MOH Recipient Slams Ron Paul Over Kyle Tweet

Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer criticized former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul on Twitter Monday night after Paul posted a controversial tweet about former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, who was killed Saturday at a Texas gun range.

Meyer sent his tweet in response to one by Paul that read: “Chris Kyle's death seems to confirm that "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword." Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn't make sense.”

Meyer tweeted: “Hey @ronpaul have you lost you mind? That sword protected your freedom. Guess since I live by it I deserve to get murdered as well? #wow.”

Meyer, a former Marine sergeant, is one of three living recipients of the Medal of Honor for service in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is credited with saving 13 American and 23 Afghan soldiers’ lives in a firefight in Afghanistan in 2009.

Kyle, a former SEAL and author of “American Sniper,” left the Navy in 2009 after 10 years of service. He completed four deployments to Iraq and is credited with killing 160 enemy combatants. He received two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars for valor and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Kyle was shot and killed Saturday. Eddie Ray Routh, 25, was arrested and charged with killing Kyle and Kyle’s friend, Chad Littlefield, at the gun range.

Routh, a Marine reservist, deployed to Iraq in 2007 and Haiti in 2010. Multiple published reports indicate that Routh suffers from post traumatic stress.

Meyer continued with another tweet that read: “Let me remind you @ronpaul Chris Kyle is an American hero to not only myself but to America #RIPCK”

In response to Meyer’s critique, Paul, a former congressman and controversial leader in the Republican Party, issued a statement on Twitter and his Facebook page:

“As a veteran, I certainly recognize that this weekend's violence and killing of Chris Kyle were a tragic and sad event. My condolences and prayers go out to Mr. Kyle’s family. Unconstitutional and unnecessary wars have endless unintended consequences. A policy of non-violence, as Christ preached, would have prevented this and similar tragedies. –REP”

During the 2012 presidential campaign, Paul said he would remove U.S. troops from Afghanistan immediately.