Moran Sergeant discharged for birtherism

[Cutlass]

Air Force discharging sergeant who doubts Obama
By JOSH FUNK - Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Air Force said Wednesday it is discharging a hero of the so-called birther movement who refused to report to duty in Germany for a few days earlier this month because he doubts President Barak Obama's citizenship.

Staff Sgt. Daryn Moran expects to be discharged within the next week. Although the 41-year-old Nebraska man refused to report to duty and had called for Obama's arrest in statements on websites, several other things contributed to his discharge, including his opposition to Obama's decision to allow gays to serve openly in the military.

Moran, who has served nine years in the Air Force, drew the attention of the birther movement when he shared his views on Obama's citizenship on websites of groups that believe Obama was not born in the U.S. and therefore is not eligible to serve as president or commander in chief.

Obama released a copy of his detailed birth certificate from Hawaii in April in an attempt to quell the questions about whether he was born outside the U.S. But many birthers contend Obama's birth certificate must be a fake.

Moran was an ophthalmology technician with the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, where he had been stationed since October 2010. He was put on leave sometime earlier this year after some of his co-workers at the eye clinic were bothered by comments he made about the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" and about Muslim terrorists and how he thought Obama was connected to Muslims. One of the doctors at the clinic was Muslim.

It's not clear whether Moran would have been prosecuted for refusing to report for duty because it appears his discharge was approved by his commander about a week beforehand.

Air Force spokesman Michael Kucharek said Wednesday that his commander approved the discharge on Aug. 4. Moran had refused to report for duty starting last Thursday.

Moran said he is receiving an honorable discharge, but the Air Force would only confirm that he is being discharged.

Moran said he didn't consider his orders valid because he doesn't consider Obama's presidency valid. Even as he was waiting for the Air Force to decide what to do with him, Moran was calling for Obama's arrest.

"I doubt America's future if we choose to abandon the Constitution at the moment of this battle with B. Obama's desire for absolute authority and unwillingness to cooperate," Moran said Wednesday in an email from Germany to The Associated Press.

Earlier this year, an Army doctor who disobeyed deployment orders because he doubted Obama's birth records served five months of a six-month prison sentence for refusing to go to Afghanistan. Terry Lakin, of Greeley, Colo., pleaded guilty in December to disobeying orders and was convicted of missing a flight that would have gotten him to his eventual deployment Lakin was tried at Fort Meade.

Like Lakin, Moran has appeared in YouTube videos with leaders of the birther movement.

Moran said he started doing research online about Obama after he was put on leave and after two airmen were killed in March in a shooting in Frankfurt, Germany.

Moran's father, Howard Moran, said he's proud of his son for taking a stand, and the information his son found online also convinced him that Obama isn't qualified to be president.

"Even if you don't agree with him, you have to give him some credit. I believe he's doing what he thinks is right," said Howard Moran, who also served in the Air Force.

Daryn Moran joined the Air Force after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He previously served in the Marines from 1991-1995.

Moran said Wednesday that he hoped to be back in his hometown of Omaha within the next week with his wife and two children.

http://news.yahoo.com/air-force-discharging-sergeant-doubts-obama-214651994.html






Now I had thought that the Birther movement had run its course. Obama has proven that he was born in Hawaii. Not that there was ever any actual doubt. But he has given all the proof that was asked for. So why are these people still holding on to this?

 

[Dumanios]

I can hardly believe that there are still birthers... on the other hand, considering people in general are stupid, it seems easy to believe.

Great use of the picture, by the way.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Good. We wouldn't want an imbecile playing with the US's many dangerous toys.

 

[Ajidica]

And there was much rejoicing.

Nice use on the last name. I was going to post how ironicaly funny it is for you to misspell moron.

 

[Cutlass]

Morin and Moren are also legitimate names.

 

[Lord of Elves]

This is roughly A Good Thing. Birthers are certainly questionable within the armed services, for the same reasons the UK does not permit BNP members to serve in the police force.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Good. We wouldn't want an imbecile playing with the US's many dangerous toys.

Especially ophthalmology technicians. He might put an eye out.

Nice use on the last name.

I was going to post that photo when I noticed his name in the story. Well played.

 

[GhostWriter16]

So if there's ever a draft, I'll just claim to be a birther....

Even if Obama's not the POTUS

In all seriousness though, I feel people in the military should be able to believe whatever they want. So if this guy is a birther, he should still be allowed to serve, if, and this is a big if, he is willing to follow the law in spite of his personal beliefs about Obama. If not, then he should be discharged.

BTW: I think birtherism is insane at this point, but insane beliefs shouldn't necessarily exclude someone from armed service, certain applications of those beliefs should be. It would be like saying racists shouldn't be allowed in the military, well, I think they should be able but if they allow their racism to get in the way of their service than no.

And adding support of DADT to the list of things to give him the boot for is stupid...

 

[carmen510]

Well, calling for your Commander-in-Chief's arrest would probably be construed as insubordination in any other country, so I think the discharge is called for.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Well, calling for your Commander-in-Chief's arrest would probably be construed as insubordination in any other country, so I think the discharge is called for.

Honestly, I don't think that should be considered a threat against the President (Although, why would you want to be in his armed forces in that case?) Calling for a legal arrest, no matter how ridiculous, should be legal.

Now, saying "I think someone should assassinate him" that could be a threat...

 

[carmen510]

Honestly, I don't think that should be considered a threat against the President (Although, why would you want to be in his armed forces in that case?) Calling for a legal arrest, no matter how ridiculous, should be legal.

Now, saying "I think someone should assassinate him" that could be a threat...

I said "insubordination", not "threat". Insubordination in the armed forces pretty much guarantees a discharge, unless said insubordination saved people's lives (some Medal of Honor recipients disobeyed orders to rescue their comrades, I believe).

 

[NickyJ]

Yippee! I'll never have to worry about joining the military ever again!

So if there's ever a draft, I'll just claim to be a birther....

Even if Obama's not the POTUS

In all seriousness though, I feel people in the military should be able to believe whatever they want. So if this guy is a birther, he should still be allowed to serve, if, and this is a big if, he is willing to follow the law in spite of his personal beliefs about Obama. If not, then he should be discharged.

BTW: I think birtherism is insane at this point, but insane beliefs shouldn't necessarily exclude someone from armed service, certain applications of those beliefs should be. It would be like saying racists shouldn't be allowed in the military, well, I think they should be able but if they allow their racism to get in the way of their service than no.

And adding support of DADT to the list of things to give him the boot for is stupid...

This. The military shouldn't be able to dictate their soldiers' personal beliefs.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Insubordination means deliberate disobedience of an order. Theoretically you could believe Obama should be legally arrested and yet still obey him on the grounds that the law requires you to do so.

Yippee! I'll never have to worry about joining the military ever again!

Because you're a birther, or because you would claim to be one?

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I rather disapprove of the thread title. It implies that being against Obama was what got him discharged rather than refusing to report for duty.

 

[NickyJ]

Because you're a birther, or because you would claim to be one?

Because I would claim to be one, of course.

 

[carmen510]

Insubordination means deliberate disobedience of an order. Theoretically you could believe Obama should be legally arrested and yet still obey him on the grounds that the law requires you to do so.

I meant insubordination as the refusal to recognize or submit to the authority of your superior. In this case, Sergeant Moran didn't recognize the authority of his Commander-in-Chief, so his dismissal is justified.

 

[JerichoHill]

@Dom

He refused to report for service b/c of his birther belief. That is not "questioning authority" but flat out refusing to serve, thus not obeying what is an implicit order to serve the CiC by being a soldier

 

[GhostWriter16]

I rather disapprove of the thread title. It implies that being against Obama was what got him discharged rather than refusing to report for duty.

@Dom

He refused to report for service b/c of his birther belief. That is not "questioning authority" but flat out refusing to serve, thus not obeying what is an implicit order to serve the CiC by being a soldier

Yeah, I saw that. However, the title seemed to suggest that he was discharged for being a birther and insubordination was icing on the cake.

I certainly agree that he should have been discharged for insubordination. But I think EVERYONE agrees with that. What I don't agree with is that he should have been discharged SOLELY FOR BIRTHERISM.

 

[NickyJ]

Yeah, I saw that. However, the title seemed to suggest that he was discharged for being a birther and insubordination was icing on the cake.

I certainly agree that he should have been discharged for insubordination. But I think EVERYONE agrees with that. What I don't agree with is that he should have been discharged SOLELY FOR BIRTHERISM.

Exactly. If he was discharged solely for insubordination, then I'd be fine with it. But the thread title indicates that he discharged for birtherism.

 

[Cutlass]

The birtherism was the insubordination.