Poster children

Say what you will about Khizr and Ghazala Khan, but to my mind the two of them might just be the undoing of Donald J. Trump. In fact, I'm willing to put money on it. 

For those who may have missed the last two week's fireworks, here's the back story. Khizr & Ghazala Khan are the immigrant parents (Trump Strike One) of a young Muslim (Trump Strike Two) soldier, who died most honorably protecting his men. On the last night of the Democratic National Convention, Mr. Khan stood at the podium next to his stoic, obviously still-grieving wife, and slapped a glove in the Republican candidate's face in his heavily-accented English (Trump Strike Three). The Republican candidate didn't have the good sense to ignore the challenge and has since pretty much had his a$$ handed to him on a baily dasis. As glorious as it has been watching Trump get thumped, being privy to the Khans pain, dignity and unfailing decency has been humbling. 

The war of words has been an epic David and Goliath battle. Goliath has all the bluster of a giant used to winning, while David and his missus have but several small, smooth stones but ah we have found that their aim is ever true! Their words are heart-wrenching. They are poised. Their grief is profound and every verbal stone finds its target with a resounding thunk. The Khans demand and gain attention without ever shouting...well, that's not entirely true. I did hear Mr. Khan shout one time when he was aggressively defending his wife. It was entirely appropriate I thought. He even caught himself and apologized on air for shouting. 

The Khan Saga has proved to be an opportunity for America to take a long, hard look at two versions of itself: one, in the shape of The Donald and another, in the form of Khizr and Ghazala Khan, and compare and contrast. We get to look on and decide what it is we want to honor. Bellicosity or quiet grace? Which is it America? The choice is yours.

The heartfelt words of Khizr Khan, the obvious ongoing pain of Ghazala Khan at the mere mention of their late son, should and do, stand in stark contrast to the Don's crassness and utter lack of empathetic connection to anyone other than himself.

The Khans, their late son and the rest of their family (who have remained conspicuously out of sight I might add) are the quintessence of what it means to be American. They were willing to pay the price of the freedom they so dearly cherish. They didn't want to. Mrs. Khan is clear. She told her son Capt. Humayun Khan to come home her son, not a hero. He chose heroism. He leaned in instead of out. He stepped forward instead of back. That's who they raised. Isn't that who Americans typically revere?

The Khans are America's poster children or they should be. They represent the very values that the Republican party (and its nominee) would under other circumstances, be racing to embrace but oh, the challenge of the Khans' faith; a faith that the nominee has spent months deriding.

In a wonderful article posted in the NY Times August 5, 2016, a timeline of both the Khans loss and how they have worked to cope with it paints a clear picture of a family built for service, guided by service and serving to the end. It is the story of a family leaning in, always in.

Unlike some others we could name (also named Trump, first initial M), there is no story here that doesn't add up. When folk have poked into the Khans' background there have been no 'gaps' in their history. There are no missing years, no unverifiable facts, no twisty-turny 1 + 1 = 45 equations. There's no funny business, nothing sketchy. The Khans are the real deal and it shows. Not everyone is built for time in the public square but this is where Khizr and Ghazala Khan find themselves and they are without peer. 

The glare of the spotlight can cause significant stuttering and Lord knows, there's nothing like bright lights to bring the truth of one's intent to the fore. Others with far more experience than the Khans, politicians, stars and sports personalities with careers on the line, have balked and stumbled badly under the same circumstances, but not the Khans. My guess is that they are driven by one thing and one thing only: an aim to serve as America's moral compass. Clothed in that truth, they have been fearless. It has been magnificent and yes, humbling, to watch.

Juxtaposed with the Don's vitriol, which he has sprayed at everyone with the temerity to challenge him, everything about the Khan family is a breath of fresh air and a reminder what true grace and true patriotism look like, heavily-accented English and all. They are our true north. We would do well to follow.