ASP in the News

C.J.'s Story

Master Sergeant C.J. Grisham, one of the first and most prominent military bloggers, is currently embroiled in a struggle for his right to free speech. After being pressured by both the U.S. Army and members within his local community to keep his opinions to himself, C.J. has begun to share his story with the world.

In early October, C.J. started using A Soldier's Perspective as a vehicle to protest the decision to switch to uniforms mid-year at his children's school. On this blog he posted an unflattering video of school officials at a PTA meeting, an open letter to the superintendent and, of course, documented the ensuing trials and tribulations with unflagging passion. As a result, C.J. says members of the school board contacted his army commanders to complain about his candid blog, asking him to remove all relating posts.

Those very requests drove C.J. to shut down A Soldier's Perspective in early November. "Blogging is no longer worth the trouble," he wrote in a final post. "Everything is fine as long as the stories are happy and positive." This abrupt closure, which garnered much attention within the milblogging community, also grabbed the attention of Cat5 Commerce, an online retailer. In December, C.J. partnered with Cat5 in order to keep his blog afloat.

"I'm pretty happy with the fact that Cat5 Commerce is going to continue to maintain the integrity and traditions of A Soldier's Perspective," C.J. said. "The followers of ASP as well as new readers can be confident that the quality and style of writing will not change as a result of new management."

C.J. returned as a regular ASP contributor on Dec. 14.

In the following days, more than 30 bloggers went into a silent period in support of C.J. to draw attention to the increasing hostility towards bloggers within the military. These military bloggers wanted to show the world what it would be like if they did not utilize free speech.

For those not familiar with C.J. or this blog, which he has maintained since 2004, much of the controversial commentary can be found right here. At the epicenter, we vow to chronicle and support C.J.'s fight to protect his first amendment rights.

Read the Army Times Article: The Rise & Fall of a Military Blogger

Cat5 Commerce's Official Press Release on ASP Controversy

ASP Posts Surrounding the Controversy

- Huntsville City Schools Uniform Proposal (March 6, 2010)
- Me Vs. Huntsville City Schools and PTA (Jan. 22, 2010)
- An Explanation (Dec. 28, 2009)
- Coping With The Stigma (Dec. 25, 2009)
- Comm Silent Day 2 (Dec. 17, 2009)
- Comm Silent (Dec. 16, 2009)
- Sir, Let Me Tell Our Story (Dec. 7, 2009)
- Keeping ASP Alive – Ownership Change (Dec. 5, 2009)
- My Two Cents (Nov. 13, 2009)
- ASP Closed for Business (Nov. 10, 2009)
- CJ's Speech To The Board (Nov. 7, 2009)
- WAAY-31 Covers Williams Middle School Incompetence (Nov. 6, 2009)
- New Management (Nov. 3, 2009)
- Armour of God (Nov. 1, 2009)
- Fed Up (Oct. 29, 2009)
- Thug-ocracy At Its Finest (Oct. 27, 2009)
- Fighting The Mob (Oct. 20, 2009)
- When To Say When (Oct. 9, 2009)
- Get Your Hands Off My PTSD (Oct. 7, 2009)
- The Battle Is Won (Oct. 2, 2009)
- The Myth Of Security in School Uniforms (Oct. 2, 2009)
- Off Topic: School Ignores Parents (Oct. 2, 2009)
- Army IG System: Fair or Biased (May 19, 2009)
- Army IG System Unwieldy and Unhelpful (April 29, 2009)

ASP in the Media

The Atlantic Wire
- Blog Blackout Exposes Tension Between Military, Soldier Bloggers

National Review Online
- All Quiet on the Miliblog Front

Wired.com
- How a Blog Brought Down Master Sergeant Grisham

Digg
- A Soldier’s Perspective: the rise & fall of a military blog
- Milblogs Go Silent for CJ
- Going silent for CJ

The Washington Independent
- The Day the Milblogs Stood Still

Army Times
- Milbloggers 'run silent' in protest

WorldNetDaily
- U.S. military bloggers go silent
- School uniform argument may lead to lawsuit

The Huntsville Times
- Did complaint get him demoted?

Yahoo! News
- Cat5 Commerce Acquires Controversial Military Blog

News Talk 770 AM / 92.5 FM WVNN, The Dale Jackson Show
- AUDIO: Don't know about C.J. Grisham vs. HSV City Schools: We'll fill you in because our local media wont
- AUDIO: Dr. Jennie said she wouldn't ask for Dr. Ann Roy Moore's resignation if she was lied to; Where are you
- AUDIO: Who is at fault in the C.J. Grisham, Huntsville City School story
- AUDIO: Emily Grisham joins Dale in studio; Soldier being harassed by Huntsville City Schools

Military Times
- Facebook face-off

Blogcritics
- War Wife Weekly: Military Blogs Go Silent in Protest

CNN iReport
- Milbloggers Unite

Muncie Free Press
- Military Blogs go Silent for Fellow Bloggers
- A Soldier's Perspective: Cat5 Commerce Acquires Controverisal Military Blog

Journalism Hope
- Military Blogs Go Silent for CJ Grisham

ASP in the Blogosphere

Army Live (The Official Blog of the United States Army)
- A message to MilBloggers

Michelle Malkin
- Milbloggers rally around CJ Grisham

You Served
- You Served Goes Silent for CJ
- An Open Letter To Huntsville
- Soldier Defense Fund

Bouhammer
- CJ Grisham, Man of the Year
- Bouhammer responds to Army Social Media Division
- CJ By Sudsy
- The Silence Is Over
- Milblogs Go Silent
- Press Release on the sale of CJ’s blog, A Soldier’s Perspective
- Decorated soldier’s blog attracts loyal following, but he says his bosses are muzzling him
- Milblogger and dear friend needs your help
- Pitchfork Brigade; Pitch in to Help a Veteran Who's Rights Have Been Trampled

Millblogging.com
- Several Military Blogs Go Silent for the Day in Support of CJ Grisham
- Cat5 Commerce, Online Military Retailer, acquires MILblog: A Soldier's Perspective and Keeps Website Going with No Major Changes
- One of the First Military Bloggers CJ Grisham, Humbled by the idea of Asking for Help

JammieWearingFool
- It Started With A Question About School Uniforms

Blackfive
- Blackfive Blackout: MilBloggers Supporting CJ Grisham (UPDATE)
- Military Times Covers CJ Grisham
- Help a Soldier in Need

This Ain't Hell
- Milblogs Go Silent
- Still Under Fire
- Military Blogger under fire

Flashpoint
- Time to call in the world
- Attention BRAC Parents: Huntsville City Schools vs. CJ Grisham
- CJ's speech to the Huntsville Board of Education

Mudville Gazette
- From CJ Grisham
- The Extreme (Part One)
- More Zero Tolerance
- Zero Tolerance
- Our friend CJ Grisham Under Fire

Dr. Melissa Clouthier
- Podcast: Why Are Milblogs Going Silent? What Is Going On With Healthcare? Hope For Dateless Men

The Radio Patriot
- M SGT. CJ GRISHAM STORY NOW TOLD AT WORLD NET DAILY
- CJ GRISHAM COULD USE A LITTLE CHRISTMAS

The Thunder Run
- One Of the Strongest Voices has been Muzzled

The Kitchen Dispatch
- My Response to the Army Blog
- Fighting A Slothful Behemoth: A Soldier Needs Your Help

The Attack Machine
- Show notes 12/17: Bama is football crazy and CJ Grisham’s battle goes on…
- Show notes 12/11: The Huntsville City Board of Education has decided on the “we didn’t do it first” defense…
- Show notes 12/10: Huntsville City Schools continue to embarrass Huntsville, Les Phillip comments on Sen. Reids slavery stupidity…
- Join this Facebook group and tell Dr. Jennie Robinson that she should demand that Dr. Ann Roy Moore resign
- Show notes 11/24: Master Sergeant CJ Grisham needs your help, tax hike in Madison and Saban to Notre Dame…
- Show notes 11/20: School Board digs in, CJ Grisham is a terrorist and we “talk turkey”…
- Show notes 11/19: Will the Huntsville City Schools apologize this evening? Is amnesty coming? Is Parker Griffith right?
- Friendly reminder: The CJ Grisham vs. Huntsville City Schools case is not about the military…
- “It is absolutely my understanding that Ms. Williams, Dr. Moore, or ANY school employee did not contact anyone at the arsenal.” Really?
- Show notes 11/16: Huntsville City Schools continues to fail…
- Contact The Hunstville City Schools and tell them that they are way out of line…
- The Grisham Family vs. Huntsville City Schools (in their own words)….

Invincible Armor
- Local Principal Has No Principles About Harassing A Soldier/Parent

Delta Bravo Sierra
- 12/08/2009

Great Reader
- MilBlogger Needs Help

Liberty Research Institute
- CJ Grisham: A Man and His Beliefs

War On Terror News
- Battles for Free Speech by CJ Grisham, A Soldier's Perspective

Miss Ladybug
- Milblogs Silent Today
- Freedom of Speech & the Army

Los Angeles Times Pressmens 20 Year Club
- Time to Slay The Behemoth: A Soldier Needs Your Help

From my position … On the way!
- Radio Silence
- Soldier Defense Fund

Building Peace
- When blogging crosses the line of professionalism

Chromed Curses
- COMM BLACKOUT
- Need Help

Citizen Soldier Sojack in OIF
- Blogger Quits!

Bostonmaggie
- Milblogs Go Silent for Fellow Blogger

Drunken Wisdom
- Milblogs Go Silent

Grim's Hall
- Milblogs Go Silent

Little Drops … Into the Pool of Life
- Milblogs Silent For Just Cause

Homefront Six
- Going Dark

Yankeemom
- Wednesday Hero ~ Going Silent For The Day

Knee Deep in the Hooah!
- Wednesday Hero: Milblogs Go Silent Today

Assoluta Tranquillita
- Wednesday Hero: Milblogs Go Silent Today

Soldiers Angels New York
- Wednesday Hero: Milblogs Go Silent Today

Hewitt Blog
- The Milblogs Are Silent Today

My Own Political Party
- Wednesday Hero: Milbogs Go Silent Today

The Pink Flamingo
- Wednesday's Hero – MSG. C.J. Grisham

Winds of Change
- Taking The Day off – In Support of CJ Grisham

R Evil
- Silence on this Channel

The Sniper
- It's My Birthday
- MilBlogging Day of Silence, Day of Solidarity

United Conservatives of Virginia
- For CJ

Support Your Local Gunfighter
- Milblogs Go Silent for CJ
- Another War Hero Is Dishonored

Knottie's Niche
- Silent…

The Jawa Report
- A Day Without Milbogs

Villainous Company
- CJ Grisham and Undue Command Influence

Bring the heat, Bring the Stupid
- Noise and Light Discipline

Flopping Aces
- Why are Milblogs falling silent today?

Around the Sphere
- In The Dark

Cao's Blog
- Milblogger blackout; call for air support for C.J. Grisham of A Soldier's Perspective

Bookworm Room
- Silencing the military

Genie's Dream
- U.S. military bloggers go silent

Asymmetric Military
- Milblogs Silence

Marooned in Marin
- Milblogs Are Silent Today … For A Reason

Wings Over Iraq
- The Blogger Blackout

Blunt – The Conversation Agency
- 3 reasons why I’m ambivalent about social media in 2010

Kiss My Gumbo
- Wednesday Hero

PoliGazette
- Army to Iraq Veteran: Don't Criticize Your Local PTA

Simple Analysis
- 18DEC09 Milblogs fall silent for a day…

Third Culture Kids R Mine
- Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham…. vs. PUBLIC SCHOOL!

Army of Dude
- The Guns Fall Silent

Seaspook's Rants
- The Same Army That Ignored The Fort Hood Jihadist is After an Army Blogger

David Bellavia
- Man of the Year 2009- Persecuted Military Blogger