Master Sergeant C.J. Grisham, prominent military blogger and founder of A Soldier’s Perspective, is currently embroiled in a battle to defend his second amendment rights. On March 16, 2013, C.J. was arrested in his hometown of Temple, Texas, for “rudely displaying” a hunting rifle while on a hike with his 15-year-old son. C.J., who is stationed at nearby Fort Hood, holds a permit for the weapon he was openly carrying that day, which is legal in the right-to-carry state of Texas as long as it does not cause alarm. Since the story broke, many Americans have been stunned by the video footage of the arrest, which was filmed by both C.J. and his son.

In order to defend his second amendment rights, C.J. launched an online fundraiser in late March 2013, which has already amassed more than $45,000 in donations. “No one should have to fear being illegally disarmed without warrant, especially someone who has never committed a crime in his life,” C.J. writes. “There is an overt attempt to disarm Americans, and especially veterans, in this country.” If you would like to help C.J. fight for his rights, you can make a donation here.

C.J. has maintained A Soldier’s Perspective since 2004, collecting numerous awards for its in-depth coverage on everything from online military dating scams to the war in Afghanistan. ASP will continue to be at the epicenter to chronicle and support C.J.’s fight to protect his freedom.

Video Footage of Arrest

ASP Posts on Arrest

- Standing with Temple P.D. (April 21, 2013)
- Important Note RE: City of Temple and the P.D. (April 19, 2013)
- I Love Temple (April 18, 2013)
- News Coverage of My Case (April 02, 2013)
- The Wussification of America (March 31, 2013)
- Let’s Talk about Stalking (March 29, 2013)

Media Coverage on Arrest

- Decorated Vet who was arrested after ‘rudely displaying’ his rifle on hike with teen son gets a huge shock at the NRA Convention (The Blaze)
- Vet arrested for carrying AR-15 on Boy Scout hike gets ultimate surprise at NRA convention (Guns.com)
- Decorated Vet Arrested After ‘Rudely Displaying’ His Rifle — And Says Officer Pulled Gun on Him in Front of His Son (The Blaze)
- ‘Shocked and Horrified’: Glenn Beck’s Gripping Interview with Vet Arrested After ‘Rudely Displaying’ His Gun (The Blaze)
- Texas Police Dept. Provides Statement to TheBlaze on Vet Arrested After ‘Rudely Displaying’ Rifle (Plus, A Texas Firearms Attorney Weighs in) (The Blaze)
- War Veteran Arrested for “Rudely Displaying” Rifle (Fox News)
- War Hero Busted for “Rudely Displaying” Weapon (RedState.com)
- Active Duty Soldier illegally disarmed and arrested (Reddit.com)
- Police, ‘anti-gun’ prosecutor clash with soldiers in area around Fort Hood [VIDEO] (The Daily Caller)
- Local Soldier Says Police Violated His Gun Rights (KCEN-TV)
- Decorated Vet C.J. Grisham Arrested For ‘Rudely Displaying’ AR-15 (Opposing Views)
- Texas: Combat vet arrested for ‘rudely displaying’ his legally owned weapon (Examiner.com)
- Texas CHL Holder Arrested for “Rudely Displaying” a Rifle (TheTruthAboutGuns.com)
- Vet Abused, Disarmed By Cops Because ‘Polite’ Constitution Has No Place For Rights (Personal Liberty Digest)
- Veteran Arrested for “Rudely Displaying” Rifle (WND-TV)
- CJ Grisham, Texas Vet Arrested for ‘Rudely Displaying His Rifle,’ Making Others Uncomfortable, Child Questioned (The Global Dispatch)
- Editorial: A Texas Tantrum (The Washington Times)
- ‘There Is The Law, And There Is Reality’: Blaze Readers Weigh In On Decorated Vet Arrested After ‘Rudely Displaying’ His Rifle (The Blaze)
- Decorated Army Vet Disarmed and Arrested for “Rudely Displaying” Firearm (The New American)
- Iraq Veteran Arrested For Legally Open-Carrying Rifle (The Dana Show)
- Arrested Vet May Have Had An Axe to Grind (The Blaze)
- Question of the Day: Have You Heard about Master Sergeant C.J. Grisham? (Angry White Dude)
- Decorated Military Veteran Disarmed and Arrested in TX while Carrying Rifle on Boy Scout Hike (Guns.com)

C.J. Grisham featured in <em>Army Times</em>

Past Controversy

C.J. is no stranger to controversy. In early October 2009, 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 2009. “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 2009, 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, 2009.

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. C.J. continues to post on ASP to this very day with more passion and intensity than ever.