Thank You for your statement and your service..
I was a public servant in DC for 18 years, now work in a Hospital serving the underserved. My Dad was a EOD Frogman, yet protested the Vietnam War... I serve and he served to help people excercise their rights to free speech. If the Supreme Court can rule that money constitutes free speech in political campaigns wth are you folks so upset abt others exercising their right. Agree or think its attention seeking doesn't matter. The actual issue folks are concerned about should be what discussion is about, not the way folks choose to address those issues.
Until we live in a place like Russia or North Korea, blind genuflecting to flag is a means of survival, standing sitting or fist in the air is not in insult to my belief in this country. In fact it strengthens my belief in its diversity and ideals. This country is based on ideas, not symbols and if symbols become what this country is about without the abilty to question them, then we have a bigger problem.