In this morning’s ringing endorsement of Barack Obama, Gen. Powell raised some points that might be overlooked — but are worth considering. I hope people will take the time to watch the whole interview. It was riveting television.
One question that Powell raised that I think we need to ask ourselves: Why can’t a little 7-year-old Muslim kid sit in his (or her) room and dream of being president one day? Republicans are so quick to spread their whisper campaign about Obama being a Muslim — as if that were enough to disqualify him. One’s religion should not qualify or disqualify their candidacy for president. The answer should be, “Obama is a Christian. No, he is not a Muslim. But, so what if he was??”
There are lots of Muslims in this country who are proud to be Americans — and as Powell pointed out, many of them gave their lives as members of the military. If they’re good enough to serve in the armed forces, why aren’t they good enough to serve in the White House?