On the EDge: RIP, Sen. McCain, you were a national treasure

August 27, 2018 Utah Channel 3

OPINION – Thank you, God, for Sen. John McCain.

You couldn’t have picked a better time to lend him to us.

And, thank you for his life of service.

You almost took him from us twice when he was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy, flying ground-attack missions over Vietnam. There was the horrible fire on the USS Forrestal he survived on July 29, 1967, that took 24 hours to control and snuffed the lives of 134 sailors. Three months later, McCain’s plane was shot down over Hanoi. He broke both arms and a leg when he ejected from the aircraft, was taken prisoner and beaten so regularly and so severely during his six years of captivity that his arms were permanently damaged.

But, you knew we needed him and saw him through the danger and torture.

He went on to represent Arizona in the House and Senate, where he continued a remarkable life of service.

And, we are grateful.

John McCain was a man of courage and honor and through his life and service, taught us some important lessons, lessons valuable to us all whether we live along the Beltway or Southern Utah.

He valued honor.

He valued service.

He honored truth.

He was an enigmatic politician, unafraid to challenge his own party when he thought it appropriate and unafraid to cross the aisle to work with the Democrats. It wasn’t lip service, it was a genuine interest in putting aside the political aims of the party for the good of the nation.

That’s why it was not surprising for him to support the Bush tax cut extension in 2006 while working with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy on immigration reform that included legalization, guest worker programs and permits and legislation for a number of border enforcement laws.

He challenged escalation of the Iraq War.

He voted to convict President Bill Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice during his impeachment.

He stumped for campaign finance reform.

He supported the line-item veto.

He was the point man on veterans issues.

He opposed the practice of waterboarding and called for civil treatment of prisoners of war captured by American and allied forces.

That earned him the reputation for being a maverick willing to stand alone on principle if need be. So, while our politics often conflicted, I developed a deep and abiding respect for the man.

His need to be true to himself outweighed the blind loyalty so many politicians have for their party.

As McCain so readily admitted on numerous occasions, he was, like all of us, also a flawed person.

All of this made him a complex and interesting man.

“Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended,” said former President George W. Bush. “Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order. He was a public servant in the finest traditions of our country. And to me, he was a friend whom I’ll deeply miss.”

There was a sense of elegance and grace about McCain.

He wasn’t a bully, he wasn’t a braggart. His humility grew with each passing year and although a fierce proponent of traditional conservatism – an old-school Republican, in other words – his gracious demeanor shone through, even in defeat.

When some internet meme-driven neo-conservative aimed false and malicious charges at Barack Obama, his opponent during the 2008 presidential election, McCain refused to wallow in the mud when a woman attending one of his rallies said that she did not trust Obama because “he’s an Arab.”

“No ma’am. He’s a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues,” McCain abruptly replied.

Although it didn’t sit well with party leaders, it was an indication of his desire for civility in American politics, something that, despite his differences with others in subsequent years, remained a part of him until his death. He could be firm, he could be passionate, but he was never cruel, never a mudslinger, never vindictive.

It was particularly evident in his concession speech the night he lost the election.

“Sen. Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed,” McCain said. “No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

“I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.”

On his passing, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that the nation lost “an important voice for national unity.”

All it takes is a quick glimpse at the comments section of our Facebook page or those attached to the pieces we write to see that as a lesson that has been largely ignored, that the civility McCain so passionately tried to achieve in word and deed is lacking from the national and local conversation where civility has been abandoned. Of course, McCain did not fit neatly into the radical conservatism that has such a stranglehold on Southern Utah where, because of his independence and because he maintained traditional Republican virtue, he was cast as an unpopular figure.

Our nation hasn’t seen this much discord and upheaval since the Civil War.

This does not mean we should extinguish the fire in our bellies and the passion for that which we believe. In fact, the times demand courageous and righteous acts of the heart.

But, the times also demand that we listen and act in the best interests of the nation, not the best interests of the party, otherwise we are doomed to more anger, more divisiveness, more hate.

So, whether we live on the Beltway or in some small outpost in flyover country, we must adopt the principles and character of John McCain, a true American hero and unquestionable patriot.

Rest in peace, Sen. McCain.

You were a national treasure.

No bad days!

Ed Kociela is an opinion columnist for St. George News. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.

Email: edkociela.mx@gmail.com

Twitter: @STGnews, @EdKociela