John,

Pete Hegseth decided he's going to censure me, and is threatening to demote me and reduce my pension.

I got shot at in service to this country. I missed holidays and birthdays. I commanded a space shuttle mission and launched to the International Space Station while my wife recovered from a gunshot wound to the head.

My rank and retirement are things that I earned through my service and sacrifice for this country. Generations of servicemembers have done the same. Pete Hegseth wants to send a message to every single one that he will come after them if they say something he doesn’t like.

You swear an oath to the Constitution when you join the military — including the First Amendment right to free speech. We swore to defend the foundational principles of this country. I took that oath seriously 40 years ago, and I still do.

Pete Hegseth can threaten to reduce my rank and my pension. But I am not going to let him intimidate me, or anyone else. He is not going to stop me from defending our democracy from a president who is hellbent on destroying it.

If they think this is going to shut me up, they’ve got another thing coming.

And if you’re still with me, please: split a donation between No Dem Left Behind and me so we can fight back.

Don’t give up the ship.

Mark