Over the weekend Senator John McCain of Arizona died from a brain cancer. There are many reasons to honor his service, both as a military pilot and officer, and as a public servant. There are also a number of reasons to criticize and critique his service, particularly in

Official Portrait wikicommons licence

the field of politics. Like all human beings he was a flawed person with mistakes in judgment and character. If you want to honor him or critique him as the nation considers the years he dedicated to it that is, beautifully, your right and your privilege.

I certainly had numerous disagreements with some of his judgment calls and I believe that there were too many times when he placed party loyalty over the good of the nation and the people of his state but I can also respect that courage with which he faces nearly incomprehensible adversity, of which his more than five years are a prisoner of war, tortured and denied proper medical care surely ranks as the most severe. McCain’s refusal to take an early release that his captors sought for propaganda purposes is truly heroic, a word too easily over used.

The Grim Reaper tried many times to take McCain, a number of aircraft that he piloted ended up as wrecks and he managed to survive. He was at the epicenter of the deadly fire aboard the USS Forrestal, which claimed the lives of 134 sailors and burned out of control for more than 24 hours. Cancer haunted him and in the end claimed the prize for its master, Death, but though his sense of humor remained a corny one, McCain kept it throughout his tough and difficult life.

He made many mistakes, some that we live with the consequences of today and will continue to suffer for many years to come, but he stepped up and served and there are far too many unwilling to do that.