Ok, this one needs to be jumped on. If you haven't read WOWomg's "A Bit of a Controversial Blog" yet, go ahead and read that before you read this.

WOW, you're approaching this from the wrong perspective. This has nothing to do with your rights. This has to do with the highly symbolic Dress Blues, which are easily the most symbolic uniform in all of the armed services. I could go down the list - the brass buttons, the insignia on those buttons, the two different shades of blue, the red stripes, the red trim, the white gloves/belt/cover... EVERY last little thing on that uniform symbolizes something. I will point out the big one though, since it's the easiest to spot: The Dress Blues are the one and only uniform in all the U.S. Armed Services which bear the honor of including all three colors of the flag: Red, White, and Blue.

Now, we EARN that uniform. We do so at great pains, and it symbolizes not only the pains we take to earn it but also the sacrifices of all those who have come before us. For a civilian who has never fought, never bled on a battlefield, to wear it - incomplete, no less, intermixed with regular clothing as though the two were equal - is a mockery of the uniform and everything it stands for. It doesn't matter if it wasn't your intention, or even if you didn't realize it, the fact is you disrespected and dishonored the Marines and everything they stand for when you wore that jacket.

You argue that you simply thought it looked good, and that you have the right to wear it and we have no right to tell you you can't. You are correct on all accounts. It does look good, and you do have the right to wear it. Now, with that said, let me ask you something:

If you thought the American Flag made for a handsome cape, would you wear one as such? The disrespect that would show to Old Glory is plain to see, but you have the right to wear it if you please. Hell, you have the right to burn it if you please. Likewise, you have every right to dishonor and disrespect the Marine Corps, the Marines, everything we stand for and everything we've fought for since the day of our inception 232 years ago by wearing our uniform without earning it first. You do indeed have that right, and nobody can tell you that you don't. You're an American, you are free to insult us as you please, even if you do so unintentionally and out of ignorance.

Don't be surprised, though, if people are offended when you choose to exercise that right, and subsequently exercise their own right to express their anger by demanding you stop. Not that they have the right to tell you what to do... there's no law saying you have to obey them. Again, you have every right to refuse... all I'm saying is, don't be surprised at how angry people will become, especially those of us who have bled and lost close friends so that you could be free, only to watch you use your freedom to spit in our faces.

Semper Fidelis,

 - Sergeant Justin R Blair, USMC

EDIT: As an afterthought, I wanted to share a story this reminded me of. First I'll share a bit of history - during the Vietnam War, there was a battalion... 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. Nearly any Marine out there already knows where I'm going with this, merely by mentioning "1/9" and "Vietnam" in the same sentence.

Anyway, during the Vietnam War, 1/9 suffered the highest casualty rating in the entirety of Marine Corps history to date. To my knowledge, only 12, yes, TWELVE Marines from that ENTIRE BATTALION made it out of Vietnam. It was so horrific that the Battalion was retired. 1/9 was not reformed, and it was decided there would not be another 1/9. The survivors were quite appropriately nicknamed "The Walking Dead."

Well, I don't recall exactly when this decision was made, but 1/9 is back. Again, I don't know when they were stood up, but there is once again a 1/9 in the Marine Corps, and to honor the original battalion, the new 1/9 is nicknamed in it's entirety "The Walking Dead".

Having said all that, I want to share a story with you. A few years back I was at Walmart, and a Marine (I'm guessing Gunny, give or take, based on his age and his presence) from the new 1/9 was also there, wearing a black shirt bearing 1/9's unit insignia encrested with their nickname, "The Walking Dead". This Marine was approached by an elderly man with a cane, who walked right up to him and with no warning or introduction immediately said "Take that shirt off."

The Gunny (as I guess him to be) immediately explained that this shirt was worn in honor of the original 1/9, and began to relate the story of what happened to them. The old man leaned forward a bit and interrupted him by saying "I AM one of the walking dead." I can tell you, the look on that Gunny's face was indescribable. I don't know whether to call it horror or awe. Without another word, the Marine immediately removed the shirt, handed it to the old man, and left the store (since he was now unshirted and violating store policy).

Personally, I wanted to talk to that old man. Pay my respects, shake his hand, something. But I didn't... something about it just seemed inappropriate, as though I wasn't worthy to be in his presence. So I went on my way. I brought this up because it's similar to what happened to you, WOW, with the difference being that all parties involved understood that this wasn't about who had what rights to do or say what things. This was about respect, and honor, and there wasn't a single man or woman there to see it who didn't know the truth, and the truth is this: The Gunny's intentions were irrelevant. Whether he meant it or not, he had shown disrespect by wearing that shirt... and was told so by one of the original 12, the very men he thought he was honoring. The only appropriate and respectful thing to do at that point was to take it off and apologize, anything less would have added insult to injury.

EDIT #2: Ellimem suggested to me that people might better grasp the depth of meaning to this story if I were to highlight two bits of info: First, a Gunny is not low on the food chain by any means. Most Gunny's have been in the Corps for over a decade, they are seasoned veterans who command the respect of their entire units. There are only TWO more promotions above Gunny (short for Gunnery Sergeant) and both of them wield impressive authority within the Corps. True, I was guessing, but I'd like to point out that a Marine's ability to accurately sense another Marine's rank when out of uniform is surprisingly accurate. Trust me, you'd be amazed how a young Lcpl or Cpl can sit there and correctly identify, 9 times out of 10, the exact rank of Marines they've never seen before in their life with no uniforms or insignia or anything.

Second, a typical Vietnam era infantry battalion consisted of roughly 800 Marines and Corpsmen. Ell thought I should point that out so you would all grasp the horrific significance that only 12 of the original battalion would live to go home. Like I said... "The Walking Dead" is a very appropriate nickname for what they endured and survived... by all accounts, there should have been no original survivors. Those men are akin to ghosts, and have suffered horrors far beyond anything that even the most combat-hardened Marines today could ever imagine in their worst nightmares.

If any of the original Walking Dead read this (I can't imagine why they would be on eBaum's World) and I have misspoken in any way, I would beg that you correct me so I can better know the truth of it. I admit that much of what I know about the original 1/9 is what I've heard from my senior Marines, and that I may not have the story exactly accurate. I apologize for any mistakes or inaccuracies.