Sen. John Sidney McCain III, who rose to the pinnacle of American politics after enduring years as a prisoner of war, died Saturday at the age of 81. At a Monday news conference, the senator’s former presidential campaign manager and family spokesman, Rick Davis, read Sen. McCain’s farewell letter addressed to his fellow Americans. “As John McCain faced mortality, he asked that a letter he has done be read and added taht the letter was “John’s final words.” In the letter, McCain warned that “tribal” politics weaken America’s greatness and standing in the world. He also expressed optimism in the American people’s ability to work together for the common good. He praised America’s role in liberating “more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history” and said the country’s standing and ideals are threatened “when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries … We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down.” Ending the letter on an optimistic note, McCain said Americans will get through the challenges facing the country by working together. “We have always had so much more in common than in disagreement,” McCain wrote. You can see Sen. McCain’s full letter in the linked article below.
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