On August 25, 2018, Senator John McCain died. A quick google search will tell you that Senator McCain was a Republican with a career of twenty-three years in the military followed by thirty-one years as a US senator for Arizona. If you are like me, you vividly remember the presidential race between John McCain and Barack Obama. If you pay attention to the actions of the political sphere, you know that last year John McCain defied his party and voted against a bill that would have repelled of the Affordable Care Act. An act of patriotism which Chuck Schumer described as, “[doing] the right thing no matter what the pressure.” Others could tell you that the senator spent time as a prisoner of war during his military service and even refused an offer of early repatriation. The culmination of these actions defines what some may consider a great man. His ability to look past what is best for his own career is beyond commendable. In fact, it is a character trait that all citizens should one day hope to develop.
This article is not to say that Senator McCain was a perfect man. After his death, critics were quick to point out his misjudgments. Some of his misconducts run the gamut of being slightly problematic to outright offensive. Although the excuse of, “nobody is perfect” is rarely an acceptable excuse, I can recognize the good in his life without pardoning his bad actions.
After the 2016 presidential election, it is without question that the United States as a nation has polarized itself the point of mutilation. Americans have fallen habit of locking themselves in echo chambers, effectively isolating themselves to speaking and hearing their own points of view and opinions. John McCain was known for siding with what he believed was right even when it meant going against the beliefs of the political party. How can we effectively strive to do what is right, when all that we expose ourselves to is a one-sided narrative? Some of us won’t even stray from the democratic or republican agenda because we’re too scared of being called out for it.
Some may express that because Senator McCain was a Republican, Democrats should not be disturbed by his passing. Online, tasteless memes and posts are being made reducing John McCain to his faults; some are even finding ways to laugh at the Senator falling ill. Unsurprisingly, one prominent Republican is having trouble showing the slightest amount of genuine remorse for the death of the senator. While campaigning for the presidency Donald Trump vulgarly mocked the Senator’s military service. He also refused to issue a proclamation of death from the White House then opted instead to tweet about it, but not before he refused to make a comment about his death in a press conference. It is a sad realization that even after their death political leaders are still deprived of the most basic empathetic or professional gestures.
Regardless of his political affiliation and regardless of his flaws there is something laudable about the legacy John McCain has left in his wake. Standing up for what is right regardless of who’s party has the right on their side, is the type of perseverance which cannot be labeled as Democrat or Republican. It is not a stretch to say that John McCain loved this country and believed he served the nation in an honorable way. It is the least we can do, as members of this nation, is show reverence to the leaders who do what they can to do what is right. There are certainly worse people in the world to hate than John McCain.