As a combat veteran, I’d like to add something. The original cartoonist clearly missed the fucking point of us defending the right to protest and then criticizing someone for exercising that right. Most of the veterans I’ve talked to are either unfazed by people protesting and exercising their First Amendment rights, or actively endorsing the protests. Dragging a wounded veteran in our reciting the name of a dead veteran and saying, “Look at what he/she/they suffered so that you can protest! Now stop protesting out of respect!” is disingenuous at best.
You want to kneel during the national anthem to protest the actions of your government and law enforcement? Go ahead, we fought so you could. Exercise that right!
You want to march in the street to inconvenience people who don’t know about or refuse to acknowledge your grievances? Go ahead, we fought so you could. Exercise that right!
You want to burn the nation’s flag as a symbol of protest against the action or inaction of this nation’s leaders? Go ahead, we fought so you could. Exercise that right!
We service members swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign AND domestic. We are patriots, reluctant or not. We recognize that a government must be answerable to all its citizens. Fascists, racists, and nationalists are not patriots. They are the domestic enemies, whether they occupy a high office in government or live down the street, for they want to tear that document up and forge their own, malignant chains to bind this nation.
TL;DR stop using veterans and the war dead as a smoke screen for your fearful hate- mongering, you Fascists and Fascist collaborators!
Reminder that veterans fought for freedom, not for oppression. (and no, you don’t have the freedom to oppress others, that’s one part in which you are not free.)
