Karen Finney, writing in The Hill:
Then, the unthinkable happened when the mob booed Stephen Hill, an American soldier currently serving in Iraq who happens to be gay. Not only did no one on the stage have the courage to stand up for Hill, none of the three debate moderators recognized the significance of that moment and asked the candidates about it. It brought back memories of another American hero, John Lewis, being called a racial slur that begins with “n,” by an angry mob during the healthcare debate. Simply shocking.
There have been some post-debate expressions of regret, but not much outrage. No one has apologized to Stephen Hill. At one point in time booing a service member — particularly one serving in a time of war — would have been quickly condemned, as Democratic leaders did in response to “General Betray-us,” which also crossed a line.
The question is whether anyone within the Republican Tea Party will have the courage to lead rather than feed the angry mob.Over 9000 people have signed our open letter to the GOP candidates demanding they apologize for this affront to our troops. Please sign it and send it around.
