Military and moral influences on John McCain's life

¶ … Military and Moral influences that affected John McCain's life

The character of a man, regardless of his status or political involvement, is the full result of his family background and influences, his life time experiences, as well as the events he witnessed and helped shape throughout his life. In this sense John McCain is one of the most relevant examples. John McCain is considered to be one of the most important figures on the United States political scene. He has been a remarkable personality that has stirred controversy, respect, and criticism at the same time. However, it is precisely this complex nature of his character that has made him become one of the most talked about Republican candidate for presidency. He found purpose in his life when he joined the army. He wanted to live up to the standards of both his father and grandfather, both of whom were officers in the navy. McCain presented courage and character when serving as a naval aviator during the Vietnam War. His experiences in the military and his father's moral influence helped shape him into the man and politician he is today.

The life and personal history of John McCain can be considered to be one relevant for any film script. His family life was one which determined his eventual career; his path in life represented a constant series of adventures, failures and successes, lessons learned, as well as new challenges ahead. However, despite the hardships of life, although there were moments of great confusion for a son of a respected admiral, he managed to succeed and become a possible candidate in the race for the next president of the most powerful country in the world.

One of the determining factors in the rise and personal development of the Arizona senator was the family environment which represented for him both a place of inspiration and a source for personal challenge. Facing up to his own beliefs and visions, he came to establish a set of moral norms and values that would later on guide him in his quest for personal accomplishment and professional success.

John McCain was born on August 29, 1936, in the region of the Suez Canal. His origins are closely related to the idea of honor and courage, as both his father and his grandfather were renowned personalities in the Navy. This family background enabled him to enter in contact from an early stage to the idea of courage and patriotism, to the meaning of sacrifice for one's nation. It is rather important to consider this aspect of the family influence and particular on the impact the father's figure represented for the young child. It is widely considered that the system of morals and the guiding principles that would serve an individual throughout his life are in fact the results of the family background because as a child one tends to consider his parents as emblematic figures holding the truth about the surrounding background. This was obvious in John McCain's evolution from early childhood to young adulthood. Thus, "as the son and grandson of distinguished Navy admirals, John McCain deeply values duty, honor and service of country. John attended college at the United States Naval Academy, and launched a 22-year career as a naval aviator upon his graduation."

It can be said that the existing of such a noble family past and background helped him decide on the direction his life would soon embark. Despite the fact that the nature of the relationship was not a normal one and imposed restrictions at the emotional level, McCain acknowledged the contribution his father had on his education and coming into being by presenting the relationship between his father and his grandfather. In this sense, he considers that one of the most important legacies are the one received from the family members and particularly from the figure of the father. Thus, he agrees with and values considerably the idea that "faith of our fathers, living still, in spite of dungeon, fire, and sward; o, how our hearts beat high with joy whenever we hear that glorious word! Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death"

The historical background of his childhood also represented a defining moment in his life. As a child growing up he witnessed the atrocities of the Second World Was, as well as the years immediately following the peace. As his family was deeply involved in the war affair, he had a direct experience of what violence at such a large scale means but, at the same time, he realized the importance of national values, state integrity and defense, as well as the true meaning of patriotism.

The experience of war and the understanding of the term sacrifice in relation to the fight for defending freedom and the rights enshrined in the United States Constitution and available to all the peoples of the world made him aware of the importance of respecting the soldiers on the battle field and admiring their courage and dedication for the country. In this sense, he points out the true values of the ones that choose to go to war for an ideal and for the independence of beliefs and moral principles. Thus, as part of his character and as an example for his respect for the generations that have sacrificed themselves for the world we live in today, John McCain argues in Why courage matters "I don't like to be called a hero', Benavidez complained, and then, in the familiar refrain of veterans from all wars, he offered the observation, 'The real heroes are the ones who gave their lives for their country'. That kind of humility from surviving veterans who distinguished themselves in combat is so commonplace that we've come to expect it from them. We don't take it seriously. We even suspect that it's false. We don't see how remarkable it is. They mean it. Every word." This strong belief comes to prove the fact that indeed McCain's compass is the morality of his acts, the courage that drives them forward, and the ability to respect our history.

His family also provided him the environment that would help him develop a competitive character. His brother and sister and the natural competition that exists in every normal relation of this king enabled him to consider the idea of competition and high standards from an early age. This issue, combined with the ever presence of his father and his personal relation with such an important figure would make him establish a high level system of values that would prove crucial in the evolution of his character and future.

Although he cannot be considered to be a lonely figure in terms of family ties, despite the fact that the mere existence of a family which is related to the military corps imposes a certain limitation in terms of fatherly affection, he developed a strong sense of self achievement. More precisely, although the nature of his job demanded him a high degree of confidence in his military colleague, he believes that destiny represents an individual work, one that is achieved only through personal struggles and accomplishments. In this sense, he argues that "it is your character, and your character alone, that will make your life happy or unhappy. That is all that really passes for destiny. And you choose it. No one else can give it to you or deny it to you. No rival can steal it from you. And no friend can give it to you. Others can encourage you to make the right choices or discourage you. But you choose." From this point-of-view, it can be said that John McCain's view on life and success is totally dependent on the personality and character of the individual. This is why it is important that the character be shaped by the highest values and moral norms. Such a belief would guide him in his choices and would determine the personality it is today.

This attitude towards destiny and the freedom of choice that eventually decides one's future was obvious throughout his education years. Due to his father's missions, he rarely attended schools for a long period of time; thus, although this enabled him to become very flexible in thinking and develop his adaptability skills, it also made him become a lonely individual, with an increase desire to show his capabilities and qualities, no matter to who, whether it was his father or his older colleagues with whom he argued constantly. His desire to succeed combined with the spirit of competition made him come in constant clashes with his superiors and colleagues.

Despite his desire and conviction for the actions he undertook, during his education years, he was never a remarkable student. He rarely had the patience to study in depth the materials for the flight school he graduated after he had finished the Academy as one of the least successful students of his class. However, he did show a practical passion for issues such as flying. His impetuous style however drove him in a series of aviation accidents that often caused the concern of his close ones. In this sense, he experienced three close calls from having a plane crash, once during practice run in Texas, the second time because of flying too low in Spain, and the third one in Virginia. Although these experiences point out a sense of carelessness, they are also relevant for a courageous and free spirit.

There are certain moments that are defining for establishing the true nature of one's character. Often these moments come at a time of great need and suffering and underline the best qualities in an individual. The early adulthood of John McCain was deeply marked by the war in Vietnam, as that of many young people in the 1970s America. Due to his abilities as a good aviator, he became involved in the war, motivated by his desire to fight for something he believed in, such as the cause for democracy in the world. In his views on the qualities of personalities of honor put together in a book entitled "Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember" he underlines precisely the need for believing and acting in the name of justice and righteousness. In his attempt, he describes the personality of Romeo Dallaire, the United Nations commander for the situation in Rwanda, the one who fought with every means available to try to ensure the safety of the Rwandan refugees in a crisis considered to be one of the most atrocious humanitarian crises the human kind experienced. This example is somewhat relevant for the idea of moral struggle and at times the frustration people experience when they lack the means to intervene or to change a state of fact. Although the Rwandan case is rarely seen as important as the Vietnam war due to the historical circumstances the former developed in, the parallel can be made in order to underline the way in which John McCain's own personal experience in Vietnam has made him think, analyze, and label the experience of Dallaire in that particular war theater.

By presenting the UN's official example in a discussion about righteousness, one can see his views on the notion and can associate the term with the actions McCain took during his own time of confusion in Vietnam. He is rather famous for his time in Vietnam particularly because of his five years imprisonment and his refusal to leave the place by compromising himself and his country. This comes to point out patriotism and the fight for a right cause can empower people. Thus, "we have to value our freedom. We have to love it, not for the ease or material riches it provides, not just for the autonomy it guarantees us, but for the goodness it makes possible. And we have to love it so much that we will not let it be constrained by fear. it's love, then, that makes courage necessary. And it's love that makes courage possible for all of us to possess. We must love freedom for the right reasons. and, on occasion, our love will need courage to survive, to insist on our freedom."

As part of his military accomplishments in the war, and part of the moral and patriotic attitude he presented, he was rewarded by his country with Meritorious Unit Commendation. He Becomes the U.S. Navy's liaison to the United States Senate and three years later he is promoted to Captain in the U.S. Navy.

His belief to help the nation, the community, and the family he was born in made him choose the path of politics. In this sense, "first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona in 1982, John has led the fight for reforming Washington, eliminating wasteful government spending, and strengthening our nation's armed forces." His political campaign can be said to have followed precisely the moral guidelines he believes in. More precisely, the reformation of the mechanisms in Washington point out to his idea that first and foremost, any politician and any aspiring political leader must cater for the internal situation in his own country because the well being of his nation stands on the well being of the population. This idea is supported in all of his writings. Thus, he argues that "few of us will fight in any kind of war. There's not much chance of truly big, historically important political conflict in this country, either. What do politicians fight about anymore? The size of tax cuts. What to spend our money on. These are the most common areas of domestic policy disagreements. We're all pretty much agreed on the big question-whether man is endowed by his Creator with certain inalienable rights and that just government is derived from the consent of the governed." Therefore, the politicians must have in mind and must cater for the needs of those who have agreed to entrust them with their right of decision.

This attitude of being democratically correct and defending the right to representativeness came as a result of the numerous examples he had throughout his life of lack of fairness and democratic instruments. In this sense, the world war he witness, particularly through the eyes of his father and grandfather, his time spent in the Naval Academy as being more the son of a respected admiral rather than a regular student, and particularly the time in Vietnam when he was subject to additional questioning because of his status as part of a renowned military family made him realize the importance of being fair and just, but most importantly of being driven by a supreme set of values and norms that form in the end the framework of one's character. Despite the hardships and trials to which life subjected him, he tries to follow his beliefs. This idea is relevant in the way in which he characterizes the most important civil rights fighter. Thus, "Better to suffer for a good cause than live safely without one. Dr. King's cause was the dignity of his race and the full realization of America's founding values. He is, rightly, held up as an exemplar of moral courage. He was a believer in nonviolence who had courage of conscience, the courage to resist repression, to live his moral code. He was murdered for his willingness to act on his beliefs, a fate many of his admirers believe he anticipated and must have feared. Yet fear did not restrain him." Nor anybody else should feel that restrain, according to McCain.