“What do you think of when you see a star and a crescent? Some may say a night-time sky and go into a fake artistic interpretation of Van Gogh’s Starry night that causes some to want to puke. Others might race to the computer to check their horoscopes. To Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan’s mother, however, it symbolizes her son’s love for his country as well as his Muslim faith-a love that is now displayed on his gravestone.”
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What do you think of when you see a star and a crescent?

Some may say a night-time sky and go into a fake artistic interpretation of Van Gogh’s Starry night that causes some to want to puke. Others might race to the computer to check their horoscopes.

To Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan’s mother, however, it symbolizes her son’s love for his country as well as his Muslim faith-a love that is now displayed on his gravestone.

The haunting image of his mother crying at her son’s tomb was displayed in the New Yorker three weeks ago. Unfortunately, what makes this image unique is the star and the crescent on the tomb, which Colin Powell commented on in The New York Times.

I stared at it for half an hour, he told Maureen Dowd, a columnist. Who could debate that this kid lying in Arlington with Christian and Jewish and nondenominational buddies was not a fine American?

Most of us, as college students and as young people, know at least one person who has served our country in Iraq, whether it be a family member, friend or even distant acquaintance. These young men and women have given everything they have to their country-who could doubt their patriotism?

Yet Sarah Palin met a huge influx of cheers after her infamous Pro-American comment last Thursday.

We believe that the best of America is in the small towns that we get to visit, and in the wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard-working, very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation, she said.

The odious analogy that was suggested by the party was bad enough: because Barack Obama’s father was a Muslim, and that, of course, all Muslims are terrorists, Barack Obama must be a terrorist. Now we get a stringent definition of what a true American is.

I doubt Palin would consider me very pro-American. My father was born in Sri Lanka; my skin isn’t exactly white. While Akron, Ohio isn’t New York City, it isn’t Hicktown, Alabama either. My father did everything he could to make sure that his children were United States citizens. Ever since obtaining his citizenship, he has voted in every election and has made sure that his children knew about the issues. He taught me to love my country, and to support it.

But from the sentiments Sarah Palin has been expressing in her rallies …that just ain’t doggone good enough.

Perhaps I’m being a little harsh. After all, as she told CNN, she didn’t mean anyone to take offense to her comments.

But don’t be na’ve, there are plenty of people in this country that honestly believe that because they are white and American-born, they are better Americans than everyone else. I’m not sure who we should blame-Sarah Palin, for using playground tactics, or the country, for giving her respect in return.

How can we possibly talk about uniting this country when a new sentiment comes up every other day, explicitly attempting to characterize Barack Obama’s America as a pro-terrorist, socialist, anti-American country?

Show some respect, even in your daily life. Think of Khan, who loved his country so much that he was willing to die for it, even though he probably got patted down every ten feet in an airport. If you believe the economic situation is better solved by a trickle-down theory, rather than a more liberal theory, attempt to voice your argument without using the word pinko-commie.

We will never be able to work together if we are completely divided. Don’t give in to the trivial games being played in the election. As University of Akron students, we’re smarter than that.

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