Colin Powell Invokes Image Of Fallen Soldier

Colin Powell has officially endorsed Barack Obama for President. But the big news is that this was not even his most important endorsement of the day. As it turns out, the most important thing endorsed by Colin Powell today was an America that's worth leading and worth fighting for, an America that encapsulates the idea of what some might call a "more perfect union." To that end, Powell invoked a picture to illustrate his point.

"Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is no. That's not America. Is there something wrong with a seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing he or she could be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion that he is a Muslim and might have an association with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel particularly strong about this because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay, was of a mother at Arlington Cemetery and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone, and it gave his awards - Purple Heart, Bronze Star - showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death, he was 20 years old. And then at the very top of the head stone, it didn't have a Christian cross. It didn't have a Star of David. It has a crescent and star of the Islamic faith.

And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan. And he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was fourteen years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he could serve his country and he gave his life."

This is the picture of Elsheba Khan, taken by Platon for the New Yorker:

So, yeah. Sometimes, America does benefit when we share our wealth with one another. And some people, in fact, do have it harder than Joe The Plumber.

Comments

[Viper]

But remember it was not this image that causes him to Vote for Obama.. its because he is black... Wills and Limbaugh told you so...

Regards

[JerseyGirl4Obama]

Many of us care not what Wills orLimbaugh says, do you?

[jmaycock]

Sorry JerseyGirl4Obama, but if I am not mistaken Viper was being sarcastic.

[txgal44]

Who the he// is Limbaugh and Willis? And more importantly, who cares? Anyone?

[jmaycock]

Check them out for yourself.

Maybe use the phrase "Right wing radion nuts" is your search to ensure success....

[neesy08]

So this means Wills and Limbaugh are voting for mcCain cause he's white?

[jmaycock]

Viper was being sarcastic.....

[Roninfbn47]

"The most violent element in society is ignorance." Emma Goldman

I was going to post this about Michelle Bachmann, but it just fit into Colin Powell's
argument in regards to the "He's a Muslim" rhetoric spewed by certain elements
of the GOP. Thank you Colin Powell, Thank you!

[bpowell1]

MCain pushed Powell into a corner. He couldn't have endorsed McCain now even if he wanted to. With all the racisist mess that they are doing and allowing to happen McCain practically forced him to endorsed Obama. In good conscious and putting myself in Powell's shoes there was just no way he could do it.

[hopefullee]

I'm not sure that Powell wash pushed into a corner. His endorsement was far from "I'm voting for the lesser of two evils". The praise he gave Obama, in addition to his case for not voting for McCain, makes me that he genuinely admires Obama.

And besides, he really didn't have to endorse anyone at all if he didn't want to.

[dkerrice2861]

I agree 100%, I think he truly believes Obama will be an exceptional President ... and so do I!

[ElizabethMN]

Such a tear inducing photo. Thank you Colin Powell for talking about being Muslim is NOT bad and being ashamed of some high ranking people in your party.

And thank you, mother of a fallen soldier, for sharing your pain and son with us via the photo.

[NicasioKid]

I am so grateful to hear voices of truth and wisdom in the midst of hate and lies. Colin Powell's as well as those who share their thoughtful and often witty comments on the I-Net.

[wildishka]

Perhpas Colin Powell is the only one so far who said what most of us have felt...so what if he is muslim.
We all bleed red.....even the small towns Americans.
I have criticized Powell for his part in WMD/War, but today he made me very proud to be a Human being, an American.
Fot the umpteenth time, our vote is going to Barack and Biden because of their values, philosophies and down right intelligence. And so is Powell's!!

[neesy08]

I agree 100 %. The GOP needs to quit being so exclusive and become more inclusive

[PatrickforO]

test

[SeaBoatbuilder]

System failure.

[jmaycock]

nice one

[VivaZapata]

Powell's comments about this fallen soldier coupled with hate quashing a possible young Muslim boy's dream of becoming president were poignant and significant.

[progressivelady]

I would VOTE for Obama if he was a Muslim, Iam Voting for the Man, Not the religion, ANd what a beautiful story & picture

[jmaycock]

I would vote for him if he was a man of no faith.....

[Ron1951]

Wow. What a story about General Powell's comments. Helps to give me some hope for the future when there are still such totally decent people as Colin Powell out there. Thank you, General.

[Passenger57]

I hope that the Obama camp asks Powell if they can use his words for an ad about how we need to come together as Americans - he said he wouldn't campaign for him,and that's cool - but hopefully they can get him to OK an ad.

[Teeninchee]

Love is blind, that's what they say. Hatred, on the other hand sees clearly, and causes blindness. Make sense? One day may we learn to live by love and allow ourselves to see through love's eyes rather than walking in the the darkness of hatred.

We choose our walk...I choose love.

[Matt7]

PLEASE, MEDIA: Just allow this to be a poignant, thoughtful moment; and don't go getting in the woman's face for a more "up close and personal" story.

Evreybody doesn't want "their" 15 minutes.

[democratmilitarymom]

Thank you Colin Powell for talking about what I have been waiting to hear for months! As a practicing American-Muslim and mom of two sons currently serving in the U.S. military I have been heart broken and angry that suggestions and comments equating Muslim with terrorist or bad or evil or even worst, un-American, have been allowed to be made without correction. My family has been in this country since the 1850's and have proudly served and fought in every war since that time. I cried as I listened to Mr. Powell tell the story of Kareen Khan as I could all too readily relate to his mother's sorrow (as it is my biggest fear) and also know how so many of our countrymen do not think of us "American" because of our faith. But i was also so pleased and grateful that someone finally stood up and said, "Enough" to the terrible hate spewed by some and publicly declared that Muslim does not equal bad, and maybe, just maybe, one day we will progress enough as a country to even elect a president, who happens to be a Muslim, and not have it be an issue.

[metta80]

Thank you Colin Powell....I have been saying this over and over. What does it matter if someone is a muslim or not. I am sad that we live in a country founded on religion with so many people saying it is only ok if it is their religion.

I also had tears in my eyes when he talked about the mother we lost her son Kareem Khan. It touched me very deeply.

I have great respect for Colin Powell, and feel, not matte what he tries to say that he was used by the Bush adminstration.

[Bariis]

What an extremely powerful picture

[booshman]

I looked at this photo and could not control the gush of my tears. Her pain and sacrifice is not susceptible to verbal description. We live in this great country because of mothers like her who gave so much( Kareem's mom- thank you for your sacrifice though the right-wing nuts can't appreciate your sacrifice) Let's hope that true Americans wake-up this November 4th and ensure that the pseudo- -Americanism propagated by McCain and Palin is contained.