The enigmatic U.S senator, John McCain, has finally succumbed to brain cancer. He died graciously in his sleep last Saturday at 81, in the US, the country he loved so much. Trust the outspoken two-time Republican presidential candidate. He found time to leave a farewell message to the nation where he denounced the “tribal rivalries,” orchestrated by President Donald Trump.
That probably explained why the flag at the White House was at full-staff on Monday, when the world took time to reflect on the life and times of the fallen American lawmaker. McCain stated his final thoughts in a message read by his former campaign manager, Rick Davis — “We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been”. It is clear that he was referring to Trump.
He said he “lived and died a proud American, a citizen of the world’s greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil”. McCain’s death has left many American mourning the loss of a national hero who repeatedly challenged the status quo and consistently sought bipartisan solutions to the country’s problems.
McCain, who lost the 2008 presidential contest to Barack Obama, did not hide his dislike for Trump’s style and policies. He reportedly excluded Trump from his funeral ceremonies, a rare development in US history. His funeral will certainly reflect the success that McCain achieved in various fields.
