Respect
The one word that I have consistently heard said about Senator John McCain who died this weekend was respect; respect for self and for others. Since I was driving a lot of the weekend I had the opportunity to listen to tributes about his character and how he lived that character.
The fact that he often disagreed with former President Barack Obama, but asked him to speak at his funeral says a lot about his character. Neither man is shy about expressing an opinion – often with passion – and yet from all accounts they spoke well of each other.
He was, of course, very human. There were times when he got sucked into a critical or partisan dialogue. From my perspective, this happened at times in his response to some statements or actions of President Trump. Still, given the level of disrespect that I heard from President Trump about Senator McCain and his experience as a prisoner of war, the Senator showed more restrain than most of us would have managed.
Senator McCain and I both attended the United States Naval Academy and both of us were committed to doing our part to create a more just and safe world. We differed in what actions might facilitate the movement in that direction. He was, for example, reluctantly more willing than this pacifist to use military force.
It is good to know that, as a nation, we are having a moment when many of us will put aside our differences and celebrate the life, hopes, and commitment of Senator McCain. Perhaps more than ever we need this poignant reminder that we have more in common than we do differences. Perhaps we also need another reminder from the example of Senator McCain; the reminder that we need to keep learning. Learning, as we know, requires that one have the courage to examine “the truths” one has come to believe and when the new light reveals that they are not “evidence based” we publicly share what we have learned and take action based on the new “truths”. Senator McCain grew up learning many of the same prejudices and other lies all of us learn in this culture. He had the courage to embrace the new truths. I also suspect he often laughed at himself.
We are all far from perfect. John McCain would have, I believe, laughed at any suggestion that he be honored as a saint. He was a man of courage who was sometimes wise, compassionate when he was able to see the mirror, humorous, and, apparently approachable. He believed in a necessity for war but disavowed any justification for torture.
In short he was a man with whom would one would have enjoyed breaking bread whether at the kitchen table or a black-tie dinner. I also suspect had I ever had the opportunity to drop by his house at dinner time, he and his family would have ensured me a place at the table.
Respect is indeed a little word with which we could blanket the universe. It is an acceptance of the unfolding of our shared humanity.
Written August 27, 2018
The one word that I have consistently heard said about Senator John McCain who died this weekend was respect; respect for self and for others. Since I was driving a lot of the weekend I had the opportunity to listen to tributes about his character and how he lived that character.
The fact that he often disagreed with former President Barack Obama, but asked him to speak at his funeral says a lot about his character. Neither man is shy about expressing an opinion – often with passion – and yet from all accounts they spoke well of each other.
He was, of course, very human. There were times when he got sucked into a critical or partisan dialogue. From my perspective, this happened at times in his response to some statements or actions of President Trump. Still, given the level of disrespect that I heard from President Trump about Senator McCain and his experience as a prisoner of war, the Senator showed more restrain than most of us would have managed.
Senator McCain and I both attended the United States Naval Academy and both of us were committed to doing our part to create a more just and safe world. We differed in what actions might facilitate the movement in that direction. He was, for example, reluctantly more willing than this pacifist to use military force.
It is good to know that, as a nation, we are having a moment when many of us will put aside our differences and celebrate the life, hopes, and commitment of Senator McCain. Perhaps more than ever we need this poignant reminder that we have more in common than we do differences. Perhaps we also need another reminder from the example of Senator McCain; the reminder that we need to keep learning. Learning, as we know, requires that one have the courage to examine “the truths” one has come to believe and when the new light reveals that they are not “evidence based” we publicly share what we have learned and take action based on the new “truths”. Senator McCain grew up learning many of the same prejudices and other lies all of us learn in this culture. He had the courage to embrace the new truths. I also suspect he often laughed at himself.
We are all far from perfect. John McCain would have, I believe, laughed at any suggestion that he be honored as a saint. He was a man of courage who was sometimes wise, compassionate when he was able to see the mirror, humorous, and, apparently approachable. He believed in a necessity for war but disavowed any justification for torture.
In short he was a man with whom would one would have enjoyed breaking bread whether at the kitchen table or a black-tie dinner. I also suspect had I ever had the opportunity to drop by his house at dinner time, he and his family would have ensured me a place at the table.
Respect is indeed a little word with which we could blanket the universe. It is an acceptance of the unfolding of our shared humanity.
Written August 27, 2018
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