A Gold Star family or person is one that has been awarded a gold star medal for the loss of a son or daughter in combat.
Okay, let’s start at the beginning. The DNC, as in many other elections, was not without their usual sleaze factor. From leaked dirty trick emails to rigging the election to the pre-selected candidate, Hillary Clinton, they really hit a new low when they politicized a Gold Star family. It was high drama with the appearance of Pakistani immigrants Khizr and Gazala Khan whose son, Captain Humayun was killed on June 8, 2004, after he told his men to take cover and then tried to stop a suicide bomber outside the gates of his base in Baquba, Iraq.
Speaking at the convention in a slow and deliberate manner, Mr. Khan proceeded to release a diatribe against Donald Trump for what Khan, apparently perceived to be Trump’s intention to deny entry into the US of any Muslim. In the closing moments of his speech, Khan whipped out a pocket version of the US Constitution and offered to lend it to Trump. The cherry on top was Khan’s denouncement of Trump saying, “You have sacrificed nothing.”
Okay, that was the opening blow, and of course, The Donald is not one to ever let what he believes is a personal attack go unanswered. Trump, in his typical rambling way, said they were nice people, and in the same breath, cast doubt on Mrs. Khan’s ability to speak.
Well, it’s gone back and forth a couple of times in the TV talk shows with personal appearances from both the Khans and Donald Trump. Now every politician has tossed in their opinion as well – everyone from President Obama and Hillary Clinton to John McCain and Paul Ryan.
But what is this really about? There can be no doubt that Khans have suffered a terrible loss, only a cold, heartless person could not feel sympathetic to their loss. Is the fact that Captain Khan was Muslim have any bearing on that fact? No. Not any more than Asian and Latino families, as well as Christian and Jewish families that have lost loved ones in the military. Khan himself even pointed out that there are all faiths interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
So, what was his point? Khan said that according to Donald Trump they would not have been admitted to the country for immigration. Wrong! What Trump has on multiple occasions said is that refugees from the current war-torn countries must be carefully vetted before being allowed to enter the country, either for immigration or visitation. Until that can happen, they should not be allowed to enter the country. Now exactly how would that exclude the Khans from immigration?
And sacrifice? What is that all about? What has Hillary Clinton sacrificed, and since when is sacrifice a qualification for the Presidency? This is right up there with Obama’s you didn’t build that business – entirely irrelevant, uncalled for, and out of line.
But wait, it gets even better. Khizr Khan runs a service to help immigrants, predominantly from Muslim countries, enter the country. It’s how he makes a living! Of course, he doesn’t want more scrutiny of those he represents. It might have a financial impact on his business – something neither the Democrats nor the media has seen fit to disclose.
As for condemnation of Trump’s comments, I am completely baffled. Donald Trump is a tactless clod when it comes to speaking about others. That is a given and we should very well expect that. But did he say anything derogative about these people or their Gold Family status? Try as I might, I can find no report of any really negative response made by Trump, certainly nothing negative about being a Gold Star family.
No doubt, a tactful person would have handled the attack by Khan much differently. He might even have offered condolences for their loss, but then it would have been very un-Trump-like to do so. That doesn’t make it derogatory, though.
What is derogatory is politicization by the Democrats and media of a military family’s loss. It is, in fact, shameful, but what could we expect from a group whose candidate is a liar and scheming, dishonest career politician.
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