Marine will fight discharge over Obama comments

[Silent3]

15. It's not a matter of any "argument" of mine "failing"...

...I have no vested interest in standing up for this guy beyond being a strong advocate for free expression. Standing up for free expression is only really meaningful when you do it to protect expression that you don't like.

I know that there's a distinction made between enlisted persons and commissioned officers in the degree of free speech that they're allowed, and you did yourself agree that "Article 88 states it only applies to commissioned officers" even if you added, "but what the heck".

Historically I believe this distinction exists because of the simple practical consideration that it's probably better for morale to let enlisted people grumble a bit about life in general, including political matters, than it is to try to police the speech of so many military personnel. Another reason might be that often (although not lately) the lowest ranks in the military often include people who have been drafted, people who aren't willingly giving up their freedoms the way someone who chooses to be an officer does.