Keller @ Large: Reflecting On John McCain And What We Want For Our Country
BOSTON (CBS) - It's always sad when we lose a loved one, no matter the age of the departed or the suddenness of their passing. But if you've ever been through it, you know that as difficult as it is to see someone approaching the end, there can be comfort in having time to reflect on what they've meant to us while they're still here to appreciate it.
That's what is happening now with one of our greatest living Americans, Senator John McCain, a war hero who bravely endured years of captivity in North Vietnam. McCain has written a new memoir, "The Restless Wave," and is taking visits with old friends like former Vice President Joe Biden as he battles brain cancer.
People close to McCain have revealed that he is planning his funeral, and President Trump will not be an invited guest. This is unsurprising, given Mr. Trump's repeated and, at times, vulgar attacks on McCain and his service.
But it also highlights the contrast between McCain's generation - Americans born between the great World Wars who inherited the values and commitment to country of their predecessors, the so-called Greatest Generation - and Mr. Trump's baby-boomer cohort, infamously known as the "me" generation.
As Senator McCain approaches his final roll call, it's worth reflecting on that contrast, and which values we'd prefer to model for the generations to come.
Because, as McCain puts it, "Whether we think each other right or wrong in our views on the issues of the day, we owe each other our respect."
Share your thoughts via email at keller@wbztv.com, or use Twitter, @kelleratlarge.