John McCain

old codger

The racist mouthpiece for white nationalism in the USA just announced to the world that those chanters in Greenville, N.C., slandering four female members of Congress, are American patriots. He, who has avoided any semblance of public service to the country which has afforded him and his family wealth beyond the dreams of most citizens, now feels empowered to determine whom is and whom is not a patriot. He who has diminished any adversaries, who has operated outside the realms of lawful business, who has made a mockery of American values, who has cozied with foreign dictators while assaulting long-time allies – this same man now decides he has the moral authority to call four conscientious law-makers unpatriotic.

…and may I continue

The man who avoided military service during the height of the Vietnam War which witnessed 54,000+ valorous warriors sacrifice their all, by claiming first college deferments and then a medical exemption due to bone spurs…

the man who compares his avoidance of STDs while carousing with the NYC party crowd as his “personal Vietnam”….

the man who encouraged cooperation by his campaign with an international adversary in order to win the 2016 election….

the man who discredited a national icon, Senator John McCain, labeling him a “loser” for being captured and held as a POW for 5 years suffering torture and inhumane imprisonment…

the man who denigrated the Khan family, gold-star Muslim parents of an American military officer who was killed in Iraq….

the man who called white racists “good people” after a young woman protesting the march of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, was killed…

the man who puts himself above the law of the land by refusing to submit to inquiries and subpoenas, a power granted to Congress by the Constitution of the United States…

the man who, by his actions, flaunts his disregard of the Constitution’s grant of power to three co-equal branches of governance guaranteeing a government of the people, by the people and for the people….

this man has the audacity to name whom is and whom is not patriotic. Does anybody else have a problem with the sheer arrogance? Does anybody else smell a rat?

rat

September 17, 2018

FORGIVENESS

“On October 2, 2006, a shooting occurred at the West Nickel Mines School, an Amish one-room schoolhouse in the Old Order Amish community of Nickel Mines, a village in Bart Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Gunman Charles Carl Roberts IV took hostages and shot eight out of ten girls, killing five, before committing suicide in the schoolhouse. The emphasis on forgiveness and reconciliation in the response of the Amish community was widely discussed in the national media. The West Nickel Mines School was torn down, and a new one-room schoolhouse, the New Hope School, was built at another location.”

Nearly twelve years ago while taking a break from driving, sitting at a Midwest truck-stop, watching TV on my satellite connection, this breaking news story darkened my soul like nothing else in recent memory. As a young boy I had attended public school with Amish boys and girls, I lived in communities where the clop-clop of Amish buggies passing by was a normal everyday occurrence, my family shopped at the grocery store with Amish families. Their way of life was fascinating to me. How could they follow such a simple lifestyle eschewing modern conveniences and still be the happiest people I knew? I greatly envied their humility and dedication to the community of believers which they chose to follow.

And the Amish community fathers immediately issued a statement of forgiveness. Did they mourn? Of course. Were the parents angry? Probably. But they followed the directive set forth by the Scriptures which they revered and followed. Those simple folks knew something which most of the world has never learned to practice – forgiveness.

Even today as I write this, my eyes well up with tears. Innocent schoolgirls gunned down execution style by a madman. On October 2, 2006 I cried like a baby for several hours. My driving partner could not console me, my prayers would not stop the tears, the God of my understanding had deserted me. Five killed. Others injured. The young boys who had been herded outside stood by helplessly as their schoolmates inside screamed while shot after shot was fired.

Could I have forgiven? If my little girl was one of those standing in front of the blackboard with her back to the gunman waiting for her turn to be murdered, could I forgive? Even today, twelve years later, I don’t know that I could answer that question honestly. I know what Jesus said, I know what the teachings are, I know what the Amish fathers did, but I am still a man who sometimes feeds on justified anger.

As He neared physical death, from the crucifixion cross, Jesus spoke these words, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

Oh Lord, if those who have suffered unimaginable horrors can forgive, if Elie Wiesel could forgive the Nazis who decimated his people, if John McCain could forgive his captors who tortured him, then Lord, who am I to withhold forgiveness for an unkind word, an insult, a selfish action? My grievances are so extremely petty compared to those who were mentally and physically abused by the powers of evil.

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Matthew 6:12

It’s a tall order. It’s up to me, isn’t it? I cannot live the life destined for me by a Savior if my head is filled with grudges and grievances, no matter how great or small. I cannot be the mended broken vessel useful to Jesus if my eyes do not see beyond the hurts and humiliations which insulted my pride and sense of self-righteousness.

“Show me how to love the unlovable.

Show me how to reach the unreachable.

Show me how to see what your mercy sees.”

FORGIVENESS

animals-elderly-forest-40873

July 29, 2017July 29, 2017

I googled John McCain last night and was appalled by the number of results which labeled him as “Hanoi John”, a traitor, a coward, a friend of the communists in Vietnam, ad nauseam, etc. They were no less distasteful than Trump’s loser quote during the campaign. I never totally agreed with the Senator’s political philosophy, but the man has qualities which should endear him in the annals of politics and should receive words of praise rather than disparagement and anger.

“During the Vietnam War, he was almost killed in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. While McCain was on a bombing mission over Hanoi in October 1967, he was shot down, seriously injured, and captured by the North Vietnamese. He was a prisoner of war until 1973. McCain experienced episodes of torture and refused an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer. The wounds that he sustained during war have left him with lifelong physical disabilities.” JOHN MCCAIN

In spite of the tweeting twat’s assessment of McCain as “a loser, I like winners”, and subsequent infantile outbursts about the Senator’s betrayal of party agenda, John McCain is a surviving POW, a man who made service to country his lifetime endeavor, and Senator McCain is deserving of our respect and honor. I don’t care what your politics are, his courage and sacrifice cannot be deleted from American history.

In his remarks following Trump’s address to the BSA, Senator McCain stated:

“we are an important check on the powers of the executive. Our consent is necessary for the President to appoint jurists and powerful government officials and, in many respects, to conduct foreign policy. Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the President’s subordinates. We are his equal!” the new yorker

With his nay vote on the health care bill, John McCain exercised his ability to cross party lines and vote his conscience. To the consternation of Trump and fellow Republican butt-kissers, Senators McCain, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have shown the American voter that there is a smidgen of integrity, ethics, and compromise in the Republican party.

The choices are yours in the upcoming elections of 2018 and 2020. As a veteran, I admit that I am biased when looking at a candidate’s service history. That directed my vote in 2016 when we had a choice of Hillary or Trump. Neither was off-the-chart acceptable but Hillary had a legitimate history of public service. While Trump was berating a verifiable war hero, his service record was nonexistent thanks to 4 deferments during his draft years. When questioned about his military deferments, draft-dodger Donald Trump once said that the danger he faced from getting sexually transmitted diseases was his own “personal Vietnam.” HOWARD STERN INTERVIEW

In 1997 with shock jock Howard Stern, Trump talked about how he had been “lucky” not to have contracted diseases when he was sleeping around:

“I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world. It is a dangerous world out there. It’s scary, like Vietnam. Sort of like the Vietnam-era. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier.”

Our political world today is disgusting. Heroes are ridiculed. Elected leaders who have the audacity to vote conscience are harangued. We were asleep at the helm when a segment of Americans brought Trump and his cadre of billionaires and white supremacists to power.

In retrospect, Trump was indisputably ill-equipped to serve with the men of courage and valor during the Vietnam era. He did not have the necessary integrity and sacrifice to serve others rather than himself. The facts of life on Earth force most of us to grow up. Apparently Trump has never faced those facts. According to the oath of the Boy Scouts of America,

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

whom he flamboyantly and repulsively addressed, he doesn’t even make it to the starting gate regarding the race for wisdom and maturity.

We can do better. We deserve better. The elections of 2018 and 2020 will give us an opportunity for redemption. Get to know your candidates and get out and vote.

Tag: John McCain

How dare he?