[LOCKED] OT: RIP John McCain

Submitted by NorcalBlue on

No matter the politics, anyone to spend 5+ years in captivity, being tortured, on behalf of his country is a hero in my book.

MOD EDIT: As I said, it would take a particularly dim person to ruin an otherwise innocuous and sincere tribute, and indeed, several dim people did - LSA

LSAClassOf2000

August 25th, 2018 at 10:32 PM ^

There aren't many people for whom this sort of thread might survive, but I think John McCain might be one of them as he was widely respected for his service and by people all over the spectrum. I think we'll allow this unless someone manages to fuck it up, and it would take a really dim person to fuck it up.

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mjv

August 26th, 2018 at 8:14 AM ^

This won't end well.  The people who only think of him as a POW and long time senator may say nice things.  Those that realize the millions of deaths and untold destruction caused by his policies and warmongering will have a different view.

Please just shut this down.  It won't end well.

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OccaMsrazr

August 26th, 2018 at 12:55 AM ^

Everyone likes to talk about his service etc. but nobody mentions how he endured shear racism in South Carolina in 2000 for adopting a South Asian daughter, who Bush’s campaign smeared as an illegitimate daughter from a black prostitute. 

 

McCain for all his faults, and believe me he had many, always stood for principles even if it meant defending Obama against the same racism he faced for adopting a brown daughter. 

 

For that hat he will always have my respect. 

 

Rest In Peace. It’s a shame his party is a shell of what he used to call “Lincoln’s party.” 

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Navy Wolverine

August 25th, 2018 at 10:28 PM ^

He was offered the opportunity for early release during his captivity because his father was an Admrial but refused insisting that all POWs be released in the order they were captured. He knew the North Vietnamese would use that as propaganda against his dad and our country and ended spending three more years in captivity. How many of us would have done that?

RIP Shipmate.

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, 
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea! 

- Eternal Father - the Navy Hymn

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Pepper Brooks

August 26th, 2018 at 8:26 AM ^

I read the article linked in your post, and it contains nothing to support your assertion, especially about his release.  In fact, here is a passage from the article:

"In the company of his fellow POWs, and later in isolation, McCain slowly and miserably recovered from his wounds. In June 1968, after three months in solitary, he was offered what he calls early release. In the official McCain narrative, this was the ultimate test of mettle. He could have come home, but keeping faith with his fellow POWs, he chose to remain imprisoned in Hanoi."

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CarrIsMyHomeboy

August 25th, 2018 at 10:29 PM ^

I routinely disagreed with him, but he was one of the few strangers I genuinely loved. So decent and principled. And a great role model for the concept that everything worth accomplishing can be found uphill.

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Perkis-Size Me

August 25th, 2018 at 10:33 PM ^

Don’t agree with all of his political viewpoints, but I don’t have to to believe he’s a good man. McCain has more balls than I ever will with going through what he did.

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FauxMo

August 25th, 2018 at 10:33 PM ^

I am a left-leaning liberal democratic. I travel a lot for work. I was in Hanoi, and they asked me what I wanted to see. They mentioned national museums, landmarks, etc. I said, "I wanna see the Hanoi Hilton." This because a lesson in John McCain and it became a life changer. The guy was a hero, politics be damned. He is a first rate American Hero... 

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Eyzwidopn

August 25th, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^

Senator John McCain on how he wanted to be remembered ~ "He served his country.  And not always right, made a lot of mistakes. Made a lot of errors. But served his country, and I hope you could add honorably."

We should all be so comfortable to live and accept an imperfect life... and he spent the bulk of his in service to others.  Always a hero in my book too.  RIP John McCain.  

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Mr. Owl

August 25th, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^

Not only did he spend that time being tortured, but he was offered the opportunity to leave because his father was an Admiral.  To refuse that took true character.

RIP, Senator McCain.

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cheesheadwolverine

August 25th, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^

I'm a billion miles to the left of him, but he seemed like a good and decent man who (whether you agreed with him or not and I don't) tried to do what was right for his state, country, and world rather than serve himself. Too rare today.

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WestQuad

August 25th, 2018 at 10:48 PM ^

John McCain desperately wanted to be President and I thought he would be a good one (compared to Bush anyway.). He earned my respect forever when that whack job lady in the town hall said All muslims were bad or something similar and McCain said hold on a minute people are people.   He basically lost the presidency right there but stood up for what is right.  For all of the doucebags like Urban Meyer and Joe Paterno, we need a lot more John McCains.  RIP JM.

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1VaBlue1

August 25th, 2018 at 11:01 PM ^

He lost the Presidency the moment that dim-witted bimbo was introduced as the VP candidate.  I still haven't figured out what the hell went through his head in making that decision.  That was one of the mistakes I'm sure he'd agree to.  Great man, though.  A seriously great person.  Wish we had more like him on both sides of politics.

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michgoblue

August 26th, 2018 at 8:24 AM ^

I am a republican-leading person. Never ashamed to admit that. I voted for McCain / Palin  

And yes, I agree that Palin is a dim-witted  moron. Most of my republican-leaning family and friends hold that view, as well.

Also, what he said was true - McCain may have lost to Obama anyway, as Obama was the perfect candidate for the time that he ran - but he ensured that the moment that he nominated Palin as his VP. 

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GnuBlue

August 25th, 2018 at 10:56 PM ^

Yeah, a legend in his own mind. In september of 2017, the navy was forced to release McCain's naval records in response to an FOIA filing. Lots of interesting facts, including the findings of naval investigators RE: the Forrestal fire. Not only did mcCain finish near the bottom of his class at annapolis, he was a marginal student who no doubt was granted admittance due to his father and grandfather both being admirals. As far as the Forrestal fire, sailors aboard the ship were interviewed by investigators, and the stories were all the same. The fire was ignited when McCain pulled a hot dog maneuver known as a "wet start" of his A4, causing a missile to cook off. His father pulled some strings, and young john was almost immediately transferred to the Oriskany. 27 sailors killed, over 100 wounded, because young john was a hot dog. 3 weeks after his transfer, he was shot down...interviews with naval officers also at the hanoi hilton cast doubt on his supposed heroics, some even calling him a stoolie and the canary...all in official naval documents that were suppressed during his run for prez....when young john arrived in washington, several colleagues who were also vets, turned their backs collectively and refused to acknowledge him..he was implicated in the keating 5 fraud scandal, some paragon of virtue. Recently, he refused to retire his senate seat, unless the Gov of arizona agreed to name his wife as his replacement. John McCain was not the person that we were told he was, and as a vet, I'm pissed at how he's been fetted for the last 30 years...not a good man, not a good pilot, not a good senator.

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CJW3

August 26th, 2018 at 12:27 AM ^

South Vietnam was a criminal regime. The US is a criminal regime. 

All morality is subjective, but any reasonable person can see Vietnam was a deeply unjust war. 

Officers forcing to die in an unjust cause is deeply immoral.

German young men served in the Wermacht because their country asked them to, that doesn't make them immoral.

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ndscott50

August 25th, 2018 at 11:39 PM ^

If you are going to criticize a guy when he dies you could at least not go with some fringe MAGA/Russian troll BS that is obviously false. The Forrestal story specifically magically appeared after trump made his not a hero comments. If you took trumps d ick out of your mouth long enough you could look it up yourself 

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