I’d like to write to address Steve Hyle’s letter regarding John McCain. I can explain very quickly why John McCain is a hero above and beyond the other POWs in Hanoi. First of all, because he was the son of an admiral and a person in a high position at the time, he was tortured even more for information they thought he had.
Secondly, he was offered an early release, before the other POWs. He refused, saying he would not go before his men. Thirdly, he came home and did not sit around and feel sorry for himself, even though he had everlasting physical injuries. He tirelessly and selflessly gave the rest of his life in service to his country by becoming a senator. There is a huge list of accomplishments, which I don’t have the space here to enumerate, attributed to him while he was in office.
Mr. Hyle has turned the fact that he had a hero’s funeral into a political statement, because the president managed to create that atmosphere himself when he said that McCain was indeed “not a hero because he was captured.” Such an ugly comment only led to years of animosity.
Further, McCain did not turn a thumbs down on the repeal of Obamacare itself. He turned a thumbs down to the fact that Congress would not work together in a bipartisan way to provide a better health plan for the U.S. He put country first and politics second. That’s who he was. He always wanted what was best for the country, regardless of political persuasion. I hope that clarifies why he was a hero.
In case it does not, here is the definition. Hero: A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities.
Carole Palamar
Milton