An active duty Marine and owner of a popular Facebook page "Armed Forces Tea Party" is in hot water for saying on his page that he will not obey "unlawful orders" from the president and commander-in-chief, including "detaining" Americans in violation of "their constitutional rights." AP reports that Sgt. Gary Stein stated that he:
would not follow orders from the president if those orders included detaining U.S. citizens, disarming them or doing anything else that he believes would violate their constitutional rights.
The Marine's statement follows the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA) which empowers the US military to indefinitely detain US citizens without charge or trial when the Executive Branch alleges that they are suspected of supporting terrorist activities. At a press conference on the NDAA in which figures from across the political spectrum joined together to denounce the law, progressive author Naomi Wolf described the NDAA as “The worst thing I’ve seen in my lifetime.” Wolf stated that as a mother she is “frightened for [her] children’s future.”
Wolf said that she has seen letters from members of Congress sent to constituents:
“To my great distress, so many Congressmen are lying to the American people about what [the NDAA] meant. They denied that the NDAA gave power to the president to detain citizens without trial. They are form letters and they are filled with lies.”
Upon signing the bill earlier this year, Obama appended a signing statement confirming that the new powers were inherent in the law, but that his administration would not use them. Obama wrote:
“I want to clarify that my Administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens."
The organization Human Rights First reports:
"Although the Obama Administration has consistently claimed the power to kill U.S. citizens without charge or trial in the war on terror, as it did to the radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen, the president now promises not to imprison them. Of course, a future president still might."
Obama signed the law after threatening to veto it. It came to light last December during US Senate debate that the provision for the indefinite detention was not in the original bill, according to Senator Carl Levin, but that Obama had specifically requested it.
Sgt. Stein said:
"Just because I'm a Marine doesn't mean I don't have free speech or can't say my personal opinion about the president or other public official just like anybody else. The Constitution trumps everything else."
Department of Defense regulations uphold a soldier's right to engage in political activity or speech as long as he or she is not in uniform or purporting to represent the views of any part of the Armed Services.
Defense Department regulations summarized at Global Security state:
DEMONSTRATING
Soldiers may participate in demonstrations if they do not-
Do so during duty hours.
Soldiers participating during duty hours may be considered AWOL.
Do so while in uniform.
Soldiers in uniform can give the appearance that the Army sponsors or approves of the demonstration.
Do so while on post.
Do so while in a foreign country.
Create a breach of law and order such as blocking traffic or assaulting police.
Do so when violence is likely to result. (See AR 600-20, paragraph 5-3.)
Soldiers who demonstrate in a manner prohibited by AR 600-20 may be subject to disciplinary action.
EXPRESSING OPINIONS ON POLITICAL SUBJECTS
Soldiers do not lose the right to express opinions on all political subjects and candidates. Soldiers may not, however, use "official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election or affecting the course of its outcome" (DOD Directive 1344.10).
In the AP article Marine Sgt. Jerret Wright says:
"People assume that we're zombies with an on-and-off switch, and that we listen to orders and do nothing else,"
US Senate "yes" votes on NDAA (for detention of US citizens):
Yea HI Akaka, Daniel [D]
Yea TN Alexander, Lamar [R]
Yea NH Ayotte, Kelly [R]
Yea WY Barrasso, John [R]
Yea MT Baucus, Max [D]
Yea AK Begich, Mark [D]
Yea CO Bennet, Michael [D]
Yea NM Bingaman, Jeff [D]
Yea CT Blumenthal, Richard [D]
Yea MO Blunt, Roy [R]
Yea AR Boozman, John [R]
Yea CA Boxer, Barbara [D]
Yea MA Brown, Scott [R]
Yea OH Brown, Sherrod [D]
Yea NC Burr, Richard [R]
Yea WA Cantwell, Maria [D]
Yea DE Carper, Thomas [D]
Yea PA Casey, Robert [D]
Yea GA Chambliss, Saxby [R]
Yea IN Coats, Daniel [R]
Yea MS Cochran, Thad [R]
Yea ME Collins, Susan [R]
Yea ND Conrad, Kent [D]
Yea DE Coons, Chris [D]
Yea TN Corker, Bob [R]
Yea TX Cornyn, John [R]
Yea WY Enzi, Michael [R]
Yea CA Feinstein, Dianne [D]
Yea NY Gillibrand, Kirsten [D]
Yea SC Graham, Lindsey [R]
Yea IA Grassley, Charles [R]
Yea NC Hagan, Kay [D]
Yea UT Hatch, Orrin [R]
Yea NV Heller, Dean [R]
Yea ND Hoeven, John [R]
Yea TX Hutchison, Kay [R]
Yea OK Inhofe, James [R]
Yea HI Inouye, Daniel [D]
Yea GA Isakson, John [R]
Yea NE Johanns, Mike [R]
Yea WI Johnson, Ron [R]
Yea SD Johnson, Tim [D]
Yea MA Kerry, John [D]
Yea IL Kirk, Mark [R]
Yea MN Klobuchar, Amy [D]
Yea WI Kohl, Herbert [D]
Yea AZ Kyl, Jon [R]
Yea LA Landrieu, Mary [D]
Yea NJ Lautenberg, Frank [D]
Yea VT Leahy, Patrick [D]
Yea MI Levin, Carl [D]
Yea CT Lieberman, Joseph [I]
Yea IN Lugar, Richard [R]
Yea WV Manchin, Joe [D]
Yea AZ McCain, John [R]
Yea MO McCaskill, Claire [D]
Yea KY McConnell, Mitch [R]
Yea NJ Menendez, Robert [D]
Yea MD Mikulski, Barbara [D]
Yea AK Murkowski, Lisa [R]
Yea WA Murray, Patty [D]
Yea NE Nelson, Ben [D]
Yea FL Nelson, Bill [D]
Yea OH Portman, Robert [R]
Yea AR Pryor, Mark [D]
Yea RI Reed, John [D]
Yea NV Reid, Harry [D]
Yea KS Roberts, Pat [R]
Yea WV Rockefeller, John [D]
Yea FL Rubio, Marco [R]
Yea NY Schumer, Charles [D]
Yea AL Sessions, Jefferson [R]
Yea NH Shaheen, Jeanne [D]
Yea AL Shelby, Richard [R]
Yea ME Snowe, Olympia [R]
Yea MI Stabenow, Debbie Ann [D]
Yea MT Tester, Jon [D]
Yea SD Thune, John [R]
Yea PA Toomey, Patrick [R]
Yea CO Udall, Mark [D]
Yea NM Udall, Tom [D]
Yea LA Vitter, David [R]
Yea VA Warner, Mark [D]
Yea VA Webb, Jim [D]
Yea RI Whitehouse, Sheldon [D]
Yea MS Wicker, Roger [R]
Not Voting KS Moran, Jerry [R]
House "yes" votes:
Aye NY-5 Ackerman, Gary [D]
Aye FL-24 Adams, Sandy [R]
Aye AL-4 Aderholt, Robert [R]
Aye MO-2 Akin, W. [R]
Aye LA-5 Alexander, Rodney [R]
Aye PA-4 Altmire, Jason [D]
Aye NV-2 Amodei, Mark [R]
Aye NJ-1 Andrews, Robert [D]
Aye OH-7 Austria, Steve [R]
Aye CA-43 Baca, Joe [D]
Aye AL-6 Bachus, Spencer [R]
Aye PA-11 Barletta, Lou [R]
Aye GA-12 Barrow, John [D]
Aye MD-6 Bartlett, Roscoe [R]
Aye TX-6 Barton, Joe [R]
Aye NH-2 Bass, Charles [R]
Aye MI-1 Benishek, Dan [R]
Aye ND-0 Berg, Rick [R]
Aye NV-1 Berkley, Shelley [D]
Aye CA-28 Berman, Howard [D]
Aye IL-13 Biggert, Judy [R]
Aye CA-50 Bilbray, Brian [R]
Aye FL-9 Bilirakis, Gus [R]
Aye UT-1 Bishop, Rob [R]
Aye GA-2 Bishop, Sanford [D]
Aye NY-1 Bishop, Timothy [D]
Aye TN-6 Black, Diane [R]
Aye TN-7 Blackburn, Marsha [R]
Aye AL-1 Bonner, Jo [R]
Aye CA-45 Bono Mack, Mary [R]
Aye OK-2 Boren, Dan [D]
Aye IA-3 Boswell, Leonard [D]
Aye LA-7 Boustany, Charles [R]
Aye TX-8 Brady, Kevin [R]
Aye PA-1 Brady, Robert [D]
Aye AL-5 Brooks, Mo [R]
Aye GA-10 Broun, Paul [R]
Aye FL-3 Brown, Corrine [D]
Aye FL-13 Buchanan, Vern [R]
Aye NY-25 Buerkle, Ann Marie [R]
Aye NC-1 Butterfield, George [D]
Aye CA-44 Calvert, Ken [R]
Aye MI-4 Camp, David [R]
Aye TX-23 Canseco, Francisco [R]
Aye VA-7 Cantor, Eric [R]
Aye WV-2 Capito, Shelley [R]
Aye CA-23 Capps, Lois [D]
Aye CA-18 Cardoza, Dennis [D]
Aye MO-3 Carnahan, Russ [D]
Aye DE-0 Carney, John [D]
Aye TX-31 Carter, John [R]
Aye LA-6 Cassidy, Bill [R]
Aye FL-11 Castor, Kathy [D]
Aye OH-1 Chabot, Steven [R]
Aye KY-6 Chandler, Ben [D]
Aye RI-1 Cicilline, David [D]
Aye OK-4 Cole, Tom [R]
Aye TX-11 Conaway, K. [R]
Aye VA-11 Connolly, Gerald [D]
Aye TN-5 Cooper, Jim [D]
Aye CA-20 Costa, Jim [D]
Aye CT-2 Courtney, Joe [D]
Aye MN-8 Cravaack, Chip [R]
Aye AR-1 Crawford, Rick [R]
Aye FL-4 Crenshaw, Ander [R]
Aye PA-12 Critz, Mark [D]
Aye NY-7 Crowley, Joseph [D]
Aye TX-28 Cuellar, Henry [D]
Aye TX-7 Culberson, John [R]
Aye KY-4 Davis, Geoff [R]
Aye CA-53 Davis, Susan [D]
Aye CA-19 Denham, Jeff [R]
Aye PA-15 Dent, Charles [R]
Aye FL-19 Deutch, Ted [D]
Aye WA-6 Dicks, Norman [D]
Aye MI-15 Dingell, John [D]
Aye TX-25 Doggett, Lloyd [D]
Aye IL-10 Dold, Bob [R]
Aye IN-2 Donnelly, Joe [D]
Aye CA-26 Dreier, David [R]
Aye WI-7 Duffy, Sean [R]
Aye NC-2 Ellmers, Renee [R]
Aye MO-8 Emerson, Jo Ann [R]
Aye NY-17 Engel, Eliot [D]
Aye TX-27 Farenthold, Blake [R]
Aye TN-8 Fincher, Stephen [R]
Aye PA-8 Fitzpatrick, Michael [R]
Aye TN-3 Fleischmann, Chuck [R]
Aye LA-4 Fleming, John [R]
Aye TX-17 Flores, Bill [R]
Aye NE-1 Fortenberry, Jeffrey [R]
Aye NC-5 Foxx, Virginia [R]
Aye AZ-2 Franks, Trent [R]
Aye NJ-11 Frelinghuysen, Rodney [R]
Aye CA-24 Gallegly, Elton [R]
Aye CA-10 Garamendi, John [D]
Aye CO-4 Gardner, Cory [R]
Aye PA-6 Gerlach, Jim [R]
Aye OH-18 Gibbs, Bob [R]
Aye NY-20 Gibson, Chris [R]
Aye GA-11 Gingrey, John [R]
Aye TX-1 Gohmert, Louis [R]
Aye TX-20 Gonzalez, Charles [D]
Aye TX-12 Granger, Kay [R]
Aye MO-6 Graves, Samuel [R]
Aye TX-9 Green, Al [D]
Aye TX-29 Green, Raymond [D]
Aye AR-2 Griffin, Tim [R]
Aye NY-13 Grimm, Michael [R]
Aye NH-1 Guinta, Frank [R]
Aye KY-2 Guthrie, Brett [R]
Aye TX-4 Hall, Ralph [R]
Aye HI-1 Hanabusa, Colleen [D]
Aye NY-24 Hanna, Richard [R]
Aye MS-3 Harper, Gregg [R]
Aye MO-4 Hartzler, Vicky [R]
Aye WA-4 Hastings, Doc [R]
Aye NY-19 Hayworth, Nan [R]
Aye NV-3 Heck, Joe [R]
Aye TX-5 Hensarling, Jeb [R]
Aye CA-2 Herger, Walter [R]
Aye WA-3 Herrera Beutler, Jaime [R]
Aye NY-27 Higgins, Brian [D]
Aye CT-4 Himes, James [D]
Aye HI-2 Hirono, Mazie [D]
Aye NY-26 Hochul, Kathleen [D]
Aye PA-17 Holden, Tim [D]
Aye MD-5 Hoyer, Steny [D]
Aye IL-14 Hultgren, Randy [R]
Aye CA-52 Hunter, Duncan [R]
Aye WA-1 Inslee, Jay [D]
Aye NY-2 Israel, Steve [D]
Aye CA-49 Issa, Darrell [R]
Aye TX-18 Jackson-Lee, Sheila [D]
Aye KS-2 Jenkins, Lynn [R]
Aye OH-6 Johnson, Bill [R]
Aye TX-3 Johnson, Samuel [R]
Aye OH-4 Jordan, Jim [R]
Aye MA-10 Keating, William [D]
Aye PA-3 Kelly, Mike [R]
Aye MI-5 Kildee, Dale [D]
Aye WI-3 Kind, Ronald [D]
Aye NY-3 King, Peter [R]
Aye IA-5 King, Steve [R]
Aye GA-1 Kingston, Jack [R]
Aye IL-11 Kinzinger, Adam [R]
Aye NC-8 Kissell, Larry [D]
Aye MN-2 Kline, John [R]
Aye CO-5 Lamborn, Doug [R]
Aye NJ-7 Lance, Leonard [R]
Aye LA-3 Landry, Jeff [R]
Aye RI-2 Langevin, James [D]
Aye OK-5 Lankford, James [R]
Aye WA-2 Larsen, Rick [D]
Aye CT-1 Larson, John [D]
Aye IA-4 Latham, Thomas [R]
Aye OH-5 Latta, Robert [R]
Aye MI-12 Levin, Sander [D]
Aye CA-41 Lewis, Jerry [R]
Aye IL-3 Lipinski, Daniel [D]
Aye NJ-2 LoBiondo, Frank [R]
Aye IA-2 Loebsack, David [D]
Aye MO-7 Long, Billy [R]
Aye NY-18 Lowey, Nita [D]
Aye OK-3 Lucas, Frank [R]
Aye MO-9 Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R]
Aye CA-3 Lungren, Daniel [R]
Aye IL-16 Manzullo, Donald [R]
Aye TX-24 Marchant, Kenny [R]
Aye PA-10 Marino, Thomas [R]
Aye UT-2 Matheson, Jim [D]
Aye NY-4 McCarthy, Carolyn [D]
Aye CA-22 McCarthy, Kevin [R]
Aye TX-10 McCaul, Michael [R]
Aye MI-11 McCotter, Thaddeus [R]
Aye NC-10 McHenry, Patrick [R]
Aye NC-7 McIntyre, Mike [D]
Aye CA-25 McKeon, Howard [R]
Aye WV-1 McKinley, David [R]
Aye WA-5 McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R]
Aye CA-11 McNerney, Jerry [D]
Aye PA-7 Meehan, Patrick [R]
Aye FL-7 Mica, John [R]
Aye MI-10 Miller, Candice [R]
Aye CA-42 Miller, Gary [R]
Aye FL-1 Miller, Jeff [R]
Aye PA-18 Murphy, Tim [R]
Aye TX-19 Neugebauer, Randy [R]
Aye SD-0 Noem, Kristi [R]
Aye FL-5 Nugent, Richard [R]
Aye CA-21 Nunes, Devin [R]
Aye MS-1 Nunnelee, Alan [R]
Aye TX-22 Olson, Pete [R]
Aye NY-23 Owens, William [D]
Aye MS-4 Palazzo, Steven [R]
Aye NJ-8 Pascrell, William [D]
Aye AZ-4 Pastor, Edward [D]
Aye MN-3 Paulsen, Erik [R]
Aye NM-2 Pearce, Steven [R]
Aye CA-8 Pelosi, Nancy [D]
Aye CO-7 Perlmutter, Ed [D]
Aye MN-7 Peterson, Collin [D]
Aye WI-6 Petri, Thomas [R]
Aye PA-19 Platts, Todd [R]
Aye TX-2 Poe, Ted [R]
Aye KS-4 Pompeo, Mike [R]
Aye GA-6 Price, Tom [R]
Aye AZ-3 Quayle, Ben [R]
Aye WV-3 Rahall, Nick [D]
Aye NY-29 Reed, Tom [R]
Aye MT-0 Rehberg, Dennis [R]
Aye WA-8 Reichert, Dave [R]
Aye OH-16 Renacci, Jim [R]
Aye TX-16 Reyes, Silvestre [D]
Aye CA-37 Richardson, Laura [D]
Aye VA-2 Rigell, E. [R]
Aye FL-25 Rivera, David [R]
Aye AL-2 Roby, Martha [R]
Aye KY-5 Rogers, Harold [R]
Aye AL-3 Rogers, Michael [R]
Aye MI-8 Rogers, Michael [R]
Aye FL-16 Rooney, Thomas [R]
Aye IL-6 Roskam, Peter [R]
Aye FL-18 Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R]
Aye FL-12 Ross, Dennis [R]
Aye AR-4 Ross, Mike [D]
Aye NJ-9 Rothman, Steven [D]
Aye NJ-3 Runyan, Jon [R]
Aye MD-2 Ruppersberger, C.A. [D]
Aye WI-1 Ryan, Paul [R]
Aye CA-39 Sanchez, Linda [D]
Aye LA-1 Scalise, Steve [R]
Aye CA-29 Schiff, Adam [D]
Aye IL-17 Schilling, Robert [R]
Aye OH-2 Schmidt, Jean [R]
Aye IL-18 Schock, Aaron [R]
Aye OR-5 Schrader, Kurt [D]
Aye PA-13 Schwartz, Allyson [D]
Aye GA-8 Scott, Austin [R]
Aye GA-13 Scott, David [D]
Aye SC-1 Scott, Tim [R]
Aye WI-5 Sensenbrenner, F. [R]
Aye TX-32 Sessions, Peter [R]
Aye AL-7 Sewell, Terri [D]
Aye CA-27 Sherman, Brad [D]
Aye IL-19 Shimkus, John [R]
Aye NC-11 Shuler, Heath [D]
Aye PA-9 Shuster, William [R]
Aye NJ-13 Sires, Albio [D]
Aye WA-9 Smith, Adam [D]
Aye NE-3 Smith, Adrian [R]
Aye NJ-4 Smith, Christopher [R]
Aye TX-21 Smith, Lamar [R]
Aye FL-2 Southerland, Steve [R]
Aye FL-6 Stearns, Clifford [R]
Aye OH-15 Stivers, Steve [R]
Aye OK-1 Sullivan, John [R]
Aye OH-13 Sutton, Betty [D]
Aye NE-2 Terry, Lee [R]
Aye PA-5 Thompson, Glenn [R]
Aye TX-13 Thornberry, William [R]
Aye OH-12 Tiberi, Patrick [R]
Aye MA-5 Tsongas, Niki [D]
Aye OH-3 Turner, Michael [R]
Aye NY-9 Turner, Robert [R]
Aye MI-6 Upton, Frederick [R]
Aye IN-1 Visclosky, Peter [D]
Aye OR-2 Walden, Greg [R]
Aye MN-1 Walz, Timothy [D]
Aye FL-20 Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D]
Aye CA-30 Waxman, Henry [D]
Aye FL-8 Webster, Daniel [R]
Aye FL-22 West, Allen [R]
Aye GA-3 Westmoreland, Lynn [R]
Aye KY-1 Whitfield, Edward [R]
Aye SC-2 Wilson, Addison [R]
Aye FL-17 Wilson, Frederica [D]
Aye VA-1 Wittman, Rob [R]
Aye VA-10 Wolf, Frank [R]
Aye AR-3 Womack, Steve [R]
Aye KS-3 Yoder, Kevin [R]
Aye AK-0 Young, Donald [R]
Aye IN-9 Young, Todd [R]
Not Voting MN-6 Bachmann, Michele [R]
Not Voting NC-6 Coble, Howard [R]
Not Voting FL-21 Diaz-Balart, Mario [R]
Not Voting CA-51 Filner, Bob [D]
Not Voting AZ-8 Giffords, Gabrielle [D]
Not Voting IL-4 Gutierrez, Luis [D]
Not Voting TX-30 Johnson, Eddie [D]
Not Voting OH-14 LaTourette, Steven [R]
Not Voting MA-9 Lynch, Stephen [D]
Not Voting NC-9 Myrick, Sue [R]
Not Voting TX-14 Paul, Ronald [R]
Not Voting PA-16 Pitts, Joseph [R]
Not Voting CA-47 Sanchez, Loretta [D]
Not Voting FL-10 Young, C. W. [R]