Royal Marine thief

clipped from www.guardian.co.uk Royal Marine jailed for stealing medals from comrades A "despicable" Royal Marine who stole dozens of medals from his comrades and sold them for more than £20,000 has been jailed for more than three years. The 23-year-old took the medals from Royal Marine colleagues in their dorms and when they arrived in the post room before award ceremonies. Firth worked in the post room after being diagnosed with asthma and unfit for frontline duties. The medals were taken when Firth was based with 42 Commando at Bickleigh Barracks in Plymouth, Devon, between 2005 and 2007. "He knows he is nothing more than a common thief and in disgrace," Leaning said.

I wonder how different this case is from the one when a local Royal Marine Association elected representative was denied access and freedom to speak to the annual RMA gathering, and who was not allowed to take his place because an unelected member was already sitting as an unelected trustee in his stead? To steal anything is wrong but to deny democratic rights is more heinous than pilfering property. It goes to the soul of our being. That's one of the reasons why so many former BOOTNECKS are not members of the local RMA.
Is that why the trustees would not allow a large group of non-conforming bootnecks to for their own Association.