more publicity on all this — on his pending dishonorable discharge:
In Unprecedented Prosecution Former Marine Adam Kokesh Rejects Plea Bargain
The implications of this hearing may be far reaching, as the prosecution of a member of the inactive reserves under these circumstances is unprecedented. At stake is the right of freedom of speech for the hundreds of thousands of members of the Inactive Ready Reserve, as well as the nation’s right to get the unbiased truth out of Iraq. Last week, the prosecuting attorney, Captain Sibert, offered Kokesh a general discharge. To accept this would be to allow the Marines to say that members of the IRR do not have freedom of speech, so naturally, he declined.
UPDATE: Turns out that there was a second Marine at the protest who isn’t being disciplined. AND the VFW is backing Kokesh. What a difference from Vietnam! (Thanks SN for finding this)
related link:
Iraqi Veterans Against the War
UPDATE 2: The military panel recommended Kokesh receive “a nonpunitive discharge” ruling his actions were a theatrical performance to which the rules about military dress don’t apply. Ah, they took the easy way out.
The terrorists won. They hated us for our freedoms, maybe now we can get them to love us.
I want to see the right wing nut Republican neo-con chicken-hawk bigots justify this one.
Political protest arrest? When was that law passed, does anyone here know? I suppose we no longer have the right to peaceably assemble. So much for the Bill of Rights, Article I: “…or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
After reading both articles and watching the videos, I applaud Marine Sgt. Adam Kokesh, and am utterly disgusted by the erosion of our rights guaranteed by the amended Constitution. From Voltaire: “It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.” and “It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”
This is no way to treat a Marine. Please deliver us all safely to January, 2009.
TB GUY TB GUY
Geez get his story up, it’s been on CNN for three days now. It’s also on the news sidebar.
Now the poor guy finds out he’s not even legally married.
TB GUY has PO officials in US, Canada, Italy, Greece, Prague.
Thousands of people need to be screened.
Yes and get some famous chick to release a sex video! It always worked before!
3,
TB guy was a Lawyer.
TB GUY got married in Greece, and on Friday the mayor announced that he has no trace of a marriage.
TB GUY says he has pictures to prove it.
I think he PO the city officials and certain documents discovered a shredder.
I’ll save my scorn for the chicken hawks who have “other priorities” during times of war but then white and carp about former veterans who know a bad war when they see one. (John Kerry also comes to mind.).
This isn’t America any more. I am not sure what it is, but it isn’t America, home of the free.
Has anyone check Bush for any 666 birth marks?
The Dixie Chick may be ashame Bush is from Texas, I am a ashame he is from America.
Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere … nope, no weapons over there … maybe under here? – George W. Bush, 24 March 2004
The first political page appeared here during 1999 and stated, “It’s not about who becomes president, it’s about who selects Supreme Court justices.”
When Mr. Bush was appointed by the Supreme Court, pages leading up to the election were deleted and ~@~ got his main page back.
When Donald Rumsfeld called Vietnam Veterans “WHAT WAS LEFT AFTER THE BEST & BRIGHTEST FOUND A WAY TO DODGE MILITARY SERVICE” I got pissed.
I am a Vietnam Veteran with Honorable Discharge & Recommendation, volunteered to serve, was insulted by Rumsfeld and yellow, scum bag, CHICKENHAWK cowards who “Talk the talk, but never walked the walk.”
~@~ gave me this directory to voice my opinion.
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/index.html
Why’s he at Alberto Gonzales’ hearing? Shouldn’t he be protesting at the Pentagon or at Bush appearances?
Can’t have a combat experienced Marine talking against the war. He is a threat to the morale of the troops. He is a threat to the war. What if all the other Marines felt the same way? What if other soldiers listened to him and his friends? Where would we be then? Who would fight? Who would go to war? Where would the warriors come from?
As an Air Force veteran and a father of an active duty Marine to be Redeployed to Iraq this fall, I am becoming pretty disgusted with the progress of the war. There are so many things not in the news. The folks that have it the worst are the Army Reserve. Any way, enough about that –
When you enlist in the military you are in for 4 years and inactive for 2 years. That’s a fact of life that he signed at the beginning of the enlistment contract. It was that way in the 70’s and 80’s when I was in. It’s not a backdoor draft. There are things you cannot do while inactive. If the guy would’ve waited until his ENTIRE commitment (24 inactive months) was over the Marines couldn’t touch him.
I would like to see the draft come back. The first Senator’s son that is sent to Iraq and the war would be over quickly.
This administration is setting a new speed record for losing public confidence and then coming apart at the seams. Let this guy speak!! Hell they might actually learn something.
Thank goodness for the VFW.. The American Legion commanders have been hanging off juniors dick like a bunch of cheap whores. But when you consider junior was a chicken shit when it was his turn, it is understandable.
There is a vast “establishment” conspiracy made up of Dems and Repubs, Media, Religion, the Courts (whats left?) that requires silence if not obsequiousness in response to its exercise of power.
At a new constitutional convention, I wonder if the First Amendment would even get considered today, much less passed, much less understood?
16–Yep, a constitutional convention. Looks like Rove/Satan/Cheney missed one for this NeoCon administration.
Its one thing to submit Amendments for consideration, but BEWARE if there is ever a Constitutional Convention held for any given issue of the day. Regardless of the preambles, said convention can/will do as it pleases, and while this post was about the First Amendment, I think few of our liberties would be allowed today. The majority doesn’t understand it is made up of minority constituencies, and so forth.
Here is a five part series on youtube regarding another way to end the war. Well worth the investment of 52 minutes. This series starts with part 2. The first part is a music video which would not load.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jA3KSYL-NA
Uncle Dave, you might make this a new story and delete this post. Many need to see this.
To Stan:
I’m also a USAF veteran. I’m still in the IRR. The problem with the Marine Corps’ case against this man is that there are only three circumstances under which members of the IRR are subject to the UCMJ. We are subject to the UCMJ when we are called back to active duty, called up for inactive training duty, or when made the subject to article 15 or article 30 proceedings and called to active duty to deal with those proceedings. But we can only be made subject to article 15 or 30 proceedings for misdeeds we committed while on active duty. So the military can activate a member of the IRR and court martial him for a crime he had committed previously while on active duty that the military did not know about until now. Kokesh was not on active duty and he was not on inactive training duty when he participated in the protest. He was not subject to the UCMJ during that time and therefore this whole case is just bullying and bluffing on the part of the Marine Corps.
#10, Is this the best answer you Bush supporters can come up with? Questioning why he DARE voice his disappointment with a lying Bush official?
#12, His enlistment is over. He was Honorably Discharged with a code that prohibits his re-enlistment. By now re-enlisting him it would appear they are breaking their own rules.
The other thing, he was not in uniform. By removing all military insignia, there is no Marine uniform.
As a vet from the Army and the Airforce my self, I may not agree with his views, but I fully support his right to express them.
Give em HELL Adam.
Don
#20, What do you know, have your served? I don’t think so.
If #12 is right, 4 years active and 2 years inactive, he is still subject to the UCMJ, while he is in inactive reserves! I don’t like it, but it may be true. There are plenty of historical examples of the Military calling people back into active duty from inactive reserves!
This Marine knows what he is fighting for. That is more then what I can say of the average American.
Hey, guys… Bush isn’t from Texas.. he’s from Connecticut.
My grandson is a marine, who served 7 months in Iraq. I’m frustrated at the prolonged involvement of our men and women, however, I think nobody can come up with a unified plan as to how to get us out. Meanwhile, our soldiers continue to die, get wounded, and suffer emotional stress beyond understanding. Boy, do I wish for a miracle, to make this end. Bless the men and woman serving, with regards to the marine and his protest. I’m sure he felt justified, however, I wish he’d consider how what he does, will effect those still in service. Thanks for listening, I am http://www.grammology.com a grandma looking to stay in our children and parents lives, offering wisdom and experience.. Regards, Grammy
Well, he certainly has the right to attend political rallies. And he has the right to speak out against the war(up to a point from what I can find).
But, as I delve deeper into this story, and not just read the Washington Post article and the posts on Liberal blogs, from what I can find so far, he’s not discharged, but is still(until June 18th, 2007) in the military. By his own admission, on his blog, he admits that he wore the uniform against regulations, in fact, he admits he did it twice, and has a valid military
ID, which means that he is still military and subject to the UCMJ. Reading the relative sections of the UCMJ, shows that after discharge from *active* status, he still had to complete 2 years of *inactive* status(which is why he still had a valid military ID), and according to the UCMJ, he still had to obide by those regulations, until such time as his full service commitment was over(june 18th, 2007).
This is the section that applies to his being reactivated for courtmartial.
******************
802 Art. 2
(d)(1) A member of a reserve component who is not on active duty and who is made the subject of proceedings under section 815 (article 15) or section 830 (article 30) with respect to an offense against this chapter may be ordered to active duty involuntary for the purpose of-
(A) investigation under section 832 of this title (article 32);
(B) trial by court-martial; or
(C) non judicial punishment under section 815 of this title (article 15).
*****************************************
This is the section on wearing of uniforms.
*****************************************
DoD Directive 1334.1 (.pdf)
3. POLICY
It is DoD policy that:
3.1. The wearing of the uniform by members of the Armed Forces (including retired members and members of Reserve components) is prohibited under any of the following circumstances:
3.1.1. At any meeting or demonstration that is a function of, or sponsored by an organization, association, movement, group, or combination of persons that the Attorney General of the United States has designated, under Executive Order 10450 as amended (reference (c)), as totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive, or as having adopted a policy of advocating or approving the commission of acts of force or violence to deny others their rights under the Constitution of the United States, or as seeking to alter the form of Government of the United States by unconstitutional means.
3.1.2. During or in connection with furthering political activities, private employment or commercial interests, when an inference of official sponsorship for the activity or interest may be drawn.
3.1.3. Except when authorized by the approval authorities in subparagraph 4.1.1., when participating in activities such as unofficial public speeches, interviews, picket lines, marches, rallies or any public demonstration, which may imply Service sanction of the cause for which the demonstration or activity is conducted.
3.1.4. When wearing of the uniform may tend to bring discredit upon the Armed Forces.
******************************************************
Here is his blog entry about *infiltrating* an Army Base in Germany.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
When we got to the gate, the guard said that I couldn’t bring Jeff on with me because I was not registered in their system, even though I had a valid military ID. Jeff busted out the perfect story, “We’re backpacking around Europe, and we just wanted to come on base to use the PX. I just need to get some toiletries. See, I used to be in the Army too, but my ID is expired.” The guard suggested Jeff give me a list and wait for me. So I carried on alone.
>>>>Upon learning he was being investigated for wearing his uniform during the mock patrol, Kokesh wrote an e-mail to the investigating officer, Maj. John Whyte. The combat veteran discussed his service and his critique of the war, and asked this officer assigned to look into his “possible violation” of wearing his uniform: “We’re at war. Are you doing all you can?” He concluded with an obscene recommendation about what Whyte should go do.
This is the end of my previous post #25…..seems it got ate in translation…lol
**This is the section of the UCMJ he violated for that statement above, since he is still subject to the UCMJ…….
****889. ART. 89 DISRESPECT TOWARD SUPERIOR COMMISSIONED OFFICER
Any person subject to this chapter who behaves with disrespect toward his superior commissioned officer shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.*****
And this is WHY he is subject to UCMJ regulations, and the above charges, since he is in the IRR(inactive reserves)
****802 Art. 2
(d)(1) A member of a reserve component who is not on active duty and who is made the subject of proceedings under section 815 (article 15) or section 830 (article 30) with respect to an offense against this chapter may be ordered to active duty involuntary for the purpose of-
(A) investigation under section 832 of this title (article 32);
(B) trial by court-martial; or
(C) non judicial punishment under section 815 of this title (article 15).****
So, from what I can find, this story, like most stories, has 2 sides to it. The fun part will be sorting out who’s side is the correct one.**
From what I am able to find on this story…..it’s one of those***opinions are like assholes, everyone has one*** type stories.
I just want to include two quotes that I think describe this situation well. I hope that everyone, whether they are for the war or against can support Adam’s right to keep our Democracy alive. Bush has shown nothing but contempt for the US Constitution and we should never let him convince us to think of the Constitution that way. I honestly dont know if the people who go around telling people who criticize Bush to shut up or risk being labeled Anti-American are hired by the Corp Media to destroy the First Amendment or if people are actually choosing to support ONE person over the US Constitution. So far the comments here are from people that can distinguish between Bush, Congress, the People and our Troops. BUT I still encourage you to stop allowing others to silence people even if you do not agree with their views (either argue or dont listen)- there are too many people who are wrapped up in the campaign to silence any opposition and they need to know that it is NOT OK. A good example, is what they are doing to Adam- it has become accepted at this point to silence opposition without even worrying what the public might think.
“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.”
-Edward Abbey
“The best weapon of a dictatorship is secrecy; the best weapon of a democracy is openness.”
-Edvard Teller
the “terrorists” won the very second that the citizens of the USA allowed their rights and freedoms to be trampled upon in the form of the TSA for airport security, etc. This is now a nightmare of a police state and only getting worse each day as more and more freedoms are being taken AWAY ironically to “protect our freedoms”. It is complete crap and the citizens of this great country need to stand up as one and tell our government that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, we won’t stand for it, we don’t want it and we don’t need it. In general, the citizenry is more scared of the idea of another “terrorist” attack than they are of their own out of control government headed by the moron that said “I’m the commander guy” and his corrupt cronies. It is not the “terrorists” that we need be scared of, it is our own government.
What is in common with the US, Russia, and China?
while in the service of our military and if you cannot publicly protest your country. he knew this going in. I appreciate his service. It seems he should have and could have found another way to protest.
They don’t hate us fro our freedom they hate us because we are killing them in their own lands and our US government is planning to start another war with Iran.