Every American, including our next president, should be proud of and respect our military.

Some of Donald Trump’s outlandish comments might be attributed to a bad and awkward sense of humor, but his comments targeting American heroes are indefensible.

Army Capt. Humayun Khan was killed in Iraq by a suicide bomber June 8, 2004, while he was protecting his men and defending his nation.  Khan was a Muslim and an American hero.

Trump’s public attack on Khan’s parents, who spoke passionately at the Democratic National Convention about the loss of their son, was distasteful and disrespectful to the memory of the 27-year-old who gave his life for his country.

Sen. John McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than five years at the “Hanoi Hilton.” He was a decorated U.S. Navy pilot who was offered release once his captors discovered he was the son of a prominent Navy admiral. But he refused to be released ahead of his fellow POWs who had been held longer. He was tortured.  Sen. McCain is a hero.

Trump told the Family Leadership Summit last year, “He (McCain) was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

Trump can disagree with the Republican stalwart all he wants, but saying he is not a hero is beyond the pale and beneath the dignity of someone who purports to be the next commander-in-chief of our military.

Trump’s comments about Khan’s parents and Sen. McCain were reactions to things they said about him and his candidacy. Yet, they point to an inability to control his temper and measure his response.  We live in a dangerous world. The last thing we need in the Oval Office is a hair trigger.

This is not to say that the Republican nominee, in order to be relevant and fit for office, needs to be politically correct.  Trump’s problem is not that he should be more PC. His problem is that he is just wrong, uninformed and reckless.

Saying you support the military and supporting the military are not the same thing.

Trump has made crude and offensive comments about women, blacks, Hispanics, Muslims and people with disabilities. Now, we can add the U.S. military to that list.

A few weeks ago, U.S. Air Force Capt. Christy Wise climbed back into the cockpit at Moody Air Force Base. She became the first female, above-the-knee amputee pilot, after her leg was severed in a boating accident.

Wise went through 15 months of rehabilitation, learned to walk again and learned to fly as an amputee.  After her accident, she never considered not flying again and not serving her country.  She is a fighter and a brave military officer.

Given his record, one wonders if Trump would make fun of Wise because she is in the military, because she has a disability, or simply because she is a woman. To us, she is a role model for others in uniform and for young girls across the nation.

Capt. Wise should be thanked for her service and shown honor, dignity and respect – like all the brave men and women who serve their country admirably, including Sen. McCain and Capt. Khan.

These are not Republican or Democratic values. They are American values. We honor and respect our military community, past and present, and the critical mission they perform in fostering peace at home and around the world.

Donald Trump has the First Amendment right to spew his venom and to say stupid, unacceptable things. The fact he has that right does not mean he is right. 

 

This guest editorial originated with our sister newspaper, The Valdosta Daily Times. Thomasville Times-Enterprise embraces its message.