Marine here again. I can’t stand how conflated “the flag” has become with “the military.” I also can’t stand the knee-jerk “patriots” whose default position toward the military is genuflection, and anyone who fails to bend the knee is shunned. These are not the hallmarks of a free society.

A side question: At what point did “Support the Troops” morph into “Worship the Military?”

Non-American here, not really getting all this noise, I was under the impression that the purpose of your military was to protect the interests of the country abroad and (when required) defend the country and constitution from attack. If that is accurate, then does the military not EXIST to protect the right to free…