We are honoring a great American this year. His politics did not always match mine but if we had met he would have listened, explained his views and then did what he thought was right.He answered his country's needs during a time of war with no attempt to by pass his duty and spent 5 years surviving torture as a prisoner of war.
Hiss sons seve proudly today and his life rang true. He gave respect and thereby gained it.

   So  many thoughts run through my mind as the news coverage of this man goes on this his funeral weekend.  The honor due him is being paid and the good of his life its being recognized. He had  faults ,as do we all, but he was a man for whom the respect for our countries values were a guiding principle. My minds in bewilderment at what our country in the last  year has become. Where has the America I love gone?

 I was young in the era of MLK , Selma, Rosa Parks and the Walgreen lunch counter sit ins. i supported these cries for equal rights and felt joy when white only and blacks sit here practices began to fall by the wayside. My heart swelled with pride because America was beating down racism. I knew it would never completely go away(Hate clings to souls after all.) but progress was made. Now in the last year alt right and neo nazis are emerging, John Doe feels he can scream racial slurs in public at anyone he wishes to , and politicians ask voters not to Monkey up an election. Are people not aware that we are all human and that once the skin comes off there is no way to tell if that person was black, white, red or yellow.? I am ashamed that these racists feel they have the right to do these things, to move us back to the earlier racist mode. I can not point a finger at an exact cause but a leader who condones these people by saying there are good people among them is part of the problem.

 My father's family emigrated form Wales and Germany in the 1700's hundreds,.my mother's  came 100years later. Both families put down roots and were tax payers , hard workers and assets to our nation. Have we forgotten that without immigrants would not be great? So now we send away people even some who have become citizens and have fought for our country? We turn our backs on those who are fleeing injustice by drug cartels and dictatorial regimes because they speak a different language. We refuse to see the good they gave to us. George Washington Carver a son of the slaves, Albert Einstein, and Werner vonBraun to mention a few. If we are a truly Christian nation, then we must remember Christ turned no away who turned to him.

The current policies that threaten children elderly and others in need is not American. The favoring of those who have no need for financial security to provide housing, medical, nutrition and education due to the incomes is beyond my ken.  In Eisenhower's era the rich paid the higher tax rate and most people of middle income could buy a house , car, and educate their children without a go fund me campaign  and do it on one income. Yes, inflation is a factor and times change but the tax base saw that those who could afford to pay more did and all benefited. The current view in my home state and n the national level is that it trickles down. But be truthful ,it does not trickle anywhere but into the deep pockets of people who do not need it. Factories and businesses are closing, wages are static( Yes, employment is up but mostly in low wage positions) and it takes two incomes to put a house over the family.( Check it out. A minimum wage earner can not afford housing in most states; so many work several jobs.) Family life suffers because wage earners are too busy or too tired to be good parents. Not all our world's woes come this and I am the first to admit it. But once again are these the actions of a Christian nation. Did not Christ say: whatsoever you do unto the least of these , you do unto me?

 Rant time is over. let me however look closely at whom you support in elections. Look behind the positioned political speeches. Check their records, their value sn and who is funding their run for office. In closing  let me say John Mc Cain  you were one of the last of The Grand Generation and while My politics and yours were often at odds, I respected you and your vision of our country, It is my hope that your love of the vision will not entirely be lost.