As I am writing this blog, I am watching the memorial service in Washington, DC for Senator John McCain. McCain’s daughter Meghan gave one of the most heartfelt eulogies you’ll ever see punctuating the principles that guided her father’s life. Listening to the speeches, both today and earlier in the week, made me appreciate the man more than ever. McCain was an American first and foremost and he earned the right to challenge his colleagues in the senate and in the White House. I have heard both Republicans and Democrats criticize McCain this week and I must admit it makes me a bit ill. Senator McCain was not perfect, but he did live by a sense of principles — a quality that is in short supply these days. Blind loyalty to political party is not a principle — it’s a form of cowardice — and no, the end does not always justify the means. The funny thing is that if you live by principles, life is actually a lot easier. Tough decisions end up being not so difficult and you end up sleeping better at night. John McCain could not take his money, power, or fame with him to his grave, but he was able to take the love and admiration of a grateful nation with him for eternity. That is a life well lived…
Almost everyone, including Democrats, were expecting last Tuesday’s midterm election results to heavily favor Republicans. Many predicted a “red wave” where they would pick up 50-60 seats in the House and 3-4 in the Senate. Joe Rogan said the red wave that is coming will be like the elevator doors opening in the horror film The Shining.
For most people, there is little upside to writing about the January 6th hearings, but as you probably know by now, I don’t worry about those things. We all must stand for something. The hearings have almost everyone taking sides before a single witness is called. Democrats believe that the events of January 6th were a calculated effort to undermine our democracy by demolishing two of the most sacred tenants of our nation, free elections, and the peaceful transition of power.
Most people consider themselves either a conservative or a liberal. I think if we forget political parties, which flip their positions on things all of the time, and instead focus on the actual definition of what it means to be a conservative and what it means to be a liberal, we might be able to temper the emotional reactions some of us have with political discourse.