Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

Senator John McCain, known as a hero, patriot and maverick politician, was laid to rest. His politics didn't please everyone but a letter he wrote prior to his death is a poignant reminder that we're "a nation of ideals, not blood and soil." McCain warned that “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." McCain was right when he said, "we are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world…."