Nothing And No One

As I noted in this space on Saturday,  one of the most powerful moments at last week's Democratic National Convention was the speech from Khizr Khan, a Pakistani immigrant whose son gave his life in service to the US Army in Iraq. Chastising Trump for his divisiveness and his ignorance, Khan declared, "You have sacrificed nothing and no one." 

Donald Trump's response was measured and restrained, delivered with humility and you're not buying this bullshit are you?  Of course not! No, the Republican Party's nominee to be President of the United States openly mocks both Khizr and his wife Ghazala. Trump questioned why Ghazala Khan did not speak at the convention, speculating she wasn't allowed to. 

Ghazala Khan has spoken out about her son, his sacrifice and the loyalty of Muslim Americans to their country. She admits she can get emotionally distraught over her son's death and finds it hard to speak in public about it.  

Speaking of her appearance at the DNC, Mrs. Khan said she was "very nervous, because I cannot see my son’s picture, I cannot even come in the room where his pictures are." 


Ghazala Khan remembers her last conversation with her son on Mother’s Day in 2004. “‘Be safe, and don’t become hero for me, just be my son, come back as a son.' He came back as a hero.”

This is a family who truly sacrificed on behalf of their country; it cost them the life of their son. And it was for a nation with certain so-called leaders who have spoken ill of their faith, a faith that has been abused by fanatics who seek only death and destruction. This is not the faith of Khizr and Ghazala Khan and millions, even billions of other Muslims like them who only want to live in peace and seek prosperity for themselves and their children. You know, like most of us.

The story of Army Capt. Humayun S.M. Khan is a classic tale of a young man who out of dedication and duty joined the army to serve his country and in Iraq in 2004, he made the ultimate sacrifice to save the lives of his fellow troops. Yes, it is a classic tale except the man in the photos that still makes his mother weep 12 years later doesn't look the America that Donald Trump wants to make great again. Capt. Khan's service and sacrifice are in the crosshairs of Trump's angry, hateful rhetoric directed at people of the Muslim faith. It makes for a very awkward confluence.  

Which underscores the fallacy of Donald Trump and those like him. Fear, anger and divisiveness are not effective strategies for America's survival. The ethnic group you might be ranting against may in fact be your neighbor, a neighbor who loves this country as much as you do. 

And this whole incident also reinforces the very real concern that Donald Trump is not suited to be President of the United States. He is a thin-skinned narcissist who can't tolerate criticism from a pair of ordinary people who have known a pain no parent should ever know yet still love this country they call home.  Donald Trump, compared to such kind people, is nothing and no one. 

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OK, so how bad a person is Donald Trump? Well, look at the audience for one of his recent speeches.

art by Stephen Byrne

I'm bet even Skeletor is thinking, "What the f**k is up with this guy?" 

Meanwhile, Loki is pissed at himself for letting this practical joke get so far out of hand. 

Doctor Doom is checking his cell phone. "What the...? Politifact says that 12 different things Trump said in the last 20 minutes are rated 'pants on fire'. What the f**k is up with this guy?" 

And the Joker's thinking, "Oh yeah, I like this guy!" But Joker is crazy as s**t.  

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OK, one more political thing for today.  This pic below was posted on Twitter and I tweeted the caption that accompanies it. 

In a rare group photo, we have (left to right)
Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine, Mike Pence and Donald Trump

No less than acclaimed comic book artist Michael Allred (Silver Surfer, Madman, Batman '66, etc etc) liked it. You can find Mr. Allred on on Twitter here. 

For that matter, I can also be found on Twitter here. 

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OK, that's enough for today. What's coming up on the blog in the next few days? Well, let's take a peek. 

Tuesday: My review of Star Trek Beyond.

Wednesday: Lea Thompson, Comic Book Goddess 

Thursday: A new installment of The Pixar Project takes a look at Cars. 

Friday: With the Olympics opening in Rio, I post a long lost work that I found buried on Facebook from 2012 about 4 oddball guys who went to the Olympics in 1996. It's...weird. 

Until next time, remember to be good to one another.

Dave-El
I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You