John McCain - An American Patriot

John McCain - An American Patriot

Yesterday we lost a true PATRIOT who was the last of his kind. With the passing of John McCain goes the last moderate politician in Washington who was willing to reach across the aisle and try to find common ground with those that he totally disagreed with so that things could get done for the American people. Senator McCain was known for standing up to Democrats when he needed to, but he was also known for standing up to his own party when he thought they were out of line (and Republicans hated him for this). I know I never agreed with everything he did but I also knew that McCain stood up for his core values, which was to always try and make America a better place for all Americans. This is from an interview with Jake Tapper of CNN last year and the question and answer went like this:

Jake Tapper’s Question:

"I hope I don't run this clip for another 50 years. But how do you want the American people to remember you?"

John McCain’s Answer:

"He served his country… and not always right, made a lot of mistakes, made a lot of errors… But served his country… And I hope, could add…Honorably."

While John McCain was not perfect, there is no doubt he loved the country that he had served while in the Navy and as a Congressman and later on as the Senator from Arizona. He was so loved in Arizona that he was elected as their Senator for six consecutive terms. Many may not know a few things about John McCain, so I am going to take the time to show some of what he did.

After graduating 5^th from the bottom of his class at Annapolis, John decided that he wanted to become a fighter pilot. While on duty aboard the U.S.S. Forrestal there was a major fire in which he barely escaped death and he could have gone back to the states and stayed out of the rest of the war, but being raised in a naval family that was just not in him to do. Later on his 23^rd bombing mission in October of 1967 he was shot down over Hanoi and captured (and was badly injured). John would go on to be a POW for 5 ½ years, however he could have gone home much earlier. In 1968 he was offered a chance to go home because his father was a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy, but he refused for two reasons. The first reason was because John knew that the North Vietnamese would have used his release as propaganda against America and the second and most important reason to John was he wanted to uphold the “POW Code” which stated that those captured first should be released first. For doing this John McCain was tortured so bad that he would never be able to lift his arms above his shoulders again, and he for not complying he was subsequently placed in vicious solitary confinement and tortured for two years. Sadly he finally he broke and signed the dreaded “paper” that the Communists wanted all POW’s to sign saying that America was at fault for the war, and for the rest of his life this ate at the core of his being. Over the years I have heard so many fellow Vets dog McCain for signing saying that they never would have, but when I ask them “could you really have held out for as long as he did without signing” they tuck their tail between their legs and walk away. To be honest, I cannot say for certain that I could have held out as long as he did.

After being released from Vietnam John eventually went into politics, and even though he was a Conservative he always tried to see the Democrat’s point of view. Most of the time he would side with the Republicans, however he was not afraid to vote with the Democrats if he thought they were right because he always stood up for what he believed was right for the country and not for a party. This many said is what cost him the presidential election in 2008. During one his campaign stops in Minnesota this dialogue transpired, and many of the experts said this was the beginning of the end for the “Straight Talk Express” campaign of John McCain:

From the 2008 Minnesota Rally:

Audience Member:  

An audience member stood up and said that she didn’t trust McCain’s opponent (Obama), and that she insisted that he was an Arab, however John didn’t let her finish her statement. Instead, he shook his head, took the microphone away from her and did something that would have seemed unimaginable during the most recent presidential election: he politely defended his opponent. 

“No, ma’am…He’s a decent family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that’s what this campaign issue is all about” McCain said, prompting applause from some other audience members. Some say that the short exchange was a shining moment for McCain that gained attention at the time. Instead of indulging in his supporter’s falsehood he corrected her and showed grace toward his political foe. And it wasn’t an isolated moment.

At the same rally, the crowd earlier had booed McCain’s response to another supporter who said that Obama “cohorts with domestic terrorists” and that Americans would have to fear an Obama presidency. McCain said Obama was a “decent person” and that there would be no reason to be scared if he won the White House. McCain displayed character and civility that day, as he showed similarly throughout much of his military and political career. Clips from that rally had periodically resurfaced even before his death, as he publicly feuded with President Donald Trump who in his (Trump’s) short political career has become known for mocking and insulting his opponents and encouraging his supporters to do the same. John McCain always showed respect for his opponents which is something that cannot be said for others who have come along since his Presidential run. John McCain was also known as the “Maverick” because he stood for his core beliefs whether anyone stood with him or not. He was mocked by one of the Presidential nominees in 2016 for NOT being a war hero, and he never attacked back even though the person who attacked him was a draft dodger who didn’t have the guts to go serve in Vietnam.

So in closing, whether you like John McCain or not there is something you cannot ever deny and that is that he loved his country and served her faithfully for decades and always tried to do what was right and yes he failed at times because he was human. However, many people on both sides of the aisle who fought with John for years over many issues still had the decency yesterday to send real condolences to his family but another person could barely send out a 20 word tweet and when he did he didn’t even mention John McCain himself.

For those who are interested, HBO did a special on John McCain called “John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls” and it will be aired tonight at 9pm EST on CNN. Just so everyone knows, CNN did not make this documentary about John McCain but they have received permission from HBO to air it tonight so if you are interested it will be on.

A Personal Note:

With the passing of John goes I believe goes one of the last people in Washington who even though flawed; still wanted to REALLY make America great and did so by finding common ground with others around him that he disagreed with. It is truly sad he lost his Presidential bid because we have not had a real President who truly cared about America since JFK and I do not see anyone in Washington today that loves America more than they love themselves.