To the editor:

My wife and I, both veterans of the U.S. military, found out the truth about Republican support for veterans at Ann Coulter’s lecture last Tuesday. After I, a former Marine infantry sergeant, asked Coulter how she defended her promotion of the war, based on lies, which has sent 1,500 of my brothers and sisters to their deaths and 100,000 Iraqis to their graves, she responded that, “you’re even stupider than I thought.” This received an abundance of applause from the party that claims to “support our troops.”

At the same moment, several Republicans hurled obscenities at my wife, a Navy veteran, and one threatened her with physical violence, stating he would kick her in the head if she didn’t “shut up,” when she was asking Coulter a question. The Republican Party claims to “support the troops,” but who qualifies as a “troop”? Is the “troop” label only legit when we agree with the Republican stance, even if that “troop” has served in uniform bravely and selflessly for four years?

This is the manner in which the Republican Party treats its veterans that disagree with them. They threaten them with violence and call them names like “stupid,” “f-ing bitch,” or “idiot,” all of which were hurled at my wife and I at Coulter’s talk, despite our service to this nation. Ask yourselves this question, Lawrence: Why do you think they need to attack free-thinking veterans?

Chris White,

Lawrence