September 1, 2018
Consensus on patriotism. Today I watched the three hour memorial service for John McCain and heard a consensus on patriotism—what it is, what it isn’t. I was moved by a family that expressed in words and in presence their love for this man that modeled for them so much of value and principle and respect.
I was moved by words from two former U.S. presidents of two different political parties how John McCain worked with them and how he worked in the Senate, reaching out across the aisle, standing up for what he believed deeply, willing to compromise in order to move forward.
I’m hoping that every member of Congress was either there in person or watching the entire service and that each Congressional person absorbed the lessons that were so powerfully expressed.
The tendency is to put off—to say I’ll stand up for that tomorrow or possibly next week, and I thought it was all captured in the quote from Ernest Hemingway that former President Barack Obama used: “Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today.”
The service was powerful. The many speakers shared so many stories of a man that had deep values and a true statesman. I hope that all that watched and attended were reminded of their deep values, patriotism and what that means.