On Monday, October 16th, Senator John McCain was awarded the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center for his "lifetime of sacrifice and service". He also made a statement that is drawing praise from many around the country, and some criticism from the Right. His message,

"To fear the world we have organized and led for three-quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain 'the last best hope of earth' for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past that Americans consigned to the ash heap of history."

John McCain is a Republican and these comments were not well received by everyone in the Republican party. I am not saying that I approve of his message, but I admire his courage. John McCain has been courageous his entire life, from his time as a POW in the Vietnam war, to his current battles with brain cancer. I wish that more politicians would stand up for what they believed in, regardless of their political message.

Politics come from people but people are often influenced by the party leaders. Thus, an idealistic young leader who is elected may not be able to get his or her ideas out because the party leaders are pushing their own messages. I applaud John McCain for his courage and standing up for what he believes in.