Free Speech For Military Bigots

As reported in the Seattle Times, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, by a 4-1 vote, has ruled that racist statements made online by Army private Jeremy Wilcox were protected by the First Amendment. Wilcox's defense attorneys demonstrated that there was no evidence that Wilcox's racist views adversely affected his military performance. Dissenting Judge James Baker asked, "What parents would want their daughter or son to serve in a unit they thought might be infected with white supremacists and closet skinheads? What soldier (other than a white supremacist) would want to have 'Wskullhead' [Wilcox's online name] on his right or left in combat?"