Tommy Vallejos, a local Tennessee politician, Bronze Star veteran, and care pastor with Faith Outreach Church in Clarksville, TN, wrote an opinion column in the Stars and Stripes in support of Air Force Chaplain (Capt) Sonny Hernandez entitled “Don’t persecute chaplain for practicing his faith“:

As a retired military veteran, a Hispanic, and a man of deep faith, I was shaken to my core after reading a recent story about Chaplain (Capt.) Sonny Hernandez coming under fire for sharing commonly held biblical principles with his fellow Air Force servicemembers…

Vallejos appears to note the often-missed observation that not a single Airman has publicly complained about a single thing Chaplain Hernandez has done as a chaplain:

This brings us back to Hernandez, whose duty is to support all servicemembers and to work in a pluralistic environment. From reports, it appears that he is carrying out this function well, while still believing in the biblical principle of Christian salvation.

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein has complained, certainly, but Weinstein is widely recognized as a hypersensitive wilting flower who complains about everything related to Christians in the military. That Weinstein has been complaining for months and hasn’t presented a single US troop with a verifiable claim of maltreatment or misconduct by Hernandez is particularly notable.

Vallejos found Hernandez’s statements to be completely in line with “commonly held biblical principles” but seemed to agree with Hernandez’s subsequent statement that he could have worded things better:

Still, Hernandez said that he could have been more precise saying: “If I had to rewrite it, I would say this is my position. In no way would I try to tell anyone they are not equal or that someone deserves to be mistreated or is not worthy.”

With freedom comes responsibility for exercising that freedom. Exercising freedom does not absolve one of the consequences of that exercise.

With the exercise of freedom will certainly come offense. Offense does not require that someone exercising their freedom be silenced.

Tommy Vallejos seems to have that understanding of liberty.  It’s a shame more Americans can’t comprehend that concept of freedom.

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