How Dare You, Donald Trump
Jon Austin
Crisis & Issue Management Consultant | Media Training Expert | Reputation Strategist
Yesterday, I spent 20 minutes on the Massachusetts Turnpike with tears streaming down my face.
I was so outraged listening to Donald Trump's response to Khizr Khan's speech on Thursday that it brought me to tears. Now that I'm not driving I can use my words:
How dare you, Donald Trump? HOW FUCKING DARE YOU?
How dare you demean and disrespect those AMERICAN parents who understand far better than you the citizenship that is your birthright and that you do not deserve?
How dare you use a mother's raw pain as another dog whistle insinuation to impugn a religion you neither understand or respect?
How dare you dismiss the sacrifice their son made on behalf of his country and his men? Humayun Khan, an Army captain, died trying to save lives. That moment of bravery counts for more than every second of your 70 years of greed, narcissism and classlessness.
How dare you equate your "sacrifice" with a second of the Khans' grief and mourning? The dust on their soles has more claim on our sympathy than you do.
How dare you equate your "sacrifice" to that of any other veteran's family? For two years, I watched my mother cry every day when the mail came: she cried when a letter from my Marine Corps brother in Vietnam arrived and and she cried when one didn't. My mother and tens of millions like her - parents whose sons and daughters go to war, wear the uniform of our firefighters and police - know the meaning of "sacrifice." You know nothing.
Sixty-two years ago, Joseph Welch kicked another petty bully to the curb with words that perfectly express the contempt I feel for you. With apologies to his memory, I paraphrase:
Until this moment, I think I have never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Little did I dream you could be so reckless and so cruel as to do an injury to people such as the Khans. If it were in my power to forgive you for your reckless cruelty I would do so. I like to think I am a gentleman, but your forgiveness will have to come from someone other than me.
Let us not assassinate this family further, Mr. Trump. You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?
And to those of you out there who still support this poor excuse of a MAN, please tell me why. Please explain how you can look the other way in the face of such grotesqueness. Are there no standards of decency or humanity left to transgress? How will you explain your support for this monster to your children? How can I explain it to my children? Paul Ryan, can you answer those questions? Mitch McConnell? Reince Preibus?
The simple truth is that you cannot. If you cannot admit this now, then you are damned along with him.
- Jon Austin
?#?trumpsacrifices?
Director of Airport Experience
8 年Really appreciated what you shared on this Jon. Now, on the other side of the election, I struggle to understand how we got here. How, after this exchange around this amazing family and the mysoginist, racist, xenophobic events of the past several months - each seemingly more damning then the next - did we get here? It feels like some kind of alternate reality...and I...don't...get...it.
Freelance Photographer at vonniesvisions
8 年How much did Hillary Clinton pay these people?
Chief Administrative Officer, interim - MN Health Care Administration Department of Health & Human Services
8 年Thank you for your insights Jon. While some have been downright rude, I chose to read each comment and carefully consider the merit of their informataion and response. I appreciate the discussion and prefer not to weed through the cyber-bar called Facebook to look at political memes and rants. I appreciate conversation from 'professionals' on this forum, even (and especially) when they are passionate. Call me crazy, but it seems responsible for the voting public to be informed when asked to participate in such an important process. But being informed also means vetting information and when you cannot verify all facts, you must weigh the information, consider their sources and evaluate it against your personal beliefs and values. It always amuses me when someone takes a paragraph - or two - or three - to explain their point of view as to why politial posts are inappropriate and offensive. Here's a hint: nobody would be offended if you didn't respond.
Planning, Evaluating and Renewing to Exceed Expectations to support Company Growth and Progress
8 年I appreciate your perspective, Jon Austin. Politics and discrimination are rampant in the workplace; thus, this topic is worthy. I shouted in my car numerous times, "How dare you, [add boss's name]!" and tears were evident. I was a victim of gender discrimination by an organization as the Khan family was discriminated against by the GOP presidential nominee/organization. You are taking action to do something about the GOP words as I did with a lawsuit. My action and perspective was to stand up to what was happening to others at the organization. Jon you are taking action, based on a perspective and experience, for the basic means of being American. Again politics and discrimatory words and acts occur in organizations and legally these acts are not okay or acceptable.