How do you feel about veterans or Soldiers criticizing our President?

I have more than a few military friends that are fairly vocal about their political opinions. It definitely makes me cringe. The whole purpose of a chain of command is to streamline the command and decision process. I wonder how quick these same "dissenters" would be to criticize or punish someone under their command for openly disagreeing with their authority. Insubordination is insubordination... 

Without getting into all the political crap I've seen here from both sides of the aisle, here's my take on the situation:<br><br>Right way to criticize: &nbsp;I don't like President Obama because I think he's screwing up health care with the Affordable Care Act. &nbsp;It's not good legislation and it's creating more problems than it solves. &nbsp;I also don't like him because I think he's not standing up for the military enough and showing disrespect to our service.<br><br>Wrong way to critizcize: &nbsp;Obummer is a Kenyan Muslim Socialist Hitler coming to take our guns and kick us out if we disagree!!!!<br><br>NOTE: THESE ARE NOT MY OPINIONS, THEY ARE EXAMPLES!!!!!!!!!!<br><br>Basically, if you don't namecall, and if you cite facts, and you address the President in a respectful manner, you should be fine. &nbsp;Take the emotion out of it. &nbsp;That's where you'll trip yourself up.<div><br></div>

<font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">

</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Calibri">In uniform, I have a standard “No Comment” if I can’t say
anything nice about the administration at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This has been my policy for four administrations
and it seems to work just fine. However, Facebook, or other online sites where
my opinion is welcome I state my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I
joined to protect my freedom of speech as well as my neighbors.</font></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">

</font>

Whether you like the President or not, he is the Commander-In-Chief and deserves the same respect as any other member of the chain of command. Criticism of the President can fall in the gray area between the First Amendment and the UCMJ so be careful about what you say. What's said in private conversation is generally regarded as private but once it's on a social media forum it's public. If there are any doubts about the propriety of your comments it's best to keep them private.<div><br></div><div>Military members have the right to speak out so long as it's clear that you're doing so as a private citizen but the lines are blurred when people know you're in the service.&nbsp;</div>

Kick the Wussies out of congress and let them deal with POTUS.&nbsp; I live so far away from DC that very little of what any&nbsp;those clowns do effects me or my State.&nbsp; By the way, we have "No Vacancy" signs up for a reason.&nbsp; We don't need anymore progressives no matter what party you belong to.&nbsp;I like the current ratio. About 1:5000. Just Sayin'.

After reading many of the comments, one thing is becoming overwhelmingly clear, and that is that we need to decentralize our military, and return it to the control of the individual states. &nbsp;The danger of a strong centralized military, is that is could be used for political reasons, especially since the undermining of the Posse Comitatus Act by President Obama, gives him or any future Partisan Hack the power to use the military to quash any political dissent, just like is done in China, Cuba, North Korea and the former Soviet Union and every other Marxist nation. &nbsp;<div><br></div><div>The National Government (It has not been a Federal Government since the 17th Amendment was ratified) has grown too big to be controlled by the Constitution, and is no longer responsive to the demands of the people or the States, and the Politicians treat us like we are nothing, calling us potential domestic terrorists, and trying to ensure that we can not own weapons, as they know that we swore to protect the Constitution, and many of us have actually taken the time to study and understand the Constitution's true meaning, which is a treat to their desire for absolute power (both Democrats and Republicans alike). &nbsp;<div><br></div><div>With a decentralized military will take some of the threat against the citizenry by the politicians away and it will be harder to get 50 governors to turn the troops against the citizens, as some will defend the citizens against those who will try to turn on the citizens. &nbsp;We need to have 34 States call for a Constitutional Convention, to put together Amendments to strip the National Government of a lot of its powers, and to clear everyone out of Washington DC and the other national bureaucratic offices across the United States, and to re-insert the Limitation Powers of the Constitution over a reinstated Federal Government.</div></div>

For Enlisted <br><br>I, (<i>NAME</i>), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and
defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies,
foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United
States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to
regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.<br><br>For Officers<br><br>I, <i>[name]</i>, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and
defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies,
foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation
or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge
the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.<br>

I think if you do you should face UMCJ actions, specially&nbsp;NCOs and above. It should never be allowed! As military member there is a reason why your rights and freedoms changed when you joined. You have to be in the best position to give or follow orders!&nbsp;You can still have freedom of speech but we were giving guidance on the professional and right way to do so that it does not UNDERMIND OUR LEADERS. Because why??? plain and smiple, how do we expect Airman Snuffy to follow SSgt President-Hater&nbsp;when&nbsp;he/she is&nbsp;talking&nbsp;crap about our leaders, questioning orders or&nbsp;possible&nbsp;craping on Airman Snuffy's personal views? Not to mention, that most times SSgt President-Hater&nbsp;is not educated enough to know what he/she is talking about!

For a bit more clarification on this, I would encourage EVERYONE to read the following:<div><a href="http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134410p.pdf">http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134410p.pdf</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>As I stated in my previous post, as an INDIVIDUAL in an OFF DUTY status not representing yourself as a member of the Armed Forces, you are fully within your rights to participate in any sort of political activities as allowed by the Hatch Act of 1939. (though I did not mention the Hatch Act in my last post.)</div><div><br></div><div>After reading through all of these posts, it amazes me how many people rely on Far Right or Far Left sources to back their arguments. &nbsp;I wonder how many people actually go to the SOURCE to truly educate themselves. &nbsp;Congressional testimony, voting records, Presidential activity, etc. is open to the public, and available without the input and spin provided by a particular pundit. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I personally do not attack an individual, I agree with a couple of the folks on here about things like it not mattering if our President is or is not a practicing Muslim. &nbsp;I wouldn't have cared if we had a Buddhist, Wiccan, Deist, Mormon, Catholic, or Atheist in the White House. &nbsp;Just like I do not expect that my employer would care about my personal spiritual preference. &nbsp;It seems a bit hypocritical to speak constitutionality and freedom out of one side of your mouth, while trying to stifle them out of the other side.</div><div><br></div><div>I served in Iraq, a war I did not believe we needed to be involved in, under a President I supported; I served in Afghanistan, a war I DID believe we belonged in, under a President that I do not support. &nbsp;It didn't mater, and it still doesn't....I said I would follow the man's (or woman's) orders and I would still do it today.</div><div><br></div><div>As a Veteran however, there is absolutely ZERO laws that forbid my presenting myself as a Veteran, and criticizing the policies and decisions of a sitting President, and I have done so and will continue to do so. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Any way, there is clarification in the DoDD, and I would recommend anyone still serving, or in the employ of the Federal government read and familiarize themselves with it. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134410p.pdf"></a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">l²Öm–\Þ
ü` ÚæD
endstream
endobj
555 0 obj&gt;stream
H‰Œ’A›0…ïþs4ÛÄÆT«•º›TÚJ«F»î©é%NC•„“öïwنhƒˆ8`æ›÷ޅÈþ&amp;sKæϏ@&amp;¸»›&gt;Í@
¸¿˜áåƒ%k9°k"$p|ð•JH2Ŕ»#T0¸$½òý&amp;G`&amp;íÃß_ß^ç}^ûC´%™6À™†Ú‘õ…ääÉF°´ë2è|zÃç[@ü~ü—l...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>

The active military are under military rules and regulations. They can
be held accountable for speaking out against the president as Commander
in Chief.<br>Veterans have a right and an obligation to speak out against anyone who is against our country. Veterans have fought for this country and it is because of them that we all have the freedoms we have. If someone is trying to take those freedoms away we as veterans should feel threatened. The only problem with being against a president is he isn't calling the shots. The corporations in the united states are controlling everything. They have since this nation was founded. The electoral college elects the president not the people.&nbsp; <br>