A Warfighter’s Open Letter to Bristol Palin

Ms. Bristol Palin,

I spend the majority of my time helping Warfighters and teaching America about the Warfighter Community. I’m also a combat veteran that spent a couple of years in hospitals recovering from my injuries in Iraq. I felt compelled to write a respectful letter when I saw a  recent comment attributed to you.

In response to the news that the father of your second child, Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer, is suing for custody and child support, your publicist is quoted as saying, “My values are such that a real American hero doesn’t ask for child support.”

Well, setting aside any judgment on personal values that people may or may not be inclined to make about that statement, it certainly isn’t the worst thing I’ve seen online lately.  But it’s definitely out-of-line. Let me explain:

Dakota Meyer is a recipient of the Medal of Honor so; yes, “Hero” comes with the territory he stands on and your camp insulted a lot of us with your comment. His status as a “Hero” is  indisputable for as long as he legally posses the award and I don’t see that changing.

The situation is bigger than you.

I think you’d agree that America needs heroes; especially now in today’s PC society where anyone can be special for mediocre nonsense. Most Warfighters will always live by a code of ethics and high standards; it’s part of our ethos and our way of life. Generally speaking mediocrity isn’t something we settle for because in my community; winning is our communal religion.

Be a leader for your generation of civilians.

Using any honorable fact of Dakota’s military service for your private issue and using it to publicly degrade him for personal reasons is wrong. I don’t think you should do that, or allow people who work for you to do that, because it calls your maturity and judgement into question.

Here’s the reality.

No different  than the rest of America, male and female Warfighters have  custody of their children and receive court-ordered financial support from the other parent to help raise the child. That comment publicly infers that doing so is a mark against their honor and service to this great country.

Speak intelligently; not spitefully.

You are a very public figure and you are young,  I’m asking you to think before you speak publicly and get a better representative that understands the Warfighter situation in America.  I’ve got nothing against you, maybe you didn’t know better at your age but your representative should have known better and they didn’t see a problem with your statement before you released it.

We’ve got enough problems.

Among other things, every combat veteran knows when they step into a court room, arrive at a job interview, attend college or try to rent an apartment that they are considered crazy until proven sane.  PTSD-phobia is real. Even parts of the justice system and our politicians use our military service against us; so, please take care of your business and leave my community out of it.

You shape public opinion for your generation of civilians.

Ma’am please think-it-through, my commentary is not rude or disrespectful. My intention is to make you aware that what you do and say, and what your people do and say, might affect the entire Warfighter Community because America is also watching. Your sassy little comment “trained” people in your age group to disrespect us. Please don’t turn your situation into a reality show circus and involve our community of Warfighters.

Please consider what I’ve written and excuse me if I’ve been overly direct. I’m sincerely happy to discuss this further with you if you wish. I am duty-bound to help my community and America. Congrats on the new baby…  Good luck in 2016 and God Bless.

All the way,

Boone Cutler