Trump unfit to serve as Commander-In-Chief: US Army veteran

Washington - "He is the least qualified of anyone we have seen in decades, or read about in history books."

Disturbed by Donald Trump's comments about refugees and his lack of understanding of the military, an American combat veteran has single-handedly raised more than $65,000 (Dh234,000) for charities that provide assistance to refugees.
The fundraising by retired Army lieutenant Cameron Kerr - who lost a leg to an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2012 - came after an August exchange in which another former army officer gave Trump his Purple Heart medal, which is awarded to American troops wounded in battle
"I always wanted to get a purple heart," Trump said at the time. "This was much easier."
In an interview with Khaleej Times, Kerr said the incident was a demonstration of Trump's lack of understanding of the military.
"It was revulsion at the callousness of (Trump's) comments, because it betrayed something that a lot of us who actually listen to what he says already knew about him," Kerr said. "It confirmed that he has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to the military or the sacrifices that come with earning a Purple Heart. You need to bleed or die to earn one."
"It betrayed the fact he's way out of his depth," he added.
In response, Kerr's GoFundMe campaign satirically asked for donations to send Trump to a conflict zone to "oblige his interest" in getting a purple heart. In reality, the money went to three organizations working on behalf of Syrian refugees, whose settlement in the US Trump vehemently opposes.
"One of the most desperate populations and demographics these days is clearly Syrian refugees, whether they are in Turkey, in Europe or in other Arab countries," he said. "It's currently the Rwanda of our generation, so I thought that if we had (the money) go to them even better, because that's a group that Trump and many of his acolytes have openly slandered and besmirched."
"It's something that Trump and his supporters would absolutely stand against," he added. "They also really need it and have been the targets of his vitriol."
The campaign's initial target, according to Kerr, was $5,000. The final amount collected, however, was over $66,000.  "It went way further than I thought it would."
Kerr - who studied the Middle East and Arabic in university and served alongside Afghan soldiers in combat - says he has also been disturbed by Trump's comments regarding Muslims, which at one point in the campaign included a call for a blanket ban on all Muslims entering the US.
"Beyond the obvious unconstitutionality of what he was saying and the fact that imposing religious tests just flies in the face that this secular republic, it was pretty frustrating," he said. "You don't go after innocent Muslims who are doing nothing wrong. Go after (Daesh) for being true zealots and ideologues, but not families that are just trying to get by."
Looking towards next week's elections, Kerr said he believes Trump is unfit to serve as Commander-In-Chief.
"He is the least qualified of anyone we have seen in decades, or read about in history books," he said. "Not only that, but he's dangerous to an extent that we can't really comprehend yet."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com