Iraq War Veteran Andrew Vera
At the conclusion of Tuesday night’s Republican presidential debate, Rick Santorum subtly attempted to blame the country’s economic woes on the rise of same-sex marriage. His answer inspired a heckler in the audience to respond after he had finished speaking. Patch.com has identified the person shouting as Iraq War veteran Andrew Vera, who says that he wanted to stand up for the gay soldier who was booed at a previous debate:
VERA: I said, ‘Yeah, right, you say you want American Values back in the American Family, then where were you, when they booed the gay soldier during the last debate.’ Let’s get real. As an Iraq Veteran, I think it’s pitiful.[...] No regrets at all. I served in the US Navy, in support and defense of the constitution. It’s a living document.
Vera is a graduate of Darmouth College, where the debate was held, and says his act of civil disobedience reflected his pride serving in the military.
Watch the moment from the debate when Vera spoke out:
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