Just when you think that the Donald Trump viciousness can't get any meaner, cruder and nastier it does. Suddenly, Khizr Khan and his wife, parents who sacrificed their son in the Iraq war, are being called into question for their patriotism by the right-wing hatchet men for no other reason than they are Muslim and want to stay that way.
I won't dignify a single one of the smears by posting them here, but Amanda Terkel does a fine job of compiling some of the cruelest and vilest of the smears, exposing them for what they are.
What I'd like to point out is that that these smears are missing the real point. No matter how much they try and link the Khans to the Muslim Brotherhood, point out that Hillary Clinton voted for the war (while lying about Trump being against it) or accuse the Khans of "exploiting" their son for political purposes, it's all one big red-herring casserole designed to deflect from the main point.
And here, in three words, is the big picture: Muslims. Have. Rights.
It's funny because Republicans are always quick to point out how the men and women in our armed forces are over there fighting and dying for freedom.
And guess what. That applies to the freedom of everyone.
Khan wasn't at the DNC protesting that his son died. He was there reminding us of why his son died. And that's a lesson that Trump needed to learn. As Mr. Khan rightfully pointed out, it's in the Constitution. Right there in that obscure little clause before the holy Second Amendment.
It's called the First Amendment. And it says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Now think about this. It's an amazing thing. The very first right the framers sought to protect--even before speech, press, assembly or guns--was the freedom of religion. Justice Robert Jackson once wrote,
If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.
Get it Mr. Trump. You can't prohibit any religion. You can't dictate it. You can't omit it. You can't legislate it. You can't order it. Even if you're President of the United States.
And before any conservative whack-a-moles try and highjack this with "war-on-Christmas" jibberish, having the state pay for your nativity scene is not the same thing as forcing Muslims to "register" and "identify themselves" or "closing mosques" or whatever sort of SS nonsense Trump is planning.
It's the difference between the state paying for your religion and you literally being able to practice it without harassment from the government.
I am a Christian, too. And I will defend the rights of Muslims because they day they lose their freedom, I lose mine.
That's hardly the only aspect of the First Amendment Trump has gone after. He said he wants to make it easier for people to sue the press so that if he lies about things and people report his lies, they won't be able to get away with it.
He has encouraged violence against people who are demonstrating peacefully (which might be why they stopped being peaceful).
And after he was taken to task on his obliviousness to the Constitution, Trump (who thought there were 12 Articles in it) claimed that Khan "had no right" to say he had never read the Constitution. (Technically Khan didn't say he hadn't, he asked Trump if he had).
I'd say that Trump's answer validates the question. He would violate every aspect of the First Amendment.
Since they can't defend Trump, his minions go after Khan.
Khan was not "pushing his agenda." He's not a terrorist or part of the Muslim Brotherhood. And those who push that sort of agenda are pathetic and vile little creatures who skulk about in their own darkness afraid of honest discourse.
Khan was defending his rights and everyone else's. The same way his son died defending them. And any spin on this that refuses to understand that or tries to deflect from it is hateful and despicable idiocy.
Even Trump and his nasty little supporters have rights. And they should thank Captain Khan for dying to defend them and Mr. Khan for standing to protect them.