BY REV. ALEXANDER SANTORA

GUEST COLUMNIST

There is divine justice. I knew it would soon come that someone would have the guts to take down Donald Trump. And Khizr Khan is the one. That he is a Muslim immigrant, after all the poisonous words Trump has spoken about them, makes it sweeter. What was expected to be a filler speech at the Democratic National Convention has become its most memorable. And that shows how democracy really works. The Clinton campaign may have invited the Khans for political purposes, but it turned out to be a potent civics lesson -- not only for Trump and his supporters but for the entire country.

The Khans have lived the true American dream, not the contrived Trump fantasy. Natives of Pakistan, Ghazala and Khizr settled in Boston in 1980 where Khizr obtained a master's in law from Harvard. They moved to Maryland and their oldest son, Humayun, became an Army captain. He gave his life in 2004 to save his unit. Painting Islam with a hateful brush, Trump has earned the ire of millions of first-, second- and third-generation Muslims, including many in Hudson County. In his DNC speech, Khizr delivered the most powerful line, "You have sacrificed nothing and no one." Then he went on to taunt Trump about his basic ignorance of the U.S. Constitution by offering him the one he carries with him at all times.

Khizr Khan has done what thousands of cable and TV anchors, reporters and talking heads have failed to do: expose Trump as an incompetent bigot and make it stick. His legion of spokespeople shamelessly shill for big bucks to cover for an empty head. Cable and TV networks go for ratings and play up Trump's rolling controversies and stupid statements without calling him out. The Republican leadership has sold their souls for this narcissist whose former ghost writer for "The Art of the Deal" labeled him a sociopath. And I am perplexed by his millions of followers who excuse every outright lie and insult.

Khan also has highlighted what is increasingly becoming a concern for the electorate: that Trump is in over his head and has little idea how to govern. He creates these controversies to mask his ignorance and incompetence. The American people deserve better: a real debate of ideas and policies. Now he's threatening the non-partisan presidential debates. Anything to deflect from what the Khans said that make us question if we can trust him.

"We can't solve our problems by building walls and sowing division," said Khan. "We are stronger together."

In brief, it's not about Trump or even Hillary Clinton. This election is about us -- the American people. All of us.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Santora is the pastor of The Church of Our Lady of Grace & St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, fax (201)659-5833, e-mail: padrealex@yahoo.com; twitter @padrehoboken