{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Support","color":"#2ca788","stance":"support"},{"text":"Oppose","color":"#ef3e42","stance":"oppose"}],"id":38654,"title":"Do You Support the Navy Secretary’s Firing Over the SEAL Case?","html_content":"\n

by Causes | 11.25.19

What’s the story?

Navy Secretary Richard Spencer released a scathing parting letter after being forced to resign by Defense Secretary Mark Esper over a private proposal Spencer made to the White House involving disgraced Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher.

A short explainer of this complicated story

Gallagher, the Navy SEAL, had been demoted after posing with the corpse of a dead Islamic State militant in 2017.
Last week, President Donald Trump reversed Gallagher’s demotion via a pardon.
A few days later, the president tweeted that Gallagher should not be removed from the SEALs (the Navy had planned a review of Gallagher that could have resulted in his expulsion).
Reportedly, Spencer began working privately with the White House to resolve its standoff with the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Esper said he asked for Spencer’s resignation because he had lost \"trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candor,\" according to a Pentagon spokesman. Meaning: Esper accused Spencer of circumventing chain-of-command by going behind his back to talk with the White House.

Alternative narratives

Trump

Trump Tweeted on Sunday night that Spencer's dismissal was related to cost overruns and the Navy’s treatment of Gallagher.

Esper

As mentioned above, a Pentagon spokesperson said Esper asked Spencer to resign because he’d \"trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candor.”

Spencer

The former Navy secretary placed the blame on Trump, accusing the president of undermining the \"key principle of good order and discipline\" of the military by intervening in Gallagher's case.

Here’s an excerpt from the letter:

“The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries. Good order and discipline is what has enabled our victory against foreign tyranny time and again, from Captain Lawrence's famous order \"Don't Give up the Ship,\" to the discipline and determination that propelled our flag to the highest point of Iwo Jima. The Constitution, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, are the shields that set us apart, and the beacons that protect us all…”

“Unfortunately, it has become apparent that in this respect, I no longer share the same understanding with the Commander in Chief who appointed me, in regards to the key principle of good order and discipline. I cannot in good conscience obey an order that I believe violates the sacred oath I took in the presence of my family, my flag and my faith to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

What do you think?

How do you feel about Spencer’s firing? What about the pardons? Take action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

","image_urls":{"large":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/7eb8a4/Spencer.jpg","medium":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/7eb8a4/Spencer.jpg","small":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/7eb8a4/Spencer.jpg","thumb":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/7eb8a4/Spencer.jpg","xsmall":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/7eb8a4/Spencer.jpg"},"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/articles/38654-do-support-navy-secretary-s-firing-seal-case","article_comments":"https://www.causes.com/api/articles/38654-do-support-navy-secretary-s-firing-seal-case/comments"},"comment_count":453,"action_count":3055,"cta_prompt":"Do you support the Navy secretary's firing?","cta_type":"reactions","share_count":31,"published_at":"2019-11-25T18:49:15.384Z","is_countable_article":true,"allow_advocacy":true,"profile_id":1,"signed":false,"signatures_count":null,"signatures_goal":100,"signable_progress":0,"video_url":null,"video_dimensions":null,"video_aspect_ratio":null}],"users":[{"name":"Brian","vote_count":34,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10218648948401672/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10218648948401672/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10218648948401672/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10218648948401672/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/mp07gBoE/following","followers":"/api/users/mp07gBoE/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":14,"is_following":null,"influence_score":90,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":4,"following_count":7,"position_count":25,"id":"mp07gBoE","partner_id":null},{"name":"jimK","vote_count":543,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/large_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/small_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/tiny_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/following","followers":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/followers"},"about_me":"Retired, Politically Independent. Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":44430,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1513,"following_count":81,"position_count":538,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1119978,"body":"Funny a guy who never served thinks he knows anything about UCMJ or how servicemen should conduct themselves.","parent_type":"Article","parent_id":38654,"created_at":"2019-11-26T15:18:04.862Z","liked":false,"like_count":1,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/comments/1119978","likers":"https://www.causes.com/api/v1/likers?likeable_id=1119978&likeable_type=Comment"},"article_id":38654,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/comments/1119978.png","note":{"text":"Oppose","color":"#ef3e42","stance":"oppose"},"note_text":"Oppose","note_color":"#ef3e42","user_id":"mp07gBoE","liker_ids":["9odrQBnb"]}}

Like Causes?

Comment Liked by 1 User