Editorial: Marine's Facebook rants earn discharge

The Constitution guarantees that Americans can say pretty much whatever they like, but it's also understood that many jobs come with strict — and perfectly legal — limits on speech.

• ACLU: Marine was within his rights

Just ask Ozzie Guillen, the Miami Marlins' baseball manager whose praise for Fidel Castro got him suspended for five games after fans in the team's Little Havana neighborhood erupted in fury. Like many private employers, Guillen's bosses were free to discipline him for hurting the business.

Employment-related speech limits also apply to lawyers (who can't publicly disparage judges), reporters (no opinions about issues you're covering) and many others. In the public sector, the limits are especially strict for members of the active duty military.

The military rules, which date to the Civil War, are there for good reasons: to ensure that the military remains politically neutral and respects the civilian chain of command, and to maintain order and discipline in an organization where the willingness to follow orders is crucial.        More