This is STUPID STUPID STUPID. They are in the IRR for heavens sakes. Leave them alone. Kokesh and his buddies, hopefully, will tell Marine leadership to go straight to hell.

It is too bad about losing the GI bill money after the fact, but when you are dealing with congenital liars and thieves, that is too be expected. As for getting a "less than honorable" discharge from that disgusting gang of thugs, accept it proudly, it's a badge of honor in itself.

Of course it's about free speech, or the supression of it, I should say.

It's the big pink elephant in the room. But let's ignore that and pretend it's about the uniform.

This is absolutely pathetic. In a country where we are SUPPOSED to have freedom to speak out, and SUPPOSEDLY are asked to make decisions at the ballot box based on FACTS and reality, to silence those who have first hand knowledge of the very thing in discussion is the act of a traitor. Those who would silence our returning vets from speaking out and being recognized as such are NOT doing this with the best interests of the country at heart. They want to protect a failed policy and hide their own complicity in this action.

This is absolutely disgraceful action by the supposed "Best military in the world". Maybe it's time they start acting lke it.

So Bush can use troops in full uniform during their scheduled work day (garrison) as props for his political speeches but we can't use our uniform without insignia to protest the war after we get out?

Under what article of the UCMJ are they referring to. Article 88 comes closest but there you have to be on duty and overtly be contemputous of the national command authority.

I say fight it out. I got off the plane from my deployment to Iraq and said: "We served honorably and nobely but there are big questions about this war and how we got there. To think that Iraq, the land of mud hut and fuedal architecture was ever a threat to the shores of the United States... {Looking at all the people carrying the flat like some idol, I continued) We need to question agendas for war, not have faith in them."

Commanders need to get a clue and remember what George Washington said, paraphrase: Soldiers do not give up their rights to citizenship when they are in the military.

Shakespeare said the whole world's a stage and the Bush/Cheney junta think they can control ALL content, staging AND perception, so no principle means anything to them. It's just expediency in their ends justify the means Machiavellian excuse for a responsible approach to leadership. More and more people see the lies & hypocrisy, but the channels to change are blocked. If the US was a physical body, an intelligent doctor would recommend an enema. How do we implement the political equivalent? God knows the leaders are full of s..t

Well, let's see.... ummm..wearing a uniform without authorization.. Does that mean the VFW members can no longer wear their uniforms until they have prior authorization?

"Violations of the Uniform Regulations" Does anyone have a copy of those reugulations? Do they say anything about GW in full regalia standing on a taxpayer's ship lying thru his teeth to those same taxpayers? What a joke.

You will notice that only the ones at the bottom are the ones who have to adhere to the rules.Whether it is the UCMJ or any other rules and regs.Gitmo,torture,the Geneva Conventions;just name it.The ones making and changing the rules to suit are getting away with murder,disgusting. Tony

The winking picture of Baby Bush (SHRUB)on commondreams's homepage is a perfect example of him trying to seem like an honest, "down home," "good 'ol boy"…When he is really a sly fox in a hen house. We need to get this administration out of office now. I feel like our generation has become apathetic and hopeless. We need to be the change we wish to see in this world and take our democracy back. Ever since 911 the government has been sneaking our rights out from beneath our feet. All the while we have been distracted with threats of terrorism and fighting wars that we never were and still haven't been able to win. The reason for being in Iraq has changed so many times, and something like 80% of Americans have been brainwashed by our propaganistic media to believe that Saddam had something to do with 911!

Somebody…anybody… join in to this coversation for a plan. I am so overwhelmed. But I need to, we need to do something! Can we take this Administration to the UN or something, because they surely do not represent the general public any longer. 78% of Americans disprove of Shrub and his policies. I personally have lost faith in the democrats, and never trusted the republicans. This could be a crazy and naieve idea but; I don't trust our electoral system any longer…can we write in our own canidate and start a massive quiet movement to do so? Via the internet or something? Because I am sure that pretty soon we are going to see more of this lumping together protesters with terrorists. Look at the article that was published the other day on commondreams about the one protester who had the flag draped coffin outside of Hillary's fund raiser. They called in a bomb squad!

Again please; SOMEBODY PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS POSTING WITH BRAINSTORMS FOR A PLAN. Or at least send me a link that will send me in the right direction.

Peace, love and hope…

moonbutterfly,
When you think of all the protest marches in this country and abroad,the countless phone calls to Congress,,faxes,emails,letters to the editors,telegrams,radio,movie and television documentaries against legalized murder,rape,torture,and incarceration by the Bush Republican (and their Democratic Party collaborators), as well as the extraordinary work by the staff of COMMON DREAMS NEWS CENTER, and as things are getting worse, it seems obvious that we don't have representative government. There is an elite ruling class that wants all money and power for themselves, and continue to use the ignorant masses to acheive this goal.

My conclusion to this is seven magic words... TAKE TO THE STREETS, WITHHOLD YOUR LABOR! All working class men and women,non-union as well as union, professional as well as unskilled. PEACEFULL RESISTANCE. THE GENERAL STRIKE until we bring our armed forces back home and stop this governmental "legalization" of murder.

And while we are at it,health care for all as well as good retirement pensions (like the military and police departments have) for starters. Marching around with signs (I've done it all) is not effective. They have got to be hit in the back pocket$$$ Think about the seven words.

You cannot really expect freedom inside such a hierarchical organization.

IMPEACH

I am hoping that the Iraqi and Afghan legislatures will pass current proposals to ask the US to LEAVE their countries. That is legislation Bush cannot veto and that would be an extremely bitter pill to swallow. Then if Bush wants to ignore his newly formed democracies, he is in clear violation of international law.

The Marine Corps should look at this case in terms of embarassing themselves publically. His would be an excellent case in point about the Nazis in power and he could become a martyr with tons of press coverage.

If we Americans are going to pay for the war, we should be required to at least see some of the pictures...

WAR PICTURES

Pictures of Destruction and Civilian Victims of the Anglo-American Aggression in Iraq.

These photos are only of a very tiny fraction of the thousands of Iraqi Civilian Victims who have been terrorised, humiliated, injured, maimed
and killed through British and American bombing of civilian areas in various cities of Iraq.

Due to insecurity, independent reporters could
not and still can not reach many areas to photograph and report the atrocities. Several independent reporters and journalists were deliberately bombed to prevent them reporting the atrocities.

WARNING: SOME OF THESE PICTURES ARE NOT SUITIBLE FOR SMALL CHILDREN AND THOSE WITH WEAK HEARTS

Robert Fisk:
http://snipurl.com/h6tm

Mind Prod:
http://snipurl.com/h6tp

The fascist administration of George W Bush has
curtailed and criminalized free speech and protest from day one. Free speech zones? Does that sound like democracy to anyone but Dick Cheney? Does spending USMC money to prosecute this ex-Marine for speaking out represent supporting the troops, Republican-style? If you are no longer a member of the armed services, ie, a civilian, how can you be tried for "disrespecting a commissioned officer?" Maybe in a military dictatorship that might be a law...

How many objected when our president, the civilian Commander-in-Chief, wore a military uniform for his "Mission Accomplished" photo op? He fell in line with Fidel, Adolf, Benito, Hirohito, Saddam, Qaddafy, and countless other dictators strutting around in uniform to show off their might and power. He's the one who should be arrested and tried. Maybe his discharge status should at least be changed to "less than honorable", after his going AWOL during VietNam.

My wife and I were in that anti-war rally in DC somewhere behind Adam Kokesh and the rest of the veterans and military families who led the march. Amoungst the Rolling Thumder counter-protesters who lined the route of the march, there were some Iraq veterans as well. They were wearing their uniforms, some with nametags and insignia still attached. I wonder if they had authorization to be there? I wonder if they had authorization to spit on and insult the anti-war marchers while in uniform?

The fact that the military has no problem with those in uniform assaulting civilians suggests that martial law is a real possibility. We have an Administration to whom the Constitution is little more than a quaint joke, an army of paramilitary "contractors" who are above the law and a regular military that is willing to follow all of them in their lust for an American Empire. At what point will we we realize who is really in control of this "Democracy". It certainly is not the American people, or impeachment would have been on the table last November.

This has become an ugly wound for all Iraq and mideast operation freedom VETS!!!I find it most disturbing if not down right disgusting way to treat a VET. When will they ever learn? I found myself helping Viet nam vets after the war readjust in college and life, what type of country do we have if you can not tell the truth you have witnessed and try in your way to stop the destuction of more lives. The answer my friend is blowing in the wind... Bob Dylan, the answer is IMPEACHMENT. Hang Bush and Cheney!!!!! NOW BRING THE NOOSE!

Adam Kokesh is an example of what is quietly growing behind the scenes in this country.

I remember marching against the Vietnam War with hundreds of Veterans Against the war...all in their uniforms and no one took them to court. Demonstrations were much larger and more, shall we say, aggressive back then.

It is unfortunate that Adam and buddies of his who want to speak out are taking the brunt of this administration's attempt at quieting dissent. For a military person to say "NO" to his war is to Bush an unspeakable act. He continually surrounds himself with military personnel when he makes his photo-op appearances concerning the war (occupation) policy and support for the troops yet not a word of protest is uttered from the media or the military high brass. Apparently the high brass in our armed forces sees nothing wrong with miliatary personnel being used as props for Bush to make his political ramblings. He's looking more like a dictator every day he's left in office...which, thanks to Democrat wimps in congress, will be his entire term.

"It deals with possible violation of the uniform regulations and with his insubordination to a superior officer."

i was in the army for 3 years. there is no such thing as a superior officer. i called them by their rank, never sir, which implies respect. the military is basically a bureaucracy, spelling ? bureaucrazy, those that understand that go up the ladder of rank. until they reach the stink they feel comfortable with.

First Casualty, as in truth. Iraq Vets Against War demo in the Big Apple

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WvIaDeNIbk