When greatness is embodied, words are superfluous: John McCain and the strength that scars provide

Regina Angarita
Sep 2, 2018 · 4 min read

From the serenity and eloquence that gives courage, passion, frankness, nobility ( from a person with a vast experience), strength, spontaneity and security, a speech like that of Barack Obama or the daughter of the recently deceased American Senator John McCain in his funeral is just a sample of what this senator represented in the United States. Far from pretending to use insult as a tool of “defense” or to provoke unnecessary rivalries, McCain was aware that he did not need to adopt disguised speeches in his political life to achieve certain objectives. Why? Because the value of the speeches was given by the impetus of his actions and the way he used his voice. McCain was an example on how strength is not given by “rudeness” (as a result of fear) , but by the ability to move in the political arena facing all kinds of situations with the frankness of saying things when necessary , and to try as much as possible, not to fall into political provocations. It was an example of how his defiant form was a response to the intention of sabotage by some governments or people , and how the greatness of a person is not measured by the ability to instill fear as some governments have done in their countries . While Joe Biden was at the funeral, his first words were “I am a Democrat and I love John McCain” : Sample of their fraternal relationship in life. Of course, he could have had “enemies” in his life for the frankness of his statements , but that in no way blurs his efforts to serve the United States: Different was that his declarations generated discomfort (based on the interpretations of people) for his impetuous sincerity.

With a mixture and combination of ancestry (Irish and English), since his childhood he showed signs of his political vein and his sensitivity in the defense of those who were unjustly oppressed. His temperance and character were forged from his naval training and his resilience capacity having been a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Paradoxically, his strength was derived from the amount of scars he had ( although it did not seem like that): Not in vain , he once said “I have more scars than Frankenstein”. When he retired from the navy, he launched into political life and was elected to the House of Representatives in the United States . Being there , he proposed the “McCain Amendment” as a way to attack the legal vacuum of anti-torture laws. Furthermore, his determination led him to begin his presidential campaign for the recovery of the American values ​​of the time, and despite being labeled as a maverick in the American political jargon, this did not stop him from carrying out what he did with conviction and intuition. As Obama pointed out in his speech in the funeral , McCain helped them to be better presidents and in every personal way.

His unpredictability was described by Obama as a human quality of McCain
being a person who was not satisfied with what was socially imposed and , for Obama , McCain never lost his energy and optimism to face the political challenges of the U.S.A. As his daughter pointed out in her speech, McCain believed that the world was a space to be fought for, regardless of the adversities, that it was not really a “bad” world. The tribute at his funeral for all his life experience and teachings was not enough to describe the greatness of this character in his earthly life. His ability to sacrifice, his ability to laugh at himself ,his boldness , his rebellion against the imposed statu quo and the strength derived from his social sensibility converted him in the American phoenix despite never having really recovered from his wounds in captivity. But now, he can laugh from his eternity.

Thank you McCain.

Regina Angarita




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