I Still See Mr. Khan’s Pocket Constitution

“Let me ask you: have you even read the United States Constitution?” — Khizr Khan, July 28th, Democratic National Convention

When Khizr Khan, father of fallen soldier Capt. Humayun Khan, stood at the DNC convention podium and brandished a booklet that carried our blueprint for an exceptional society, I pumped my fist in the air. This was my red meat, this display of audacious truthtelling. The audience roared and a nation took notice when Khan told the Republican Crazymaker, aka Donald Trump, exactly why he hurts the people he purports to serve.

Yes, I called Donald Trump a “crazymaker”. You’ve probably heard the GOP nominee referred to as narcissistic, or, of late, mentally ill. I trust he is both but I keep going back to teacher Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. Cameron defines “crazymakers” as: “those personalities that create storm centers. They are often charismatic, frequently charming, highly inventive, and powerfully persuasive….you know the type: charismatic but out of control, long on problems and short on solutions.”

Crazymakers do as they please — a modus operandi that can be impressive from afar. But as evidenced by insults to the Khan family post-convention, Trump is a rogue actor with little respect for boundaries or social norms. Those who disregard stop signs can go on long sprees and amass spoils. But they leave behind destruction. They disintegrate the civil bonds we struggle to maintain.

Our US Constitution is powerful — even when it’s pocket-sized — because of its articles and amendments. But even more important is its very existence. We have guidelines for running a society. We have principles we turn to as an authority greater than any wannabe authoritarian.

This is no small feat, at either the macro or the micro level.

I am reminded of a group with which I once worked. As we grew, we strove to professionalize. One leader worked hard to create policies that all could reference and follow. But a key staffer resisted at every turn and kept her decision-making processes opaque. She was a classic workplace “crazymaker” pushing people to waste time trying to read her mind and keep up with her whims. Other staff appealed to the nascent “constitution” of workplace policies but to her, it didn’t matter. She did as she pleased, undermining the team and the operation.

Donald Trump is a political crazymaker. He threatens to undermine the entire nation.

“In this document, look for the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equal protection of law.’” — Khizr Khan

When Mr. Khan held up the pamphlet, as an American of color I felt his appeal keenly. This is what we ask for everyday, what we’ve asked for since the declaration all Men are created equal. We want a level playing field. We don’t want opportunities, vocations, or immigration, closed out to us. We don’t want to be paid less for the same work. We don’t want to be singled out by law enforcement. We don’t want to be treated like population to be subdued by any means necessary. We want a society governed by laws, fairly applied.

A hard thing, this fair society. Maybe impossible for humans. The Constitution gives us hope that in this world of bias and injustice, we can live by agreed-upon norms, not the whims of a despotic man.

Weeks have passed since the DNC convention. I still see Mr. Khan’s pocket constitution. In his hand, he held up our American dream.