IVAW Chapter 61 Pittsburgh PA Statement in Support of Rashard Mendenhall

We are a group of veterans residing in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania who have served in the military during the Global War on Terror.  Many of us deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan.  We commend Rashard Mendenhall for speaking out against mob mentality and violence.

We do not condone the actions of September 11, and we mourn the loss the victims of those atrocities and the loss their families suffered. As service members, our lives were greatly affected by those events.  But as veterans who have served overseas in a time of war, we know first hand that death is nothing to celebrate, no matter whose it may be.

We applaud Rashard Mendenhall for having the strength to make these comments, despite their unpopularity and we respect his ability to think beyond anger.  It disturbs us that the Rooneys are more concerned about Mendenhall’s comments, which are legal and within the realm of free speech, than being represented by a quarterback accused of serial sexual assault.  We are concerned about what type of message this sends about the values of the Steelers and the culture of this city and nation.

We urge the Steelers not to take recourse against Mendenhall, and we continue to stand behind him in support.

To read Mendenhall's tweets, visit http://twitter.com/#!/R_Mendenhall