The RIP Thread...

Senator McCain's Letter to America

My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for sixty years, and especially my fellow Arizonans,
Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them.

I have often observed that I am the luckiest person on earth. I feel that way even now as I prepare for the end of my life. I have loved my life, all of it. I have had experiences, adventures and friendships enough for ten satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life, in good or bad times, for the best day of anyone else's.

I owe that satisfaction to the love of my family. No man ever had a more loving wife or children he was prouder of than I am of mine. And I owe it to America. To be connected to America's causes -- liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people -- brings happiness more sublime than life's fleeting pleasures. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed but enlarged by serving good causes bigger than ourselves.

Fellow Americans' -- that association has meant more to me than any other. I lived and died a proud American. We are citizens of the world's greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We have helped liberate more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history. We have acquired great wealth and power in the process.

We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been.

We are three-hundred-and-twenty-five million opinionated, vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do.

Ten years ago, I had the privilege to concede defeat in the election for president. I want to end my farewell to you with the heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt so powerfully that evening.
I feel it powerfully still.

Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.
Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you, and God bless America.
 
I frequently was not eye to eye with his policy positions, but I never doubted the strength of his character, nor his commitment to try to always work towards a better USA. We are less than we were, without his voice.

Been a damn long time since I mourned the passing of a politician.
 
Then I'll never get it. If I wasn't a nicer fellow, I'd accuse you both of rampant racism. But I'm nicer than that, so will assume just general stupidity.

In retrospect, I see that I was pretty offensive in my last post. If you think I deserve a time out ban Butch, so be it...I'll stick with the offensive post.
 
Bob, you know I have next to never even raised this issue here. You'll be hard pressed to show that I see it in "every least little thing".

But you make your racism clear nearly every day. I don't care if that's what you believe, actually. It's your choice to behave this way. I would defend your right to speak your mind on the issue, if asked.

But that doesn't mean I won't call it when I see it if the mood strikes me. I will always believe that racism is wrongheaded.
 
I didn't see that 'joke' so much as rascist as just in bad taste. Mike talks funny and I don't think that's because he's black. But still disrespectful or bad taste to make fun of somebody's 'disability'. Let's be honest, in person I doubt many if any are bugging Mike about how he speaks.

But rascist? I'm not following so much?
 
I thought that's what Burnham was referring to? I have been left to my own devices.....or vices as the case may be this weekend though. So it wouldn't surprise me if I haven't followed things concisely.
 
You are right Justin, in part...but the disrespect carried over to the reference to Aretha Franklin, in my view.

I could be wrong.

But nothing in the past from Bob would indicate such.
 
Disrespect is disrespect regardless of race is all I'm saying. But I catch your drift though.

I stay out of it because at this point in my life I know one black dude. Noah at work. He's a right solid guy, good young fellow. Besides him, and I don't know him well. I've never known a single coloured person in my life. I know a few natives, couple East Indians kinda. But regardless I view everyone as a person and judge them on who/how they are. I guess I've had the luxury though of. No pre-conceived prejudices. I've never lived in a us and them society.
 
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