Colin Powell, Barack Obama, Specialist Khan, and You

Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama yesterday brings to mind Obama's speech on race during the primaries: a moment in which a politician rose to the occasion to push the national political dialog beyond the ordinary bounds of presidential politics and into a much deeper discussion of (am I really about to type this?) values. I am referring not so much to Powell's endorsement itself but to his comments about Muslim Americans.

It would be generous to call Colin Powell's career checkered, from the My Lai massacre cover-up in the Vietnam war to his disastrous dog-and-pony show at the UN Security Council that paved the way for Bush's war in Iraq. Acknowledging his contribution yesterday does not imply whitewashing his past. The fact that it was, finally, an African American Republican Army general who finally stood up and denounced Republican Muslim-baiting as un-American is not surprising. Rather, it highlights the ambiguous role of the US military, which has so often been a tool of oppression beyond our borders, yet was one of the first major American institutions to racially integrate domestically, long before schools (not to mention churches which remain highly segregated to this day).

"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."

The fact that Powell referenced a photograph to underscore his point, a photograph available online, has spurred a discussion in the blogoshpere that is moving and profound. It is important to see the actual photograph, and in this age of the Internet, we can all immediately do so here.

Generally when I think of "Internet moments," what comes to mind are examples of how shallow and callous Internet communications so frequently are. Here is the opposite: a moment which reminds us of that naive time not so long ago when many believed the Internet would bring people together rather than drive them farther apart. I am thinking not so much of the blogs themselves, but the comments of the readers. Christians, Muslims, Jews, atheists, people of all colors, gays and straights: all are speaking and, more importantly, listening.

I encourage you to take a moment and look around the Web at this discussion. You will find things so heartfelt and profound they will take your breath away, beginning with the number of people using the Web to express condolences to the family of Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, far more than the family will be able to read. A beautiful thing.

But now I will shut up and let the commenters speak for themselves. For those of you who don't have the time to surf the Web, here are some especially poignant remarks from right here on the Huffington Post:

BabsfromKansas found a link to an obituary of Specialist Khan and posted it for everyone.

This from a Muslim, 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.

And this from a Christian, injesuswetrust:

This is too moving!!! For goodness sake God made us all, in His own image. May God in His infinite mercies forgive the sins of many of us Americans. May God also help us to love His people just as we love ourselves. Hatred sets us backwards and love moves us forward.

And this from a gay veteran. As the thread developed, one reader wrote "call me a bigot but as a solider I feel gay don't belong in the army, but u wouldn't understand unless u served," which resulted in this shockingly eloquent response:

I am an American. I am an Army veteran. I am a gay man.

I have heard all too often that "good Americans" (meaning people not like me) have served and died in order for people like me to lead a life that people like you might describe as being other than truly American. The fact is, people like ME -- good, decent Americans -- have served and died so that people like YOU can imagine living in a world of intolerance and discrimination. People like ME have served alongside people like YOU.

This country belongs to ALL OF US !

Comments like these make me proud to be a writer on this site. Thank you.

Comments

[JScott]

Sadly tho the folks that really need to read and see this probably won't, the internet hasn't been capable of doing that yet.

[MrFun]

I believe this was absolutely the most important point Mr. Powell made in his comments. As important as his endorsement of Obama was, I believe this is what should and be will remembered as the years go by.

[miocid31]

Gen. Powell's description gives me chills everytime i read it.

[Greg285]

Great article! I was moved when Colin Powell gave his indictment of the McCain campaign and of his Republican party. We are all Americans! There is no 'Pro-America’ or ‘Anti-America’ on the United States of America. These idiots going around attempting to divide up this country through hatred and intolerable rhetoric is sad...The media needs to talk about issues like this and more. This is what majority of Americans are talking about. Instead, they would rather spend their time talking about the ignorant minority if people in this country who would believe the Earth was flat, if the Republicans told them so... We, as a Nation are better than this and we need to stand up and prevent the minority from making this Nation look like fools to the rest of the World. How do you think we look to the rest of the ‘Free’ World right now? How can we allow the Republicans to tear down a Great Man of Honor and accomplishments, like Colin Powell?

[Ged2012]

Obama is truly a leader of inclusion. This article proves it:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/111253/World-Citizens-Prefer-Obama-McCain-Nearly-4to1.aspx

Most of us outside the United States are clamoring for Obama to become President. To all of you in the U.S.--Plea­se make sure he gets elected.

[bob8788]

This election has really come down to good versus evil, it really has, WOW


http://www.barackobamacans.blogspot.com/

[roald]

Careful not to fall into the trap of "good" and "evil" being simple to identify.

[thesimulacra]

HuffPost's Pick

Call me Pollyanna, but it's not so much good versus evil as it is fear versus hope.

[ghenry]

Hatred and bigotry must end or else it will destroy the world.

[valhalladad]

Very nice article. It saddens me to no end to see the things that have been done to our sons and daughters. I have high hopes for Obama and was extremely pleased by Powell's decision. After being in some kind of military conflict under every president at least since FDR (with the minor exception of Carter unless you want to count the Iran Hostage era) wouldn't it be nice to take a four to eight year break from military conflicts? I've heard it said that war is how American's learn geography. Well, I, for one, don't want to learn anymore geography. These endless conflicts teach us and our children intolerance. Intolerance of those that 'don't look like us'. Foreigner's. When we stop war we'll learn to accept that young men like Specialist Kahn IS an American and not be shocked when a Black man of Obama's stature can rise to the Presidency not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character.

[Reepicheep]

God save Barak Obama, General Powell, and the United States of America. Let's beat these bastards!!

[Yermammy]

To us military types, it is a strong emotion. It's rage for me. Rage at the stupidity and racism in this country we call "Land of the Free & Home of the Brave". I see a lot of cowards lately. I'm sick of it.

[Lulliloo]

As a photographer for over half a century I am keenly aware of the subject matter and composition, colors and emotive effects.
This photo is the most moving I can recall ever seeing in the combination of all these factors. I've come back to it dozens of times since I watched Colin Powell's endorsement interview.

Now to take that photo within the context of General Powell's comprehensive and clear rejection of the McCain campaign and contrast it with that of Obama's is a profound political statement that has been unequalled amongst the many thousands of statements I have read by all parties except those by Obama and Biden themselves.

How fortunate we are to have such leaders to salvage a war-torn country, constitution and moral fiber laid waste by the evil, corrupt, racially and religiously hate-filled and bigoted elements of the Republican right.

[swift goat pet for truth]

As much as I appreciated Gen. Powell's endorsement, this was, by far, his most important message.
I did not expect this answer, but, of course, it was the right one. And the picture was just heartbreaking.

And, as such, is not getting the attention it deserves.

Especially on Faux Noise. surprise.

[Siryn]

Fox is too busy trying to downplay the endorsement and make it about race instead of realizing that McCain is just dividing us.

[OregonMaggie]

This country was a refuge, at one time, for EVERY person, of every ethnicity and faith. So many backgrounds, so many beliefs, helped build America - from the Europeans who came here to find RELIGIOUS freedom and to escape persecution, to the Chinese who sacrificed so much on the intercontinental railroad, to the Irish escaping a national famine, to my Polish grandma who came over at the turn of the century...­.and I could go on and on - there is no way to capture all that is America right here. America is a tapestry - each string of color and faith beautiful on its own, but when put together, side by side, in harmony and ACCEPTANCE of others - we create an incredible tapestry, something truly unique, beautiful and profound.

My point in stating this is that ALL of us have sacrificed, from the beginning of this country, for the American dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To have that demeaned down to nothing but a person's race or faith is ridiculous. To persecute any race or faith in this country is an abomination, and to use code words (Muslim, terrorist, socialist, etc.) is going down a road that only ends with exits to cities like Hatred, Bigotry, and Divisiveness.

Thank you, General Powell, for your stand. YOU are truly an American hero with honor, compassion, and integrity.

[JDShipley]

This is an amazing statement about the diversity of this nation and how unrestrained is the definition of "American.­"

[CKieffer]

I watched Colin Powell that morning and felt the breath catch in my throat when he said the answer to the question of whether Obama is Muslim is not "no, he is Christian" but "so what if he is?" Then, as a mother to a 17 year old son, I felt the tears come as he described that picture of the grave.

I just want to say thank you to Colin Powell for speaking on my behalf (unbeknownst to General Powell of course).