If they use force to compel your compliance, what will you do? These have to be strong examples of a direct violation of the Constitution and the UCMJ and not the military members own opinion. Now you are an unwilling guard at a concentration camp who could risk punishment if you fail to "execute" your duties in shooting an escaping prisoner. Shockingly, the results suggested any human was capable of a heart of darkness. Yes, there were ruthless killers among them that thrived on the opportunity provided them by the government. 2. we only know of them because tribunals, orders, and courts mention them. The right to own private property that cannot be arbitrarily regulated or confiscated by the government is the moral and constitutional basis for individual freedom, The Federal Government Wants Your Land (Beyond 30 x 30), Cycles of History Ignored Kristallnacht in Amerika, Cycles of History Ignored Selective Ignorance, Due Process: Protective Wall for Judicial Rights of the Individual, Georg Hegel, Due Process, and Your Future, http://onlinedocketssc.flcourts.org/DocketResults/CaseDocket?Searchtype=Case+Number&CaseYear=2018&CaseNumber=1540, The Constitution, Individual Rights, and COVID-19 Restrictions, You shall not covet your neighbors property, You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor, The Golden Rule Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, Natural Law individual rights in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution. In the last century, humanity has faced this moral dilemma too often, rarely with acceptable results. But does the military member have a duty to DISOBEY unlawful orders including orders of senior officers, Secretary of Defense and even the President of the United States? Cycles of History Ignored - "I was only following orders" In this test, the agent is not under the watchful gaze of an authority figure. A jury found Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife and son. And now, lawyers for some of the Army reservists charged with abusing prisoners in Iraq say they're innocent for the same reason. Large gatherings no problem. I was only following orders.. Are we as free-thinking as we assume? Your email address will not be published. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a0f4feab99dd5316634ea1c890247292" );document.getElementById("d4c257114e").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Program Schedule WJRB 95.1 FM Saturday 8:00AM & 9:30AM Sunday 2:30PM & 7:00PM, Cycles of History Ignored I was only following orders. For example, on October 19th, 2019, Redditor[6] k00ji posted a Rapper Mario meme which received over 11,000 upvotes in /r/okbuddyretard (shown below, left). Step 2: Using A Data Context Class. I rose to the rank of corporal but was a squad leader. ET for the sentencing for Alex Murdaugh. 3. . So help me God". If a person catches a serious illness at home thats ok because it can be contained but if this was to happen on the streets then there is nothing to stop other people from catching this and it becoming wide spread just like a normal cold can be caught. To obey orders without thinking. Learn more about Friends of the NewsHour. Public interest issues, policy, equality, human rights, social science, analysis, the view from the dark side: politics, media, cities & culture, Blogging about music from early 80s indie to Britpop and beyond, The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. Plato, FATHER + SAILOR + TECHNOLOGIST + MUSICIAN + CYCLIST. Since 2010 the Tories have killed over 250,000 claimants & starved and made homeless millions more! Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) outlines the crime of willful disobedience by a military member a superior commissioned officer. He also the senior editor and manager of newsletters. So I recognized what was going on with the pandemic. During the trials, the "superior orders" defense gained such significant notoriety that it started being used interchangeably with "Nuremberg defense" and associated with the German phrase "Befehl ist Befehl" ("an order is an order" or "only following orders"). This non-excuse became infamous during the Nuremberg Trials after World War II. "I Was Only Following Orders" | Ars OpenForum So akin to before, subjects had to decide whether to shock a person with or without coercion, but now they heard an audible tone while making the choice. Column right march. This is not much help when the whole machinery of state is geared in this direction--when there are few apparent distinctions to assist in making such a decision. The term is now essentially synonymous with the phrase "I was only following orders", a phrase that has been used in defending accused war criminals for centuries. Argument: I was only following orders" an acceptable defense? | Evil never sleeps. Rod Powers was a retired Air Force First Sergeant with 22 years of active duty service. Theyre free to shock or take money from the victim, if they want. For example, on February 8th, 2019, YouTube[2] user Etheral Snake posted a humorous video titled "Thomas was only following orders" in which Thomas the Tank Engine, a defendant during the Nuremberg trials, recollects serving as a train delivering Jews to the Nazi concentration camps during the World War II. "The Nuremberg Defense", failed and failed again at My Lai, and once more at Abu Ghraib, yet more and more I hear from young police officers that they did_____ because their "boss" (Cpl, Sgt, Lt, etc) told them too. Cookie Notice You are under strict orders by the kommandant to shoot any prisoner who tries to escape, and conversely the kommandant is under strict orders to the same effect by Heinrich Himmler. Following Orders - C3 Teachers In United States v. Keenan, the accused (Keenan) was found guilty of murder after he obeyed an order to shoot and kill an elderly Vietnamese citizen. The order was not manifestly unlawful. This example also presents a good model for a government or military forcing its citizens or members to perform immoral acts. Nashua Office:20 Trafalgar SquareSuite 505Nashua, NH 03063, Portsmouth Office:155 Fleet StreetPortsmouth, NH 03801, 2023 Hamblett & Kerrigan, P.A. My point in this is that all those involved in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany were not war criminals, benign or otherwise, but were simply boys forced into cooperation with the Nazi war machine. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Sometimes a soldier doesn't have a complete picture of what is going on. That is, when people act under orders, they seem to experience less agency over their actions and outcomes than when they choose for themselves, Haggard said. This can be applied even down to the lowest solider who is in territory not originally belonging to his country. The various other courts-martial considered the troops' defence - that they were "only following orders" - in the light of UCMJ. Thomas the tank engine was only following orders, "it was just a job".Support me on patreon for exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/Ethereal_SnakeMerc. They said that when an individual follows an order that is illegal under international law, he is responsible for that choice, except under certain circumstances. The common elements of humanitys universal moral code are found in the Ten Commandments of Moses and other texts: Since anarchy is generally unacceptable, some form of government is necessary to enact laws by which members of society must live. Relationships in human groups during prehistoric times were most likely based on physical attributes similar to those found in animal packs. A December 5th, 2019, Cheems meme posted by Redditor[7] baconater419 received over 14,700 upvotes in /r/dogelore (shown below, right). Vaccine protection durable. They are takeout only and they just opened so wait times may be long! For example, in New Hampshire a manager acting on behalf of his corporate employer in firing an employee that legitimately complained about sexual harassment by the owner could be found liable under the state employment discrimination laws along with the corporate employer for his participation in the illegal retaliation. I was only following orders, a defense that fails in earthly courts, will most assuredly also fail in the highest court of all. To march in a military manner.2. Consider their situation and the extent of their free will, first. The UCMJ actually protects the soldier in this situation as he/she has a moral and legal obligation to the Constitution and not to obey unlawful orders and the people who issue them. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like At the beginning of the school year, several workers in the office steal office supplies such as highlighters and staplers from the supply closet for their children. Unknown to most civilians is that U.S. military personnel are not just trained to follow orders but are educated in following only lawful orders. Under British Law, Servicemen are directed to "observe and obey all orders of Her Majesty," (see the node on the RAF Oath of Allegiance) as well as those of their senior officers. A new study released Thursday offers one reason why people can be easily coerced into carrying out heinous orders. the Geneva Conventions. A private soldier was permitted the defence I had to do it or I would have been shot. To obey orders without thinking. As in the Nuremberg trials, I was only following orders proved not to be a valid defense, and those using it were found guilty in virtually every instance. Although pleas from the unknown person could be heard, including mentions of a heart condition, Milgrams study said his volunteers continued to shock the learner when ordered to do so. I Was Just Following Orders, also known as the Nuremberg Defence, refers to a plea in a court of law used by persons not to be held guilty for actions ordered by their superiors. I Was Only Following Orders - Wizbang This was not the case with all of the guards in concentration camps, but it was the situation for many. March 3, 2023 Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison The changing relative values of violence, strength, and mental ability required different guidelines to ensure acceptable behavior in a group setting. Only Following Orders. The first major UCMJ-related incident following Nuremburg was during inquiries and subsequent courts-martial following the My Lai Massacre of 16 March, 1968. As our government continues down this slippery slope, it is very likely that law enforcement personnel and American citizens will find themselves caught on opposing sides of a constitutional and moral dilemma. In 2004, the military began court-martials of several military members deployed to Iraq for mistreating prisoners and detainees. The "I Was Only Following Orders" Defense. As the haughty nephew did not follow, he continued, "You only care about the' things that you can use, and therefore arrange them in the following order: Money, supremely . As the balance of power shifts away from the people, discord and anger lead to resistance. If they attempt to force you to comply with an unconstitutional law, what action will you take? However, when President John Adams wrote the authorization order, he wrote that U.S. Navy ships were authorized to seize any vessel bound for a French port, or traveling from a French port.