I found Colin Powell’s endorsement in the video above to be very powerful, thoughtful, and inspirational.
Powell’s statement goes beyond just a simple endorsement, but a call for America to be an America for all people. His story of Kareem R. Khan, an American born Muslim who fought and died for the United States in Iraq is a story that I’ve never heard, but one that needs to be shared. America should be a country where a 7 year old Muslim can dream to one day become President, that prejudice against ones religion should not exist.
Contrary to what Sarah Palin says, it’s not just small towns with all white populations that are “Pro-America”. America became the success it has through the immigrants that have been welcomed to its shores, by those who only wish to live the “American Dream”. This is the country I want to live in. We’re all pro-America.
From ArlingtonCemetary.net: Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, Specialist, United States Army
From NYTimes.com: More on the Soldier Kareem R. Khan
Mr. Powell mentioned Mr. Khan’s death to underscore why he was deeply troubled by Republican personal attacks on Mr. Obama, especially false intimations that he was Muslim.
Mr. Obama is a lifelong Christian, not a Muslim, he said. But, he added, “The really right answer is, what if he is?”
“Is there something wrong with being Muslim in America? No, that’s not America,” he said.
From NYTimes.com: Powell Endorses Obama
Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president on Sunday morning as a candidate who was reaching out in a “more diverse and inclusive way across our society” and offering a “calm, patient, intellectual, steady approach” to the nation’s problems.
From Time.com: Halperin: How the Powell Endorsement Boosts Obama
In one of the most important symbolic moments of the general election, former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced today that he is endorsing Barack Obama for president. Making his decision public on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” the long-time fixture in Republican administrations effectively reinforced the sense of momentum Obama has been building, declaring the Senator from Illinois as a “transformational figure.” “I think that Senator Obama brings a fresh set of eyes, a fresh set of ideas to the table,” said Powell. “I think we need a generational change, and I think Senator Obama has captured the feelings of the young people of America, and is reaching out in a more diverse, inclusive way across our society.”
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