Jul 05 2009
“Thanks to the people in the Military…”
I saw a status update yesterday from a social networking site that has gotten under my skin. I know if any of my friends that are still serving the government as a Soldier or Sailor saw it, it would get under their skin as well. But unlike them, I am no longer bound by the UCMJ. I can state my opinion and views freely without fear of being charged with conduct unbecoming. The status read this…. “Thanks 2 the people in the military fighting 4 our country… 2 bad 99.9% of them r wifey beating ass holes”.
How do you get that percentage? I know spousal abuse is a touchy subject, I know domestic violence is real. But most adults know just because you were beat by a wife (statistically speaking it happens more than you realize) or husband, that doesn’t mean every other person of the gender that abused you is the same. If that were the case, since my ex wife cheated on me, could I not say 99.9% of women are cheating, unfaithful bitches? I could, yes. But that wouldn’t make it true.
Why do so many people thank and offend people in the same statement? Could it not have sufficed to just say thanks? Look, I know people who have been in, and some that still are in abusive relationships. For those of you still in one… GET THE FUCK OUT OF IT!! For those of you that have gotten out of one, You should be proud of yourself that you had enough guts and self worth to get out. But please, don’t say 99.9% of the rest of that gender are that way just because the worthless shit you were married to was that way.
Soldiers and Sailors operate and live by a separate, and stricter code of ethics than most. Its called the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The UCMJ dictates what they can say or do in public and private. A soldier in uniform can’t hold a lady’s hand out in public, if you write a bad check to Wal-mart, you get charged a NSF fee and that’s it, if a sailor does it, they are looking at a criminal charge and WILL DO TIME. Domestic violence carries stiff repercussions in the civilian world if you press charges, IF you press charges, but in the military world, the repercussions are even stiffer. It is a violation of section 934 article 134, and one accusation of it can actually violate several sections of the UCMJ, resulting in multiple charges.
In my time in the service and of all the soldiers and sailors I know. I only know of one soldier that was accused of domestic violence. This person was verbally, physically, and mentally abusive, when charged, the charges were violation of sections 892 article 92 Failure to obey orders or regulations (military are ORDERED to be respectful of people not in uniform); section 893 article 93 Cruelty and maltreatment; section 928 article 128 Assault; section 933 article 133 Conduct Unbecoming ; and then there is also section 934 article 134 General Article. That’s the one that is the catch all article. “all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, and crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty,”. When it was brought to Court Marital the soldier ended up being sentenced to time behind bars as well as her, yes Her, being dishonorably discharged.
Soldiers and sailors for the most part have a love not only for America, but her laws, and her citizens. Don’t insult them all and say the majority are like the one you were married too, because they aren’t. I am not saying that soldiers and sailors are immune to domestic violence, but I am saying that 99.9% of them don’t commit the crime. So its not only untrue to make the statement that status claims, but its also a crime, to type that is called liable and YOU could be charged with a crime.
