John McCain’s Powerful Farewell to the Nation Is a Must-Read

Ok. Here’s the good news. After outrage from veterans groups, President Trump reversed course and lowered flags at the White House to half-staff, once more.

The White House also issued a more formal, cordial statement on the passing of Arizona Senator John McCain.

Too little, too late?

I’m not going to say that. I’ll just say this kind of tone deaf faux pas is the usual mode of business for the man-baby. It’s not the first screw up and it won’t be the last.

For now, I want to talk about Senator John McCain, who faced down his imminent demise like the same hero that endured five years of torture, while in captivity in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam war.

Earlier Monday, McCain’s spokesman, Rick Davis, read a final statement from the senator, as a last, fond farewell to the nation he served and loved.

It was a powerful and emotional goodbye note, with Davis visibly shaken.

BREAKING: A "final message" from the late John McCain is read by an aide. pic.twitter.com/9Qh2LdTjLR

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 27, 2018

I’m not going to add anything to it. I can’t. Politico was good enough to transcribe the entire letter, so I’ll present it to you here.

My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for 60 years, and especially my fellow Arizonians, 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’ve tried to serve our country honorably. I’ve made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them. I’ve 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’ve loved my life, all of it.

I’ve had experiences, adventures, 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 anybody else’s. I owe the satisfaction to the love of my family. One man has never 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 with America’s causes, liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people brings happiness more sublime that life’s fleeting pleasures. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed but are 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 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 progress. We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with 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 325 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’ll 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 heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt so powerfully that evening. I feel it powerfully still. Do not despair of our present difficulties, we 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.

That’s nonpartisan love of country above party. It strips away all the ugliness that we’ve seen for the last couple of years and presents a hope for a nation that is free from the “Us versus Them” mentality that is tearing us apart.

It is the voice of a statesman.

May your spirit rest well, Senator McCain. You’ll be remembered for your grit, long after the stain of this present reality fades into nothing.