General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State under George W. Bush, endorsed Senator Barack Obama on Meet the Press Sunday morning. The endorsement by the high-ranking, widely-respected Republican for the Democratic nominee marked another unconventional turn in an unconventional election.

Powell’s endorsement came a little over two weeks before the general election, and it remains to be seen to what extent it will sway American voters as the last of them make up their minds in the countdown to November 4th.

Though the impact of Powell’s endorsement may still be a matter of speculation, the reasons for it are not. In his explanation of the reasons for his support of Senator Obama, former Secretary Powell highlighted at least seven reasons for his choice, from his disagreement with McCain’s selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, to his support of Obama’s “inclusive, broader reach” as well as his “steadiness…and depth of knowledge.”

In his endorsement, Powell gave voice to concerns that many average Americans have expressed in recent months, as they have watched the McCain campaign seem to lose focus and polarize the electorate. Like Powell, many Americans I know were frustrated with Senator McCain’s response to the economic crisis, and took comfort in Senator Obama’s measured, reasoned approach and continued focus on the economy as the most important issue for Americans. Like Powell, many I know were alarmed by McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as the person to run the country should he not make it to the end of his term, and again took comfort in Obama’s choice of Joe Biden to fill that same great role.

Yet the most powerful moment of the Powell’s endorsement didn’t come with any of these points, however well-reasoned they were. It came when Powell shared his own moment of truth–what he experienced when looking at a photo essay in which a woman is grieving at Arlington Cemetery, with her head on her son’s grave. Her son was an American-born citizen and solider who was killed in Iraq; he received medals of honor for his service; he was fourteen years old at the time of the 9/11 attacks and enlisted in the U.S. army a few months after he graduated from high school. Her son, Kareem Rashad Sultan Kahn, was also a Muslim.

This mother was at the grave of her son, a man who was an American, a soldier, and a Muslim. These characteristics are not mutually exclusive. And the recent insinuations that “Muslim” is synonymous with “terrorist” and “evil,” that “Muslim” should used as an insult and a disqualifier, that being Muslim means not being an American, grossly and shamefully misrepresents what this country is all about.

For me, this part of Powell’s explanation cut right through the tit-for-tat distractions that are present in any political campaign. This was a simple and necessary reminder of our humanity. In some ways, it seems that this election season has caused some to disregard the founding premise of our country: all of us are created equal. Even during a heated election, we should never lose site of this most essential principle, as this is the idea that made our country great in the first place.

The United States of America is not supposed to be a place where everyone holds the same beliefs, practices the same religion, or shares the same facial features or skin color. It is supposed to be a place where anyone has a chance. It is supposed to be a place where it simply isn’t ok to use a person’s religion as an insult. For me, and–I hope–for many, Colin Powell’s words on Sunday morning helped remind us what it really means to be an American.