On August 25th, 2018, the United States lost the great war hero and senator that was John McCain.
I understand that "great" is a subjective term in politics, but the fact that Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, AND Bill Clinton were willing to pay tribute to his memory, and, in the case of the Clinton family, revere him as a man who was willing to step across party lines to "do what he thought was best for the country" clearly shows that the late Republican senator was quite respected even among Democrats.
However, as is often the case with those on an extreme side of the political spectrum, there were many in America who have not only refused to honor McCain, but have openly insulted his memory by posthumously hammering him on his Senate decisions.
Democracy and disagreement go hand in hand, and it is completely fine to criticize someone while they are still alive to respond. If we as Americans are so divided as to assault someone's character after they have died, then we need a long-overdue lesson in respecting people who serve our country with dignity and honor.
From refusing to submit to the enemy for over five years in a North Vietnamese prison during the Vietnam war to later helping to restore diplomatic relations with Vietnam years later, McCain's legacy is filled with objectively admirable accomplishments that merit praise regardless of which political party you belong to.
When John McCain was asked how he wanted to be remembered, he firmly answered that he wanted to be known as someone who "served his country" even if he "made a lot of mistakes." After over 20 years in the military and over 35 years as a US senator, it is very hard to question his dedication to the country he loved so much.
On August 26th, when progressive Democratic socialist congressional nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released her own tribute via Twitter to McCain, praising him for his "decency," her political base responded in an appallingly despicable manner. There were comments lambasting McCain about political and military decisions like initiating the Iraq war and invading Afghanistan.
Twitter replies to Cortez's posts accused McCain of being complicit in "decimating nations" and killing tens of thousands of people. Are these accusations valid? Well, that largely depends on your political views, and that is exactly what the problem is. John McCain did not do what he did in politics for a malicious purpose meant only to benefit himself (a motive that clearly has become increasingly common among many current Republican political operatives).
He acted on behalf of what he believed was in the best interest of his country. For that, while we don't have to praise him if we don't agree with what he did, it is our duty as Americans to respect his life and let others who admired him mourn in a peaceful, apolitical atmosphere.
