Witless bullies and hapless punks

Presidential candidate Michelle Bachman thinks our troops are the best.

“They are the best. This is the easiest thing to get behind. It doesn’t get any better to help our troops when they’re literally on the lines fighting for our freedom.”

Presidential candidate Herman Caine will not apologize for having the biggest, baddest, greatest military on the planet.

“…and I don’t apologize for having the biggest, baddest, greatest military on the planet.”

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney would like the rest of us to support the troops even more than we already do.

“I think it’s time for American citizens and politicans to show a surge of support, and for us to reach out to our neighbors who are serving in the military.”

And the presidential candidate Rick Santorum marvels, as we all do, at the selfless act of volunteering in a time of war.

“So we have a culture right now that doesn’t say “Serve”, it doesn’t say “Don’t think about yourself”, it says “Me, me, me.” It’s a very self-absorbed, “me”-centered, excessive popular culture. And yet, we have brave men and women, who want to step forward because they know what’s at stake. They’re willing to sacrifice their lives for this great country.”

Steven Hill is a decorated captain of the US Army where he’s been a reservist for 20 years. He is, this very night, serving in combat in Iraq, as he was last night when he asked this question via Youtube at the GOP debate in Orlando, Florida.

“In 2010, when I was deployed to Iraq, I had to lie who I was, because I’m a gay soldier and I didn’t want to lose my job. My question is, under one of your presidencies, do you intend to circumvent the progress to admit for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military?”

That was a big room full of Republican primary voters booing at an American combat soldier who, as he was speaking, was in combat. The audience members who were booing were in Orlando. Soon, they’ll surely be in hell…though not soon enough.

Not everyone was booing. There were people in the audience who heard Captain Hill say that when he was deployed to Iraq he was worried that if his sexuality was discovered, they might not let him go. As opposed to most of us who, if told we were being deployed to Iraq, would go Corporal Klinger faster than you can pull on a yellow taffeta picnic dress. I’m sure that there were some people in the building who stood up for Captain Hill. People with the simple strength of character to turn to the fraction of a human seated next to them and say, “How many different kinds of disgusting do you have to be to boo a man who volunteered to fight and die for you?”

I’m sure those people were there. I’m sure there were many of them, but unfortunately none of them were on the stage. Not one of these would-be commanders-in-chief took a moment to stand with a line officer. They let him stand alone. Soldiers never do that. Leaders never do that. Witless bullies and hapless punks do it all the time.

The only president on the stage last night was Stephen Hill. Godspeed, Captain Hill and come home soon. A grateful nation is waiting to say thank you.