Read to the End

[Ben Lamb]

This is a good read. McCain was a human, and like all humans, fallible. His net effect on America, was positive, IMO.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/you-honored-our-deal-john-mccain-ill-honor-your-legacy

 

[Hatchie Dawg]

A man's man. Rest in peace.
HD

 

[Sytes]

"My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for sixty years, and especially my fellow Arizonans,

"Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them.

"I have often observed that I am the luckiest person on earth. I feel that way even now as I prepare for the end of my life. I have loved my life, all of it. I have had experiences, adventures and friendships enough for ten satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life, in good or bad times, for the best day of anyone else's.

"I owe that satisfaction to the love of my family. No man ever had a more loving wife or children he was prouder of than I am of mine. And I owe it to America. To be connected to America's causes – liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people – brings happiness more sublime than life's fleeting pleasures. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed but enlarged by serving good causes bigger than ourselves.

"'Fellow Americans' – that association has meant more to me than any other. I lived and died a proud American. We are citizens of the world's greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We have helped liberate more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history. We have acquired great wealth and power in the process.

"We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been.

"We are three-hundred-and-twenty-five million opinionated, vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do.

"Ten years ago, I had the privilege to concede defeat in the election for president. I want to end my farewell to you with the heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt so powerfully that evening.

"I feel it powerfully still.'

"Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.

"Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you, and God bless America."

...

 

[kansasdad]

This is a good read. McCain was a human, and like all humans, fallible. His net effect on America, was positive, IMO.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/you-honored-our-deal-john-mccain-ill-honor-your-legacy

Thanks for sharing this link Ben.

 

[Southern Elk]

All gave some. Some gave all. I believe John McCain gave all.

 

[Rzrbck918]

I saw this come across Facebook today. Made me wonder if there was any truth to it after reading the OP link.

https://theintercept.com/2017/07/27/john-mccain-fake-maverick-horrible-record/

For an equally unbiased source, I might recommend the onion.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Wow, hard to finish that last bit with a dry eye.

Regardless of affiliation, we lost a good man.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I am a big fan of Senator McCain and respect both his sacrifices in war and his willingness to be a modern statesman when sadly our country has very few willing to play the role these days. I am sad to hear of his death and view it as a great loss for America.

We are well served in honoring those who are deserving, and in my view McCain is certainly that, but I also believe that our democracy is not well served in white-washing our history. In the end we all have weaknesses and short comings and a small few rise above them to do important things. Our greatest leaders are not perfect, but rather rise above their imperfections - that is a much more powerful story in my mind.

As such, it is worth noting for the record, that there are a significant number of voices who do not share a grand view of the late Senator. "The Intercept" aside, there are credible people who raise legitimate concerns about his full story (such as the Keating 5). And that is ok, honest history is a history of gray, not black and white.

 

[llewellinsetter]

I am a big fan of Senator McCain and respect both his sacrifices in war and his willingness to be a modern statesman when sadly our country has very few willing to play the role these days. I am said to hear of his death and view it as a great loss for America.

We are well served in honoring those who are deserving, and in my view McCain is certainly that, but I also believe that our democracy is not well served in white-washing our history. In the end we all have weaknesses and short comings and a small few rise above them to do important things. Our greatest leaders are not perfect, but rather rise above their imperfections - that is a much more powerful story in my mind.

As such, it is worth noting for the record, that there are a significant number of voices who do not share a grand view of the late Senator. "The Intercept" aside, there are credible people who raise legitimate concerns about his full story (such as the Keating 5). And that is ok, honest history is a history of gray, not black and white.

Posts like this one remind me that there is faith and decency in humanity yet. It it truly rare case when a man can see past their idea of something and commit to the honesty of it. Cheers.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I'm not going to kick a guy that died the way he did because I watched my wife die last year of the same type of brain tumor. However, I had always liked and actually admired him for quite a long time until I really began delving into him during his run for the Presidency and it included a number of very negative quotes from prisoners of war that were in prison with him over a number of years in Viet Nam. He's gone now and only God above will judge him for what he may or may not have been on the inside!