I've been a lurker on the various incarnations of this board for over 10 years. I usually stay quiet and am content with reading others' analysis and opinions on the team. There is fantastic breadth of knowledge on this board about our beloved Steelers and football in general. As a military vet, I feel compelled to chime into this discussion.
This hearkens back to the uproar in 2003 with the Dixie chicks speaking out against President Bush. Now, mind you I cannot stand their music (Heavy Metal FTW!) but I supported their expression of freedom of speech. Here in deep red Missouri, I was branded a "traitor to our great nation" for supporting their right as Americans to speak how they felt in a public forum. So these "patriots", many of whom never served their country, were bashing those who didn't agree with the president by exercising their free speech and branding them traitors. I, who served our great nation for 8 years was the traitor here. It was ugly.
For over 200 years our military has fought, bled and died to protect the American way of life. We did this so we all could enjoy the freedoms we hold so dear. Freedom of Speech. Freedom of Religion. Right to Assembly. We may not agree with every stance taken, but we damn sure defend the right to express it. The current wave of false patriotism seeking to silence and stifle any and all freedom of expression that they do not agree with goes against the very tenets our country was founded on and we have fought to protect.
Americans whether they be athletes, musicians or your average citizen using these freedoms are not disrespecting to our military. It shows that these freedoms we hold dear are alive and well and that our sacrifices to protect them were not in vain.