Being a POW doesn’t make one a HERO.
“Heroic actions” in combat propel one into that status — e.g. single handedly taking out a machine gun nest or capturing a large number of the enemy with your HG — these are meritorious actions.
Rotting in a POW camp for 5+ years is commendable, worthy of honor, but not heroic.
We have obliterated the meaning of words. Now just serving in the military makes one a hero. This same sort of mindset feels compelled to give every one an award, thereby totally cheapening and rendering meaningless the recognition of excellence.
“Weekend at Bernie’s 2.0” was a horror show. Any moment you expected McZoombie to rise up and frighten us again preaching globalism phases that we all hate. McCain disobeyed orders and was shot down. He was captured and severely treated for 5 years. I don’t know how he did that. However none of military actions were heroic he of a POW.
I am glad that his name will be spoken less and less with every breathe the world takes.
There is a purpose in having the designation hero. It acknowledges a debt, honors an exceptional service but also makes it clear what the values of a society are. In America we respect a persons military service, their bravery and their sacrifice for our country.
In McCain’s case he was a poor serviceman, many accidents, failure to follow protocol resulting in his broken limbs in his crash behind enemy lines and for the many deaths he caused with a flashy and dangerous landing maneuver on a battleship. The songbird tapes are clear proof that he was not a hero in captivity. The evidence from others is that he was never tortured but instead afforded the best treatment as a propaganda weapon.
He served, he was a prisoner but I, like President Trump, prefer my heroes to be people that acted heroically rather than being caught up in circumstances. If McCain had acted honorably following his service rather than shafting vets and his fellow citizens
I would honor his service despite his flaws but he was no hero. To suggest he was cheapens real heroes and sullies the definition of hero. That is a disservice to our children and to society as a whole. Was McCain a man you would want children to emulate? Rather he is an object lesson in narcissism, and vindictiveness, an ego out of control. He wrote the story of his life and it is not one of heroism, it is a cautionary tale of a trip to the dark side.