Re: July 31 news story.
In response to Khizr Khan’s unprecedented speech at the Democratic National Convention, Donald Trump had little to rebut and instead resorted to making Ghazala Khan the focus of his rhetoric. “She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me.”
I will gladly tell you, Mr. Trump, that Muslim women can and do speak for themselves. The Holy Koran contains an entire chapter titled “The Woman,” dedicated to reinforcing women’s rights, such as the right to vote, to hold public office, the right to a divorce, to maintain her wealth before and after marriage, to be absolved of all financial responsibilities during marriage, to an inheritance, to own a business. Many of these are rights not afforded to women in the West until the 1920s or later. There is not, however, a chapter in the Koran called “The Man.”
Mr. Trump, I am an Arab, an American Muslim, a woman, and I own my own business, lecture at a local university, and am a regular guest speaker and expert on Middle East affairs.
Mr. Trump, I am a Muslim woman. Hear me roar.
Iman M. Jodeh, Denver
The writer is the founder and director of Meet the Middle East, a Denver based non-profit.
Donald Trump took on the father of a fallen Muslim U.S. Army captain, Humayun Khan, in a deplorable manner. He equated his making money and running a business to sacrificing for his country. He attacked the father for criticizing him and said it was inappropriate. Has Trump ever heard of freedom of speech? Then he criticized the mother of Capt. Kahn for remaining silent during her husband’s speech. How dare Trump imply she was directed to shut up when in his campaign appearances with his wife, she stands in the background with her fixed model expression and never says one thing (unless she can copy it from a Michelle Obama speech). Add this to the list of Trump’s disgusting moments.
Stan Hrincevich, Littleton
Sadly, there is less and less honesty and integrity in our politics. Even a Gold Star family is not exempt.
Donald Trump certainly did not insult or denigrate Khizr Khan’s son, but Mr. Khan was persuaded to impugn Trump’s soul, calling it black. Mr. Khan also asserted that Trump would have prevented Army Capt. Humayun Khan from entering the U.S. What a ridiculous statement. There was no Islamic State, no Muslim terrorist threat, when Humayan Khan entered the U.S. at age 2. That was then. This is now.
Even prominent (establishment) Republican politicians, who are the reason Trump is the popular nominee, are consumed by self-interest and can’t resist shoveling more PC on the dung heap.
Vern Andrews, Aurora
What an epic chance this was for Donald Trump to put on display the decency his children spoke of so well at the Republican National Convention. It would not have been too hard for him to first say, “The Khan family’s loss is America’s loss. While the loss of my brother affected me greatly, their loss is very sad, very sad.”
As for the assertion he might not have read the Constitution? That one would be easy as well: “Good men and women can debate all they want about what I do know about our great Constitution … but the Khans’ loss is sad, very sad!”
I will not be surprised if Trump decides to see how far through this mud-wrestling match Khizr Khan will want to go.
Mike Tkacik, Colorado Springs
Khizr Kahn asked Donald Trump what sacrifices he has made. How about asking Hillary Clinton the same question?
Bill Hinckley, Highlands Ranch
The Republican heavy hitters who are taking shots at Donald Trump for his anti-American comments directed towards the Khan family have no credibility. They are apparently too spineless to pull their endorsement. Failure to do so is tacit acceptance of Trump’s abhorrent commentary and childish temper tantrums. This issue transcends politics. It is about common decency, which these Republicans seem to lack by their refusal to withdraw their endorsement of a boorish con man.
Mark Anderson, Littleton
Donald Trump doesn’t get it. He defends his heartless treatment of the Khans, a Gold Star family whose son died serving his country, by saying it’s not about the Khans, it’s about terrorism.
No, Mr. Trump, it’s about an empathy deficit so severe it renders you incapable of normal human responses to the suffering of others.
When Hillary Clinton was asked to respond to the grieving mothers of sons lost in the Benghazi attack who blamed her for their sons’ deaths at the Republican National Convention, she answered by honoring the sons and expressing nothing but compassion for the mothers. Period.
That, Mr. Trump, is what a normal human response looks like. Only a full-blown sociopath could fail to get that.
Felice Sage, Littleton
Donald Trump has proposed tightening border security by having a more stringent vetting process for Muslim immigrants and denying entrance to some. For this he is attacked by Khizr Khan in a speech at the Democratic National Convention.
It is interesting to note the lack of media attention paid to the mother at the Republican National Convention who blamed Hillary Clinton for the death of her son in Benghazi. Both families suffered a terrible loss. Why are the speeches about the death of sons treated so differently in the media? The speech about the death of a son, who was killed fairly recently, attracted little notice. The speech about the death of a son who was killed 12 years ago has been magnified into a major presidential issue.
John Dellinger, Aurora
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