America Wins When We Come Together

As the nation honored the memory of Senator John McCain we all stopped long enough to hear the whisper of humanity amid the roar of partisan divide. It was a beautiful reminder of what really matters — we are a great nation of people committed to the common ideals of freedom, liberty, democracy and a better tomorrow. Democrats and Republicans alike paused today to honor a hero and in so doing we saw a glimpse of what could be.
Senator John McCain was devoted to our democracy. He said, “We are Americans first, Americans last, Americans always. Let us argue our differences. But remember we are not enemies, but comrades in a war against a real enemy, and take courage from the knowledge that our military superiority is matched only by the superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them.”
I couldn’t agree more with this statement. Frankly, it’s the meaning and my deep love of country which has motivated and inspired me to run for local office in Bentonville. I’m driven by love of country and by commitment to community. I believe there is nothing more American than getting to know your neighbors, advocating for the needs of your constituents, registering new voters and talking actively, openly and often about integrity and having high expectations for those who serve in elected office.
As President Bush shared this afternoon in his eulogy for Senator McCain, “John — as he was the first to tell you — was not a perfect man. But he dedicated his life to national ideals that are as perfect as men and women have yet conceived. He was motivated by a vision of America carried ever forward, ever upward, on the strength of its principles.”
These principles live out in our daily actions and they take courage to preserve and protect. One of the things I admire most about Senator McCain was how brave he was — brave enough to be wrong, brave enough to speak up, brave enough to disagree with his own party, brave enough to put our nation first, always. As a candidate running for public office I’m working hard each day to be the bravest person I can be — with an unwavering commitment to embracing opportunity and imaging a better future.
This nation is bigger than any of us and building strong communities takes all of us.
