Character counts

Character counts. Character is honor, integrity, strength, sacrifice, moral fiber. It is descriptive of an individual or a country.

I’m struck by the outpouring of deep respect and appreciation for John McCain from outside his political party and the silence from many within it. Why, especially at the time of one’s passing, can we not transcend political baloney and honor the character of a great human being? Because, by any measure, John McCain was a great person, one with more integrity, strength and love of country than most. He was the rare politician who would cross party lines to follow his conscience, the rare person who’d admit publicly when he was wrong. Someone who loved his country more than party and eschewed nationalism for patriotism.

In this time of divisiveness and blind fealty to political party or person, I grieve for the loss of a person I didn’t vote for, who knew that character counts and that it’s sorely missing within our society right now. We would all do well to place a high value on leaders who possess qualities of character, difficult as they may be to find. The character of our country is at stake.

Shannon Kapek

Spokane