Tonight's GOP POTUS debate had a certain gimmick. Since Google was a co-sponsor of the debate, many of the questions were submitted on the Google-owned site YouTube. In the above video, an active duty gay solider asks the contenders for the GOP nomination for President essentially what they'd do since Don't Ask, Don't Tell was recently repealed and if they'd roll it back.
As soon as the video finishes, several in the crowd booed. No moderator of the debate or any of the Presidential contenders said anything about the crowd's blatant disrespect of the soldier, including the two libertarian-leaning candidates Ron Paul and Gary Johnson.
I guess in this Grand Old Party, you can only have free speech if you hate the gays. I would think that the fact that the guy is currently risking his life in Iraq would matter to them, but nope, they only care about the military when it'll benefit their political agenda. When it goes against their political instincts, they'll toss veterans to the wolves. Mark my words, many attending the debate and in the GOP would love nothing more than to kick out every gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered person currently serving and make sure that they'd never get a single benefit for their time of service. Yes, I understand some of my Republican friends say minds are changing in the party, but the Old Guard in many respects, including on DADT, are still in charge and have the influence.
And people wonder why I'm not a Republican.
UPDATE: GOProud has release a statement about this incident and is demanding an apology from former Senator Santorum:
(Washington, D.C.) – “Tonight, Rick Santorum disrespected our brave men and women in uniform, and he owes Stephen Hill, the gay soldier who asked him the question about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal, an immediate apology.
“That brave gay soldier is doing something Rick Santorum has never done – put his life on the line to defend our freedoms and our way of life. It is telling that Rick Santorum is so blinded by his anti-gay bigotry that he couldn’t even bring himself to thank that gay soldier for his service.
“Stephen Hill is serving our country in Iraq, fighting a war Senator Santorum says he supports. How can Senator Santorum claim to support this war if he doesn’t support the brave men and women who are fighting it?”
And the spin is in, saying it was only a few people booing and they were hissed. Doesn't quite make sense considering Santorum's anti-gay response to the question practically has people cheering as if the Beatles just came out on stage.
No one can call me homophobic. One of my business partners of past was a transsexual and I've worked side by side on various projects with gays and lesbians all my life. But, I am booing this soldier too. He was dishonest. He lied. He knew policy prevented his joining the military. This was a dishonorable act on his part and a disgrace to the uniform he wore. It is not about policy. It is about integrity. We've changed the policy. It was about time.
ReplyDeleteClarence, as per DADT, LGB people who sign up for military service are not supposed to disclose that they are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. That's the "Don't Tell" part of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". What the soldier said referred to what he did as a lie of omission, exactly what a gay sodlier was supposed to do.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't lie on his application or during training or anything like that. Therefore, he didn't lie and couldn't be prosecuted under military code.