There were excellent speeches at the Democratic convention. It would be hard to say which one was best.
But from an informal poll of friends and family, many people thought this this short segment was the high point of the convention. This is the parents of a Muslim soldier killed in action in Iraq while protecting his unit from a suicide bomber; his father waved a copy of the U.S. Constitution and urged Donald Trump too read it.
Or see this version, which includes a description of their son’s heroism.
One of my sons told me he wept as he watched it.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
My daughter and Son in Law have been in Iraq three times. They are my Heroes. This gentlemen is my hero too. God bless his parents. Wonderful… I cried too.
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So hard to see these typical American parents – not a movie star, not an experienced speech giver, not an elite – pouring out what has been private to a national audience because Trump attacks their son over religion.
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I think we all were brushing away tears…wish the mother of this remarkably brave Muslim soldier (a leader who gave his life to save his military comrades) who was standing at the side of her most articulate husband, had said a few words too. It made a remarkable impression on Americans of conscience and showed the world that Trump bigots will not prevail.
And now today, the RNC flacks, so upset at all the great speakers last night, have issued this total nonsense below to try to equate Hillary with the obvious plagiarism of Trumps ‘nude model’ wife.
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From AOL moments ago….
“Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton spoke at the Democratic National Convention Thursday evening, but one very small line in her speech caught the attention of a Republican official.
“It comes down to what Donald Trump doesn’t get: America is great — because America is good,” she said in her DNC nomination acceptance speech. But the “America is great — because America is good” part was flagged by an RNC critic.
Sean Spicer, who works for the Republican National Committee, tweeted that Clinton lifted the phrase from political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville.
De Toqueville, a 19th century French aristocrat who wrote “Democracy in America,” is credited with the phrase, “America is great because she is good.”
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Now they are screaming all over media that Hillary “plagiarized” part of her speech…it just shows their DESPERATION. I don’t know any educated person who does not use words from de Toqueville.
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SEE ALSO: Reagan administration official to DNC: ‘Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan’ Amazing that this well known Republican spoke, and also the tremendous speech by Bloomberg denouncing Trump as pure “con’ man. Hope more Repubs speak out.
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The copyright protection on printed material does not extend that far back . It may after the TPP.
What politician has not said “the land of the free and the home of the brave”
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They really are reaching if that is what they choose to call plagiarism. Seriously? Dang, they probably could find a thousand other people who have said something along the same lines.
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A special few authentic moments with incredible impact for us all
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Yes. Authentic vs….The Big Swindle.
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Definitely powerful. Wonder if Comrade Trump wants to hit this speaker, too?
While I detest John Oliver’s language at times, he has the best political humor this season. Yes, I know, humor is subjective. But Oliver’s commentary goes beyond some Duck Dynasty attempt, and offers thought-provoking commentary. His latest on the Republican convention was right on target. Besides the doom and gloom, Oliver observed the GOP convention was long on feeling and short on facts. He insightfully points out a transitive relationship:
“I think we can all agree that candidates can create feelings in people, and what Gingrich is saying is that feelings are as valid as facts. So then, by the transitive property, candidates can create facts, which is terrifying, because that means someone like Donald Trump can essentially create his own reality, and that is the closest thing to an actual magic spell I have ever seen.” – Last Week with John Oliver, 7/24/2016
As an example, Oliver showed an interview in which Gingrich concluded feelings are relevant and facts are to be dismissed. In other words, if we feel a certain way, that becomes truth. “I feel that Obama is Muslim, so it is true.” I’ve long suspected anti-intellectualism runs deep in the Republican party. But to see it in the open is disturbing. It is one of the reasons I left the GOP.
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Yes, authentic and deeply moving, and Rev. Barber, of course!
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If you read Ellen’s comment, you copied my post from the NAACP page . But I do not demand an apology (LOL) because I agree. As a recognized leader’ the Reverend Barber was to me the most sincere and moving speaker last night.
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Yes, this man took Trump down. I think this impassioned statement will swing the election, as well it should.
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Fox News did not show this beautiful speech.
After the event, Ann Coulter tweeted a nasty comment about Mr. Khan and his “thick accent.”
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‘Ann Coulter tweeted a nasty comment about Mr. Khan and his “thick accent.” ‘
It really does make you wonder about how some people can sleep at night.
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The Khans were the most powerful moment for me. The Reverend William Barber was also spot-on. He told it like it is.
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I appreciate his speech and understand his reasoning for her. Not fooled by the Jingoism move to appeal to her right campaign. I beg to differ about the convention’s highlight. This was the only point in the entire 4 days that brought unity and thus must be dubbed with the crowning moment.
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My take:
Part of the war mongering propaganda that has infected this country since at least Reagan, but even going back as far as the Korean and Viet Nam wars. While I understand and empathize with the parents on the loss of their child, it does not negate the “American military hero” meme of Pentagon propaganda that so many have completely internalized. That meme being that due to American Exceptionalism, this country believes it can enforce its desires onto any country and in doing so those who kill and are killed are supposedly heroes. I don’t by that nonsense.
Clinton and the DNC are just using the Kahn’s to soften up Americans for more of the war mongering, the same that she has displayed in her years of the political life and more wars in the upcoming years after she is (most likely) elected.
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Thank you, Duane.
While the self-sacrifice of this young man, and the suffering endured by his family, are humbling, that does not excuse the disgusting manipulativeness and embedded assumptions behind having his father speak at the convention.
While a politically brilliant move, it also perfectly encapsulates the cynicism of the Clintons and the morally repulsive attempt by Hillary to misdirect attention from her warmongering (“We came. We saw. He died.”) and imperialist assumptions.
I may sound like a broken record, but I’ll say it again: if you live in a swing state and can’t bear the thought of Donnie making Supreme Court and other federal nominations, by all means, vote for Hillary.
But please, don’t delude yourself or insult our intelligence by trying to claim that this morally null and void woman, and the huge apparat behind her, is going to do anything other than try (no doubt incompetently, because she has failed at virtually every public role she’s played) to maintain the Empire of Chaos abroad and the Overclass’ chokehold here at home, while generating so much cynicism and demoralization that we’ll look back nostalgically on the entertainment Donnie provided when an even stronger fascist threat emerges in response to her betrayals.
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Duane’s point rings very true. I do not doubt for a minute that this family is an upstanding, patriotic American family. I am so sorry that they lost their son — and I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that he gave his life to save the other men serving with him — which, in my book DOES make his last action on earth heroic.
But — I really dislike the “American military meme” that has turned every serviceman into a “hero” and every soldier’s service into automatic “heroism” — it makes it very difficult to dispassionately assess and discuss the value and morality of U.S. military action in other countries. Service in the military is not necessarily “selfless,” and not all military personnel are heroes. Certainly the actions of those who were guards at Abu Ghraib were not. Nor are the members of the military who are the perpetrators of the current wave of sexual assaults (and their superiors who protect them, or blame their victims).
It is possible to have gratitude and appreciation for those who serve our country (in many capacities — including, but not exclusively, those in the military), and compassion for families dealing with the losses of soldiers) without buying into the “every solder a hero” message.
I was glad I got to see this particular speech. I thought the parents were eloquent and persuasive — and as a “push back” against the immigration position of Trump, I thought it was brilliant. But the other speakers that followed in the military segment — I finally had to turn the tv off and take a break. I found much of it very disheartening.
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One can also read this reaction
Despite all efforts by the media to distort Trump’s position about “banning” Muslims, he has made perfectly clear time and again that he does not want to ban all Muslims. He wants to simply perform thorough and complete background checks on all immigrants coming from countries presently in the grips of violent Islamic terrorism.
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/289932-khizer-khan-was-tricked-into-smearing-donald-trump
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