ORLANDO, FL – At the recent Fox News/YouTube Republican Debate held in Orlando, the audience booed a video submitted by Stephen Hill, a soldier serving in Iraq concerning the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
In the question directed at former Senator Rick Santorum, Hill asked: “Do you plan to circumvent the progress that has been made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military?”
The audience at the debate then booed the military man.
Santorum answered: “Any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military. And the fact that they are making it a point to include it as a provision within the military – that we are going to recognize a group of people and give them a special privilege, I think tries to inject social policy into the military and the military’s job is to defend our country. We need to give the military, which is all volunteer, the ability to do so in a way that is most efficient and protective of our men and women in uniform and I believe this undermines that ability.”
Debate panelist Megyn Kelly asked a followed up question: “So, what would you do with soldiers like Stephen Hill now he’s out?
What would you do as president?”
Santorum responded: “What we’re doing right now is playing social experimentation with our military right now, and that’s tragic. Going forward we would reinstitute that policy….”
Neither Santorum, any of the other candidates, nor the debate panel addressed the disrespect the audience gave to Hill.
The next day on Fox News, Santorum did say: “I condemn the people who booed that gay soldier. That soldier is serving our country.
I thank him for his service to our country. I’m sure he is doing an excellent job. I hope he is safe.
I hope he returns safely, and does his mission well. I have to admit I seriously did not hear those boos. Had I heard them, I certainly would have commented on them.”