U.S. Air Force Major Jason Watson has been arrested by Capitol Police and is under investigation by the military after holding a press conference on July 1 on the U.S. Capitol steps denouncing the Trump administration and calling for the impeachment, conviction and removal from office of President D
  • ramble81@lemmy.zip
    12·
    2 months ago

    And this is the whole reason that I never would join the armed forces. I was considering an officer route and I know I could have thrived, but being told I can’t talk bad about an elected official no matter what they do? Yeah, fuck that.

    • pishadoot@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      2 months ago

      You can speak ill of officials in the armed forces, you just can’t do it in uniform and you have to keep online content separate from things that identify you as military ie your insta page can’t have a bunch of stuff with you in uniform and then you calling the president a dipshit also.

        • pishadoot@sh.itjust.works
          1·
          2 months ago

          I mean, most employers would fire you if you stood outside the store in their uniform and held up signs calling the CEO a twat also though, right? Or had it all over your socials?

          • ramble81@lemmy.zip
            1·
            2 months ago

            Getting fired is a civil action not a criminal one. I’m not going to get tossed in jail for saying my boss is an asshat.

            • pishadoot@sh.itjust.works
              1·
              2 months ago

              Yeah, military law is a thing. You get charged twice for most things, both on the civilian side and then the military side. And there’s extra things you get charged for only on the military side.

              Again, you can be in the military and call your boss an asshat… But doing it on the Capitol steps (or wherever this guy was), in uniform, is not allowed. I think that actually makes common sense, from a mutiny/discipline standpoint.

              Not trying to convince you you’re wrong and like, should have joined up or something, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for someone’s free speech to be limited in this way.

    • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.caEnglish
      3·
      2 months ago

      Probably you phrased that wrong. It’s not the murdering foreign babies, it’s not the petroterrorism, it’s not the interfering with harmless sovereign nations, it’s just that you can’t run your mouth anymore?

      • BeMoreCareful@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        I can’t speak for the op, but as someone that was very much military bound. There are all sorts of considerations about the military. I read it as relevant experience to the post.