John McCain was a Republican Sen. for Arizona who recently passed away due to an aggressive brain cancer. He was a prisoner of war and a presidential candidate in 2008, leaving a legacy behind. Although he was a Republican, he tended to shift a little bit on party policies. He was known for being respected on both sides of the aisle. Many prominent Democrats and Republicans spoke at his funeral, including his former political opponents President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush.
McCain had been diagnosed with a primary glioblastoma, which was related to a blood clot he had removed from his eye in 2017. He was still in office while battling brain cancer. The day before he passed, his family announced that he was stopping treatment for the cancer.
His political history began after he retired from the U.S. Navy and was elected to be a representative for Arizona’s first district. In 1986, he became an Arizona state senator for the remainder of his political career. In 1999, he announced a presidential run against Republican George W. Bush in the primaries. He suspended his campaign to support his party mate in the general election. He tried running for president again in 2008 and won the Republican Primary Election. He lost that election to Barack Obama.
Whether you agree with his political beliefs or not, McCain was a politician you could respect. He did not support the Affordable Care Act, but in July of 2017, when his fellow Republicans were trying to repeal it without a proper solution to the problem, he voted no to the repeal. He was not just out for blood from the Democratic party, but he actually wanted to use his position to make change and to make progress. He didn’t tear down his opponents based on superficial issues. In an iconic political moment, McCain disputed one of his own supporters who said that she was scared of President Obama for racial reasons. He said that Obama was not someone to be feared as president and that he was a good person.
McCain was also known to publicly correct himself on certain statements. He would sometimes say hurtful accusations in the heat of the moment, and then apologize and rephrase his original statement. He once said Obama caused the Pulse Nightclub shooting, but he then apologized and clarified that he meant to refer to his policies on gun control, not that he personally caused the shootings. Some politicians, or reality television hosts who then became president, say hurtful and inaccurate accusations without correcting themselves or apologizing.
While his views might have been very different from mine, I believe he stood for something other than tearing people down. He had similar dreams that the United States could be safer, smarter, healthier and overall better than we are now. That is something that is missing from some politicians today; the concept of striving to make this country better, as long as it isn’t hurting people in the process. He set the example that it’s okay to evolve your thoughts and go against the grain if it’s not what you believe in. He wanted us to do better, and he dedicated his life to our country. He will be missed.