BlackFive

Boy I love some good old fashioned righteous indignation. So the USMC has decided that appeasing the apologists at CAIR is more important than, oh say the freaking Bill of Rights. WTF? over. I realize that military service comes with some restrictions, but I must have missed the part where the right to satire during off duty time was revoked. Anyhow me being me I zipped off a message to the spokesweasel the USMC sent out to flog their kowtow to the Islamic lobby. I will advise.

Dear Maj. Chapin,

I am concerned by the reaction of the USMC to the clearly humorous video Hadji Girl by CPL Belle. I wonder if anyone there bothered to watch and listen to the lyrics, I don’t think so because they hardly match the lies spread in the media and by CAIR which you appear to have swallowed whole. They are available here and clearly demonstrate none of the reprehensible sentiments claimed. And yet we get this:

“Corps officials responded to the group’s concerns and contacted administrators of the Web site on which it had been anonymously posted to ask that it be removed.”

I am curious why the Marine Corps would ask that any video be removed from a private website. I am curious why the Marine Corps would spend tax dollars harassing a private group about a private individual’s exercise of freedom of speech. I am disgusted by your statement here.

“The video … is clearly inappropriate and contrary to the high standards expected of all Marines,” said Marine Maj. Gabrielle Chapin in a prepared statement. “The video is not reflective of the tremendous sacrifices and dedication demonstrated, on a daily basis, by tens of thousands of Marines who have assisted the Iraqi people in gaining their freedom.”

Are you concerned with his vocal ability, or his guitar playing skills, or his songwriting? I didn’t know the Marine Corps kept track of what troops do in their off time and much less that you graded them on it. The video is reflective of the idea enshrined in the Bill of Rights, that speech is free. I assume you can locate a copy of the document, and perhaps you might spend some time reading it rather than embarrassing the Corps and America by caving in to the jihadi apologists at CAIR.

If the freedoms military folks are fighting and dying to provide for the Iraqis and Afghanis are not available to our own troops then why should they risk their lives? This is a sorry day for the Corps and you owe CPL Belle, all Marines and the US people an explanation as to why the USMC has seen fit to revoke freedom of speech for it’s members.

I am a former US Army Special Forces Weapons Sergeant and have worked in many countries where building rapport with the local populace was vital to the success of our operations. I realize that a satire like this can, and obviously has been, misinterpreted, and that it may be used by those opposed to our efforts in Iraq, and even harm our relations with some Iraqis. Tough crap Major, deal with it, and not by forgetting that the most basic protections of freedom apply to all of us, even if they hurt the delicate feelings of all the chair-warming appeasers in DC or anyone else’s.

Cordially,

Jim Hanson

AKA the extremely chafed milblogger Uncle Jimbo from madison.com/post and Blackfive.net