An Open Letter to Khizr Khan July 31, 2016
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Army, DNC, Humayan, Kahn, Khizr, Muslims, Navy, Trump, USMC
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Please read “An Apology to Mr. Khan, Mrs. Smith & Gold Star Families”
Dear Mr. Khan,
I want to preface this letter by stating that I respect your son’s sacrifice for this great nation. By all accounts, he is a true hero that sacrificed himself in service to our country. For that I am thankful.
As a veteran, I watched your comments at the Democratic National Convention with a mixture of sadness, and anger. The United States has a military comprised of volunteers. Every single member has made the conscious choice to join the military and serve. There is not a single service member who has been forced into service. It is important for all service members (and apparently, their families) to understand that service to this great nation does not imbue one with special privileges or rights. I found your comments troubling when you said: “Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”
Does it matter whether Mr. Trump has sacrificed “…nothing and no one?”…has Ms. Clinton “..sacrificed” for this nation? How about Mr. Obama? Your comment stating that Mr. Trump “…has sacrifice no one” is alarming. Are you intimating that YOU sacrificed? Sir, your son willingly sacrificed himself. As a father I cannot imagine the pain you must feel but his sacrifice is his own. He was not forced to serve.
I am troubled that you would allow a party that has little more than contempt for the US Service Member to parade you into the DNC to denounce Donald Trump. Did you watch when protesters at the DNC booed and heckled Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Florent Groberg? Did you notice your party interrupting the moment of silence for slain police officers? Your own hypocrisy in not denouncing these acts and instead using the DNC as a platform to make a political point is disgraceful. The simple fact is that whether one served or sacrificed does not give greater power to their statements. One vote is as valuable as another. That sir, is why our Country is great. Your condemnation of one person for a statement while standing idly as your party disparages veterans and police officers is the height of hypocrisy.
To conflate the need to prevent potential terrorists from entering our country with the belief that ‘all Muslims’ should be banned is simply wrong and disingenuous. As a reminder, Mr. Trump said: ” “Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life,” The irony of your son’s own death at the hands of these very people in Iraq should not be ignored. I have little doubt that your son would have recognized the need to protect our country from these very people. In fact, he held is own troops back so that he could check on a suspicious car. Your son understood sacrifice and how to protect “his people”…’his soldiers’….’his fellow Americans’…
As you continue to make the media circuit and bask in the glow of affection cast upon you by a party that has little regard for your son’s own sacrifice, and veterans in general, I would ask you to consider your comments and your position more closely.
Respectfully,
Chris Mark
US Marine and Navy Veteran.
Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management 
God bless you and God bless America. You are absolutely right
” It is important for all service members (and apparently, their families) to understand that service to this great nation does not imbue one with special privileges or rights.” that hasn’t stopped some people claiming to be vets to have that very mindset
I applaud you Chris for having the respect to address Mr Kahn’s appearance at the DNC. I have never seen such hypocracy and out and out lies as were paraded as patriotism. The Democrats should bear in mind that there are many of us old enough to remember the Clintons from Arkansas and there rise to power in Wasgington on the backs of people such as Mr Kahn. I thank you for your letter and for sharing it. From the daughter of a Iwo Silver Star recipient,
Jan Gitz
while everyone is ripping Trump for his comments on Vets, I want to REMIND ALL OF YOU, who supported the VIET NAM ANTI WAR MOVEMENT. Hill and Bill. they supported anti war activists. they supported the Weatherman movement and the bombing of military installations. they supported and aided Black Panther movement. Hillary actively besmirched a 12 year old rape victim and laughed about getting evidence suppressed. YEP vote for Hill. you could not find a worse person to be the head of our country.
also
, you did not see Trump having to be pardoned by Carter for his draft evasion. technically he should not have even been allowed to run for president since this is a felony.
🇺🇸 God Bless You and Thank You, Chris Mark for your service and your devotion to this great country. Your letter was 100% right on money – thank you again.🇺🇸
🇺🇸Scarlett Rabalais – thank you so much for your letter. Please thank your son for protecting us an this beautiful country – God Bless Him 🇺🇸
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you, brother and Semper Fi. ~Sgts Kraig & Ana Huff
Chris,
Thank you for your service. I am the son of a deceased Vietnam veteran. He spent nearly 20 years a a Marine, discharged honorably after being wounded in combat. When I was going to join the military in order to put myself through school, my father begged me to find another way. He stated, “The Butlers have given enough blood, sweat and tears on the battlefield.” I honored my father and found another way. Having never severed, I would never insult or disparage a person who put themselves in harms way to allow me the choice to not serve. So again, thank you.
That said, I do want to point out a few thing about Mr, Trump, someone who, as Mr Khan stated, ” never sacrificed anything or anyone.” In the Vietnam era, when Trump received 4 deferments, women were unable to serve. Your comment about Clinton’s lack of service, while true, is unfair. While it’s true that Chelsea Clinton did not serve, she too would have been denied the ability to participate in combat missions. That’s one element of the historic nature of the first female to be nominated by a major political party. The shattering of the glass ceiling that will open doors and may lead to future female general in the armed forces. But, that is not the point here.
The point. Not one of Trump’s sons served in the military. That’s fine but, Donald Trump disparaged John McCain, a veteran and POW for 5 years who was tortured relentlessly. The, I prefer people who were not captured” comment was a slap to every POW. It opened Trump to criticism for his own lack of service, and the lack of service of his sons. Additionally, Trums disparagement of a Gold Star Mother and Father further opens him up to more criticism.
Trump has a first amendment right to respond, you fight for that, but just because he has that right, doesn’t mean he should use it. You do not disparage in any way a Gold Star Family. He could not control himself. He had to respond, and respond poorly.
So here you are, utilizing our admiration for those who serve to defend someone who disparaged POWs, and a Gold Star Family. I am disappointed, but you have a right to your opinion.
In my option, your defense of Trump’s ban of Muslims, even a temporary one, is not the way of a country build by immigrants. But, we can agree to disagree on that point. You site safety as his goal. Most terrorist attacks in this country have been from homegrown terrorist, but you left that fact out.
What bothers me most is not you opinions. Your mistake is when use your own opinion to tell us how you think their son would feel about what they are doing. I don’t think this is where you go to far. Your serviced ones not give you that right. They are his parents. They are the ones who lost their son. You never met their son. They knew him best, and they alone get to choose how to honor his memory. So please, don’t scold them on what they did or what they are doing, or offer your advice and what they should do next! Let them exercise their constitutional rights to free speech and honor their son how they see fit!
Finally, I’ve seen you disparage anyone and everyone who disagrees with you. That brings you no honor. You opened yourself up by posting your open letter. You stated your opinion, not facts. It my opinion you mischaracterized these fine parents and missed the point that they made. Now that people are calling you out, you attack. Maybe I made a spelling error, or a typo, or even misspoke. But, I’ve expressed my disagreement with in a respectful and peaceful way. You are the one who should consider your comments, not only in your original post, but in many of your responses to those who disagree with you.
Best wishes and stay safe!
I agree…. Chris .. many have ragged on you unfairly …. but please don’t stoop to their level. .. you lose your credibility when you do.
That gold star family is not telling the truth.
my son served in the Navy for 11 years, after boot camp and his schooling he was sent oversee and pulled Isolstion duty to protect us in that country. Do you now or have ever had a child serve? I think not based on the fact that ALL servicemen/women are proud to have served abed would defend our country to death, IF you had a child serve in the armed forces he/she would have made that very clear had you asked. By the way, said child died Feb 14, 2016 and I certainly dont want to smear his name at either parties convention, he would have been horrified. He choose to join the military over begging and pleading from his entire family, because he was a proud citizen.
Mr.Butler, Sorry for the loss of your son in Vietnam. My husband is a Vietnam veteran and we are staunch Trump supporters. He is the only man to bring our Country Back (certainly not the liar that Hillary is) I will not stoop to her level to denounce anyone, but Chris Mark is a TRUE PATRIOT, as well as my husband, your son, Mr.and Mrs.Kahn’s son and anyone that fought for our great country… I FULLY AGREE WITH CHRIS.. We need more patriots to speak up… God Bless America, God Bless our Veterans and Service Personel and God Bless DONALD TRUMP who LOVES this country….
Well said, I am just another Vet, (66-69) It amazes me that there are still those out there still thinking that one party favors the Vets over another, came back a Libertarian, and have been one for over 47 years. Too the Politicians of both sides we are nothing but “cannon fodder”
well said! couldn’t say it better
Very well written and as a military wife of twenty years he has no idea how the service of a husband effects the wife and children of the member. I CHOOSE to be a military wife and knew what I was in for as he was a “lifer” and that didn’t bother me either. He can’t even imagine what it does to a parent either as my ex-husband’s brother was also a service member at the SAME time. So thank you for a well written article.
JJ Butler Trump may have his faults. You avoided completely Clinton’s lies & corruption. That speaks like a democrat not truthful yourself..
JSZ
Mark, I appreciate and respect your opinion on this matter. I do not like either candidate so I am equally disgusted in the remarks coming from the DNC and the RNC. One thing that I have held true to my heart as a Marine for 20 years and particularly in the case when I was assigned as a casualty officer for the parents of a Marine 2ndLt is this: if there is a demographic of this society that has earned the right to say just about anything they want and get an absolute free pass from me it is Gold Star parents. Whatever their opinion if I agree with them or not, if you have stood over the flag draped casket of your son or daughter who died in the service of this country you get my unending gratitude and respect. It is the ultimate free pass. I would probably extend this to the widows and children of our nations fallen but the parents who lose a son or daughter provides a special kind of understanding. Your comments although well thought out and presented in a dignified way are nonetheless directed at the parents of one of ouer fallen brothers. Give them a pass on this.
Semper Fi
Rick Tremble USMC (ret)
Trump did say he would support the “12th article of the constitution”. So are we sure he has read it. Also I’m pretty sure republicans just voted down a bill that would have given 61 million to veteran groups,but voted in favor have giving 511 million in corporate subsidies.
Bravo! I’m assuming Mr Khan was paid off by the Clinton machine.
Wow, powerful statement, so right on. Thank You
Well said. Hoorah. When will the Muslim community stand up and condemn those that portray their faith to the world as a religion of hatred and jihad on those who are non believers. You ask for my understanding and acceptance yet do nothing to stop those who murde, rape and pillage through out our world. I remember another Muslim son in Texas who portrayed that side of your religion
The 58,220 volunteers who sacrificed their lives in Vietnam honor the service of Donald Trump and Ted Nugent.
I sure hope the Trump Campaign responds with the statements made herein.
I think it was just the inference his sacrifice was the same or of a like sacrifice. Only about 15 have actually served in the military many of the during the WWII and the civil war.
All that can be said is WOW! Very eloquent, succinct, and on point. Thank you for your wisdom and heartfelt words. They should be an encouragement to all who served and sacrificed for this great nation.
I am truly sorry for your loss , but your comments are kind of a slap in the face to the sacrifice your son willingly and not under force made to serve this great country.
The Clintons and the Obamas have sacrificed nothing for this country so why just point out Mr. Trump – if nothing else at least he has given jobs to Americans in his private life.
You are right on target Chris ,this was a great commentary .
The answer is not about choice but why.
Is what he represented and that was love of country and that was his reason like many other veterans and service man like McCain and many like him.Trump choice was to dodge the military service.
And in what branch of the US military did Mr. Obama, or Mrs Clinton or her husband serve?
That needed to be said. “Semper Fi” Marine.
From a “volunteer”.
Amen brother. Very well written. The only thing that Hillary has sacrificed is service members. She handed them to ISIS on a silver platter, she is the devil incarnate.
God bless you & thank you for putting our feelings in writing.
I am the wife of a retired military man who spent 22 years in the Army as a Blackhawk instructor pilot. His father spent 35 years in the military, his brother, also a pilot, 20 years, and his nephew was a crew chief. I take huge offense with the complete disregard you give the family of that soldier. Behind every soldier is his family waiting for him to come home. How dare you discount the feelings of that soldier’s family who made huge sacrifices right along with that soldier. Every single soldier has a family at home waiting and praying for him and your complete and total disrespect of us makes me sick. How dare you. You sound very angry. I hope you felt better after writing this because my husband and his military family have made huge sacrifices for this country so assholes like you can say whatever they want to puke out. I thank you for your service and respect every man and woman who has served this country in the military but you, sir, are no patriot if you want to discount the pain that family has endured. Seriously, shame on you. The rest of you who are high five-ing and doing chest bumps are just plain ignorant.
not angey at all. actually amuzed at the nonsensicle drivel
Chris, you had some amount of respect from me based on your letter even if I didn’t agree with all of it, however after dissing Lisa and her family in the way you did with your reply you have moved to the flaming asshole list in my book. You sir are a pompous asshole.
Why? Because I defended myself from personal attacks? Go home boy
What about the pain for the 4 military men’s families that Killery refused rescue.
Thank you Lisa.
Well said.
Very well written and oh so true!
Very well said! Thank you for standing for ALL our Soldiers! A Proud Marine Mom. Teresa T. Melton, Cleveland, Georgia All gave some, some gave All!
Your husband’s service does not transfer by osmosis to your bimbo ass.
sorry…i misread last comment…my apologies.
Chris Mark your ignorance is overwhelming
thank you mary…
When and where did your candy ass serve? No where? That’s what I thought.
read my bio dummy..why do i always have to say that??? then..go home to your trailer and shut uo
I served over 20 years. I enlisted to serve, not to die as although that was quite possible. The republican party has done nothing for veterans, they say they can’t afford to take care of us. Any help we ever get comes from Democrats. Trump is not qualified to serve in any office let alone President of this great nation. If you support this man and believe he was right in putting down the parents of that brave captain then you are even worse than Trump an I think he belongs in prison. Republicans have tried to hang Obama and Hillary second millions , even fabrication OK ng evidence and couldn’t find anything. They claim to be Christians but TR he do not do what Jesus would do.. You sir owe that grieving family an apology. As for me I loath people like you.
Thank you Sir not only for your service but for a letter which I hope clarifies some things for some people.
Thank you for your reply. It was spot on and I hope teh DNC takes notice.
Amen. You made your points with great eloquence.
I think this letter was spot on
You are a fucking moron pushing the partisan bullshit the Republicans care better for Vets than Democrats…That’s why the GOP voted down dozens of pro-Veterans bills, because they love Vets, right? That’s why they send Vets to wars we don’t need that solve nothing but secure oil. Defending 5 deferment Trump is pathetic, especially from a clown claiming to be a Vet. Vote for your racist silver spooned white pussy boy Chris…..you two deserve each other
Classic Democrat commentary. Thank you for your articulate and well-thought comments. You are clearly a master of prose.
I respect your opinion and thank you for your service. I do have one question, though. If Mr. and Mrs. Khan were instead Mr. and Mrs. Jensen, Nordic pale and Christian rather than swarthy and Muslim, and if they had spoken out against Mrs. Clinton at the RNC, spoken of their pain and sacrifice, would you have written them this same letter?
I wonder how much hilery paid those parents??
First for the folks that did well in spelling , grammer and so on, i was more a math guy and your more than welcome to make corrections on this I dont mind but i promise you i wont miss any sleep over it. Chris thank you for your service. I myself served in the marines back in the 80’s and my family was never under the pressure the families go through now. There was actually semi peace in world and there was no place to go fight. What troubles me now is I’m afraid we will never be able to make the statement no place to go fight ever again. I know we have to have separation to make our freedom to vote possible but now that people can communicate so easily things get so blown out of proportion. It does not matter who I’m voting for candidate wise because I promise you I will vote for American and thats all that matters. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton I voted for both. Chris I think what you had to say was well said, however I also have no issue with that gentlemen speaking about his son. It just didn’t need to be in the way he did it. Also no more interviews with the dad because when you try to use death to get political points in then you are robbing from the person that gave their life. I have raised my kids to respect people, my sons are 18 and 15 the three of us will race to a door to be the one to hold it open for others. Thank you and you welcome is second nature. I have coached several youth teams in the rural southeast missouri area that I’m from and i have always had kids of many colors playing together and guess what if not for the grown ups and things on TV and radio these kids would only know racism from history books. The way that people can just say bad words now adays floors me. I will let one slip but both my boys may have heard me say a couple in their life. If the media would stop 90% of what the put out there and keep their personal comments to themselves that would help. Chris I truly believe you are a good man and most people who are responding I’m sure are good, but from one brother to the other the ones that respond and it’s not appropriate don’t respond to them. The worse thing that could happen is that person could think that’s right I didnt think you would have a come back and they might give a couple chest pumps. Those people we don’t tend to care what they think anyway.
I have also taught my kids to stand up for others who are being bullied. Name calling, phyical attacks, back stabing, taunting and so on. If I’m a person being bullied and im watching and hearing everything thats going on with this election the stop the bullinging campaign in the past is a knee slapper. The negative ads fall under bullinging and the poor and hungry should also feel a let down when they hear how much money is wasted. So my want and wish would be that all canidates speak about what they will do or try to do for america and not mention the other candidates. On that note this missouri boy is out in california I’m a cross country truck driver and it’s time for me to go pick up trash and then get some sleep. Yes I try to pickup trash some where daily it gets me out of the truck and also I’m trying to lead by example. Chris serious don’t respond to the bad comments in the end your better for it. Good night America and may peace be the healing we all need.
II STAND FOR TRUMP AND IF YOU HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR OUR COUNTRY YOU WILL ALSO.
Thank you Mr. Mark! How disrespectful Hillary and the Democrats are, to stoop to this level. Thank you for your service to our Country.
You sir have a lot to learn about being a veteran !
Hmmmm….I don’t think so unless you mean blindly following like sheep and not having an opinion that differs from the status quo..then..yes..I guess I do.
I applaud you, you could not say it better. He was one man, what about all the 10 s of thousands that gave their life. It was terrible to bring one family on stage with that back ground, why didn’t they bring some one from all the wars, who’s family members lost their life. God bless you and your family, you make me proud!
I think you may be missing the point. Mr. Khan’s son died saving the lives of his men. Had he not been allowed to emigrate to this country with his family, more lives would have been lost that day. It’s a fairly simple concept, and the family deserves our respect.
I respect what Captain Khan did. He is a hero..no 2 ways about it. When his sacrifice is brought into the political arena for leverage, that situation is open for commentary. A
Not to mention the more than 7000 other service members who sacrificed their lives in this war and their greiving parents.
Dear Mr. Khan,
We know why you were chosen to speak at the DNC and sir… YOU WERE USED!
God Bless you🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Be safe🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Wasn’t talking about you Chris – there was another bozo. I’m in your corner.
How dare you sir! How dare you! You are a disgrace! You owe them your own apology and how dare you wade into this. Sometimes, just because you have an opinion does not mean it needs to be shared. You may love long enough to realize this someday and deeply regret what you should have never done on the first place…how dare you sir!
Janice…SIT DOWN!!
Mr. Mark, I respectfully disagree. I have encouraged my sons to serve. They will begin basic training in the fall. If they fall while in service, it will be just as much my sacrifice as theirs. Yes, we understand the risk, but please don’t discount the family’s experience. We would not speak the same of the Benghazi families and should extend the same respect to the Khans.
Well done… and rank you.
WORD
Well said!
yes yes. Absolutely well said. It is so sad their are so many fools out there who cannot deal with TRUTHS