By Skórzewiak @Adobe Stock
The Vileness of Politics
Along with 12 other American servicemen, Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui was killed outside of Abby Gate at Kabul airport, Afghanistan, in 2021.
During President Joe Bidens’ state of the union address before Congress last week, Steve Nikoui, Lance Corporal Nikoui’s father, disrupted Biden’s address to yell “Do you remember Abby Gate?” After the disruption, Mr. Nikoui was escorted out, placed in handcuffs, arrested, and charged with a misdemeanor, reports Matthew Foldi in Spectator.
The Affront
“When he (Joe Biden) was talking about kids, in one moment, they’re glorifying these abortions… you know, he aborted my kid by giving him none of the things that he needed to do his job correctly, not listening to any of the advice of the professionals.”
As Nikoui watched Joe Biden’s address, he found it hard to work out when, if at all, attendees were allowed to vocalize their opinions. At the time, Nikoui noticed how, if you were rooting for them, all seemed OK.
But if you criticize, you’ll be arrested,” (Nikoui) said. “The Democrats were chanting ‘four more years, four more years.’ And they were very loud and boisterous. It seemed like there was a double standard.
“As I’m watching (Biden) talk and lie, and they’re cheering for him… I didn’t think you’d be arrested for saying something, I didn’t have any idea of that. I probably would not have done it. And who knows? Maybe if I wasn’t as loud, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten arrested. I don’t know.”
Before the State of the Union address, Nikoui had hoped his son and the other service members would be recognized by being mentioned, explains Mr. Foldi.
“Several different congressmen gave up their seats and, you know, we were expecting to finally maybe get some sort of recognition,” he said. “Like they recognized several people. You know, honored people that were given abortion, but they didn’t honor our kids and their sacrifice at all.”
Two days after Steve’s son died, members of the military visited to Steve’s house to tell him he must sign papers before leaving the next day.
A Dignified Transfer
‘Where am I going?’ I mean, there’s no booklet that they give to families when their kids join the Marines saying, ‘For sure, if your son or daughter loses their life, we will send someone to your house.’ You know, I had to spend six hours that day Googling that to find out that answer. They don’t tell you, ‘you’re gonna have to fly to Dover, Delaware, to do a dignified transfer.’ I had no idea what a dignified transfer was.
“When I look back at all of it, I’m here thinking, ‘I’m honoring our country, I’m honoring our government following these protocols.’ And when it was all said and done, after we came back from Dover and looking back, I realized they had taken advantage of me, they use me for their photo ops, basically to say, ‘this was a horrific thing, but look how we’re honoring or honoring with stateside praise, we’re doing a dignified transfer.’
That’s the Honor
Not so much the man, not the families, no one else. That their name was said in that chamber. That’s what I think all the parents were looking for. I watched three State of the Unions, and I’ve never heard them honor our kids. In that moment, I felt compelled that on this date, which might be his last State of the Union, might not, I don’t know, on this State of the Union, my kid’s name resonated in that body.
In saying the names of the soldiers who died at Abby Gate in the house of Congress, in that body. Steve Nikoui experienced the “ultimate gratitude.”
As Nikoui remembers, “I had a sense of closure that night.”
