Alvin McEwen

There continues to be so much fall out from the recent Republican presidential debate in which the candidates stood by and said nothing while members of the audience booed a gay solder. The gay soldier was merely asking will the candidates make it harder for folks like him to serve openly in the military in spite of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Rick Santorum

Now a few candidates, John Huntsman and Gary Johnson, have gone on record saying that they thought the booing was inappropriate. Others, such as Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney, have dodged responding to the controversy. But one candidate, Rick Santorum, really stepped into it with his answer:

“I didn’t hear it. I didn’t hear the boos,” Santorum told ABC News. “I heard the question and answered the question, so I’ve heard subsequently that happened. I’ve heard varied reports about whether they were booing the soldier or the policy.”

“I don’t know what they were booing,” he said. “If you can go out and find the people who were booing and find out if they were booing because a man was gay or because of a policy they don’t agree with.”

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson simply isn’t buying Santorum’s explanation:

Johnson added that he could hear the boos from the stage and believes that the other candidates – despite Santorum’s denial – could as well.

Frankly, I don’t buy Santorum’s explanation either. And even though Santorum later went on record condemning the boos, I think the entire situation reveals something about his character; or lack thereof.

Folks like Santorum claim that they are ridiculed because they believe in “values” and “morality” in a society in which such things are not trendy.

But that’s a lie. Folks like Santorum are ridiculed because so many of us don’t buy their chest thumpings and phony martyrdom. You see folks like Santorum talk a good game when they can attack other people and call other people’s values into suspect. But when it comes down to showing a little integrity, little humility or – in this case – a little honesty, they fail miserably.

To them, Christianity is merely a pedestal to place themselves above others. Christianity is merely a club used to bash others. Christianity is like a barrier which separates them from those of us they consider “untouchables” or the “undesirables” who shall never – at least in their minds – be seen at the same level as them.

But it’s always about actions, never words. And Santorum’s actions in this situation – claiming that he did not hear the boos of the audience – is an outrageous lie.

In other words, Rick my friend, many of us don’t like you because you are a hypocrite and a liar.

© Alvin McEwen. For more by Alvin McEwen, visit his blog at Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters.

Tags: Debate, Don't Ask Don't Tell, GOP, Military, Republicans, Rick Santorum

Filed under: Views & Voices