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Courage and John McCain
There are many different types of courage. John McCain, doubtless showed a
goodly amount of physical courage when he was in the Hanoi Hilton - physical
courage. Although, there were many others going through the same horrible
experience, many for longer and endured far worse treatment. but one must keep
in mind that he really didn't have any choice, other than to go over in the
corner of his cell and die. Some did that, most somehow survived. Again, there
was little choioce involved. And I would be one of the first to say McCain
showed great physical courage - I certainly would not have wanted to walk in
those shoes, and I repsect those who have.
There is another kind of courage - moral courage. The kind where, when
others all around you are pressuring you to do something you think is wrong,
when "everyone" else is doing or saying something you don't really believe, when
you want to go another way, you do what you think is righ or best. McCain
probably used to have that. It is clear he doesn't any more. He wanted someone
else for the VP job - pretty badly, and instead gave in to expediency and chose
Palin.
John McCain and I graduated from the same school - separted by a few years,
but not all that many now. One of the heroes of that school was Matthew
Fontaine Maury who said, simply; " When principle is involved, be deaf to
expediency". I think that is a very good saying for life.
It certainly works for me when I look at Guantanamo, Habeas Corpus,
torture, Rendition and other heinous abrogations of our moral and institutional
principles. John McCain had a chance to really stand up for those - and, like
his choice of Palin, didn't. Somewhere along the way John McCain lost his
courage - or maybe he really never had that kind of courage. The courage to
make the right decision when you actually have a choice.
Clint Holeman
USNA'69
Comments (8)
It's not like the Republicans have been shut out of power, unable to right whatever wrongs they preceived. Why is there any such thing as a homeless veteran? While I don't know for a fact that any of them were POW's, I have to assume that some are.
He's been a leading republican for a long time, most of that time when House, Senate and Whitehouse were under republican control. He could have addressed these issues then. Why would anyone believe he will be more effective as president?
September 5, 2008 2:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's not like the Republicans have been shut out of power, unable to right whatever wrongs they preceived. Why is there any such thing as a homeless veteran? While I don't know for a fact that any of them were POW's, I have to assume that some are.
He's been a leading republican for a long time, most of that time when House, Senate and Whitehouse were under republican control. He could have addressed these issues then. Why would anyone believe he will be more effective as president?
September 5, 2008 2:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry - I was ready to send that once, nevermind twice. I have no idea what I did.
September 5, 2008 2:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmm.. thanks you filled in a blank questioning space I couldn't identify ...it kept coming up every time I heard 'I was a POW'... this was it... where is your moral courage today???
September 5, 2008 2:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
but one must keep
in mind that he really didn't have any choice
--------------------------------------------------
This is most certainly false according to the accounts I've read from numerous sources over the last 30 years.
When his captors learned he was the son of an admiral McCain was offered early release. Though he was severely injured and his injuries where not properly taken care of he refused. The code was that prisoners should be released in the order they were captured. He chose to uphold this code despite his injuries, which were life threatening, and despite the torture. He was tortured more severely for this refusal.
He clearly had a choice and he chose what he believed was the honorable path choosing more torture and several more years of imprisonment in support of his fellow POWs. Many would consider that moral courage.
You come to this public forum to judge McCain's POW experience claiming to be a Naval Academy graduate with all the gravitas membership in that elite group implies. Yet you didn't bother to learn even the most basic facts of the POW experience you feel qualified to judge.
I wonder if your instructors at the Naval Academy would find this smear by omission honorable or what kind of grade you think you should receive for this shoddy research job that left out facts that are really common knowledge for anyone who did just a little reading on the subject.
September 5, 2008 5:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
According to what I've heard from other POWs it was commonly told them that if they signed a confession, they would be released. I see no reason to believe that was not the case with McCain as well.
There is no reason to believe McCain would have been any different from any of the others back then. Lt J.G. Alvarez was supposedly offered release several times and, like McCain, passed. Same for Admiral Stockdale.
And it doesn't change his lack of moral courage.
BTW, I think my instructors would find my opinions about McCain just fine. Perhaps you should do a little research about treatment and tactics used in the Hanoi Hilton. I got mine at SERE school when I was a Naval Aviator, just before we went to Viet Nam. You?
September 5, 2008 8:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Also, and I just remembered this being an old guy, though not as old as McCain, in SERE School and also in the Code of Conduct, which we were under at the time required us not to accept ANY favors or preferential treatment from the enemy captors. To do so was a violation of the Code.
It was considered a real no-no. IIRC, there were some POWs who were released early and their behavior came under serious scrutiny and was criticized in the military at the time.
September 5, 2008 8:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Also, and I just remembered this being an old guy, though not as old as McCain, in SERE School and also in the Code of Conduct, which we were under at the time required us not to accept ANY favors or preferential treatment from the enemy captors. To do so was a violation of the Code.
It was considered a real no-no. IIRC, there were some POWs who were released early and their behavior came under serious scrutiny and was criticized in the military at the time.
September 5, 2008 8:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
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