The Vietnam War was the greatest mistake the US ever made, it was a disgusting example of attempted imperialism and the architects of the war ought to burn in Hell if there is one. However, my criticism of American foreign policy never extends to a distaste for the troops. I know it's not their fault and the men that went to Vietnam and didn't get the opportunity to come home deserve our sympathy and respect. Those that were taken as POWs deserve our respect. And the late Senator John McCain deserves our respect.

McCain was a Republican and a fierce hawk who supported military involvement in a lot of places. His support for the Iraq War and other military entanglements for both President Bush and Obama is not easy to forgive.

His diehard support for Israel and Saudi Arabia are difficult to forgive. But President Obama's actions in Libya and Hillary Clinton's early support for the war in Iraq are difficult to forgive.

Yet I've already made it clear that I would have voted for Clinton and Obama over Trump if I could. Might as well add McCain to that list too.

McCain was a hawk and he supported right-wing economic policies, so how does that make him different from the overwhelming majority of American politicians?

Most of these politicians support going to war and committing troops to places that do not pose a threat to the US like Iran without actually having ever served in the military themselves. McCain did serve, and he did suffer for his country.

McCain was brutally tortured, and torture is wrong for any army to do. Which is why McCain fought so hard against it in the Senate during the War on "Terror." McCain also sought the firing of Donald Rumsfeld from the Defense Department and in terms of where the blame should go for the Iraq War… Rumsfeld is up there.

I would also be remiss if I did not include the McCain-Feingold Act of 2002. One of the first and latest bipartisan pushes for campaign finance reform in the 21st century.

Not to forget, McCain voted to save the Affordable Care Act (which we can see isn't a very good bill and the United States should continue to push for single-payer healthcare). The ACA does not recognize healthcare as a human right, but compare it to what the Republicans offer… nothing!

Trump wanted to get rid of the ACA to spite Obama and take healthcare opportunities away from poor people. John McCain said "no."

McCain's vote was more than just a way to stick it to Trump before he passed on, it was a complete refutation to Trumpism. McCain knew the GOP would follow Trump and abandon their morals. His last-ditch effort to stand up to this new way of doing things is the defining moment of his career.

It's true that he had made some decisions that put the country in the wrong direction, but he stood against "Trumpism," and while that shouldn't completely forgive his wrongdoings, it should remind us that his decisions were based in what he thought was in America's interest.

So yes, there are some on the left that may glad McCain won't be a Senator anymore. However, they forget the other politicians campaigning for the seat in the Senate from Arizona. Kelli Ward and Joe Arpaio border on fascism and any moral person would have voted for McCain instead.

Senator McCain was very flawed, but in his honesty and determinism, he showed to be a bright light, just like the country he served.