Thursday, August 7, 2008

This Morning/Crazy Thing

So I was woken up today by my stepmother she said "get dressed there is something upstairs" I replied "what?" and she said just to come up when i am dressed. I go through my head of what all this could be about. Was someone dead? Am I being kicked out. No, after a few moments my mind sets on the idea that this is about the POW bracelet. Some back story is needed for this tale, during Vietnam the US government sold bracelets with a soldiers name and date of capture. These bracelets were available to sell to people who wanted to pray, or just show their hopes for that person to come back alive and safe. My step mother got a bracelet which read "John McCain". She was watching TV one day 3 or 4 years after receiving the bracelet and saw that some American soldiers were returning home after a long capture. John McCain's name was on the screen, she was shocked. After many attempts to give it back to him, she finally just held on to the bracelet believing one day she would be able to give it to him. So back to this morning, I went up stairs and saw a TV crew in my house interviewing my step mom, and the story on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer. So now it is basically set up that we will all get the opportunity to meet the presidential candidate and present a bracelet that was made for him while he was in Vietnam over 3 decades ago. Before you all jump to the conclusion that either my family or I am doing this as a boost for him as a candidate, I must explain that my step mom, who talked to many of his staff members wants this occasion to be a private one, especially because she is bringing her father, who was also a POW and a serviceman during Vietnam. I really am excited as how many people get the chance to see a presidential nominee in person. Now I really doubt this meeting will sway my opinion for who I think is the best candidate, but one thing I have always admired about McCain is that you can see that he is a pretty good man. Yes he may have some questionable political beliefs, but he also having been through many tough life experiences has had a good aura around him. This is not about giving this to the presidential nominee John McCain, but the veteran/soldier/man John McCain, and I applaud my step mom and family for trying to keep this as less about politics and more about the human spirit.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very cool story. I hope you are right about leaving the politics out of it. This sounds like a wonderful family moment that shouldn't be superseded by PR.

Great taste in music by the way. I have been following along for about a month now.

Anonymous said...

Nah man, I don't buy it. I had the chance to meet a politician in my country (New Zealand) who was of a similar ilk to Regan. I turned it down flat, knowing that his 'questionable political beliefs' and his implimentation of them were directly responsible for friends and familys financial woes and current hardships, even indirectly responsible for a few personal tragedies involving those near and dear to me. You're rational about John being a 'good man' doesn't wash. I'm sure many neo nazi politicians or those from the religious right have some admirable qualities in their day to day life too..

ps: enough of the movie reviews and more music please!

Anonymous aka long time blog reader and numerous downloader (and despite the above, total appreciative)

Justin Wilmes said...

That's garbage. McCain is a decent politican who has gone against the Republican party countless times as a Senator just because he thought it was the right thing to do. I'm an Obama supporter but I wonder whether Obama would have the guts to go against his party the way McCain has-- he hasn't so far in his short career as a Senator. There's nothing wrong with considering the other side's p.o.v. Actually there's something wrong with not considering it.

Zak said...

Yea, maybe it is easier for some people to live in a world of absolutes. To believe that some people are absolutely evil and others completely good. Well the world isn't like that unfortunately, and I would meet the man again. He was very nice and didn't bring up voting or the election once. And with respect to your analogy, McCain isn't responsible for what has happened the last eight years, and he has always been on the outside of the religious right.

Lastwaltzer said...

Zak, you are right about him being out of the "religious right" for the past 8 years, but since accepting the republican nomination his politics have been the same old BULLSHIT.

Thats a really neat story though and I'm glad to hear the man isn't a "complete" (though mostly) monster and was able to appreciate the moment rather then turn it into a campaign event.

And fuck what the anonymous person said, if you want to write movie reviews write em.

Thanks, for sharing this awesome site.

Matt

Anonymous said...

Awesome site, thanks for sharing this stuff.

Cool story.

Go ahead and white all the movie/book reviews you want. You have good taste.

and...

John McCain is a total douchebag and if he is elected I'm getting the fuck out of this country.

Anonymous said...

Great story. I remember my friends wearing POW bracelets in the late 60s/early 70s. Insofar as McCain is concerned, judge not lest ye be judged.