• Null User Object@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, noted the military principal that service members enjoy weakened First Amendment protections to preserve discipline in the armed forces, but said that no court had ever extended that doctrine to retired service members.

    He said he would not be the first to do so.

    This is so stupid. The fact that he’s retired isn’t the reason this should be thrown out.

    When I was in the military (US), we were taught this from the beginning. My drill instructors weren’t exercising their freedom of speech. They were teaching us how to do our damn job! And the concept came up occasionally throughout my service, with supervisors reminding us that we weren’t supposed to follow illegal orders. Again. Not a freedom of speech issue. It’d be like a driving instructor telling students that they’re not supposed to run stop signs, and people being, “Oh, how brave! He’s exercising his freedom of speech!” Fuckin A!