Must not correct official lies
We read:
"Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Pentagon reporters Thursday it's "inappropriate" for active duty officers to comment on potential changes to the law that bans gays from openly serving in the military.
Those comments were a direct response to a March 8th letter written to the "Stars and Stripes " by Lieutenant General Benjamin Mixon, commanding general of the US Army Pacific, which clearly stated his opinion that most servicemembers are opposed to repealing the policy.
In the letter Mixon wrote: "It is often stated that most servicemembers are in favor of repealing the policy. I do not believe that is accurate."
He went on to say, "Now is the time to write your elected officials and chain of command and express your views. If those of us who are in favor of retaining the current policy do not speak up, there is no chance to retain the current policy."
Source
8 comments:
The last thing anyone in this White House wants is to have made public an opinion that not only comes from a "highly knowledgeable" person, but an opinion that they can't control. Control freaks don't like anyone straying from the "official party line".
It is in some ways ironic, since never in the history of this country, has the White House been filled with so many blatant liars, starting with Mr. Obummer himself.
Sit down and make a list of all the promises Obummer has made since he first started campaigning for the job. Now run a line through all the things that have turned out to be lies, and see if you have anything left, other than blind, mindless, obedience.
While agree with what he wrote, as a general officer, he was wrong to write it to a public forum. Officers live under different rules than enlisted people and generals are under even stricter scrutiny. The military is not the public and they live under the UCMJ, not just the constitution. That said, what he wrote was the truth.
Hey Anon! Sorry, when the statement was that 'most servicemen agree with repealing this policy' if those who disagree aren't ALLOWED to speak up against that lie, then how is their speech being protected?
It was inappropriate.
As a service member, you have a right to make political statements as a private citizen. You do not have the right to make a political statement as a member of the armed forces. This is to prevent the implication that the armed forces agree with the statement. The General could have written the letter as "Ben Mixon." Once he threw in the General part, he was out of line.
Anon 5:54, read anon 11:51. I am not disagreeing with what the general said, only the forum he chose to say it. His speech rights are not protected the same way civilians' speech is. Not saying it's right, just the way it is.If you have served, you should already know that.
Doesn't matter what he thinks or anybody else in the Military thinks. It's already been proven this WH administration does what it wants to do, regardless of what the people think.
el Presidente is the Commander in Chief (CINC) - so he makes the rules.
Adm Mullen said - people can vote with their feet.
If enough officers resign their commissions & enlisted do not reinlist, the (CINC) may have created a crisis. Who knows, maybe the draft is around the corner...
Interesting that the General would choose to write it and S&S would choose to publish it given it was always going to cause a stir.
It appeared to do two things, 1. called on military personnel to convey their feelings to their elected representatives. Surely no-one could take issue with that.
But 2. it expressed his own opinion on the policy. Why would anyone who believed in the rights enshrined in the Constitution have a problem with that?
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