Anti-War Shirt Maker Sued By Deceased Soldiers Parents

FTA:

The parents of a 21-year-old soldier killed in Iraq are suing an online retailer for including their son's name on antiwar t-shirts that list the names of thousands of military personnel killed in the war. In a $10 million federal lawsuit, Michael and Robin Read allege that the manufacturer of the shirts is using their son Brandon's name in a commercial venture without their permission. The Reads's complaint, a copy of which you'll find below, was filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Greeneville, Tennessee; it names Dan Frazier and his firm Lifeweaver, LLC as defendants. While the lawsuit makes mention of Frazier's free speech right, the Reads contend that protection ended when the Arizona businessman used Brandon's name "for profit." Frazier's sale of the t-shirts--which include the names of fallen soldiers in the background of bold messages like "Bush Lied/They Died"--has caused the Reads emotional distress, according to the lawsuit.

Emotional distress from a shirt....lmao. Fucking grow a pair!

It might be argued that soldiers, once enlisted, are the property of the United States Government.

"Uncle Sam owns your ass now"; this was a common paraphrase used in the Marine Corps in my time (not all that long ago). In the fine print of every soldier's contract it explains this in convoluted legal mumbo jumbo for the average Recruit. Government property. Taxpayer property.

Will the first ammendment become the next casuilty in Iraq?

Time will tell.