I’ve been thinking about John McCain a lot this week.  That’s what he intended. We talk about communication plans in my Com Theory course.  A communication plan is a strategy to use media with specific messages to reach a specific audience for a specific purpose.  Content, target, and timing are all key elements.  We know that Senator McCain planned his funeral and memorial services in the year before he passed.  He wanted to the nation to hear his concerns for this country and the pride he had in it.  He knew there would be memorials, a funeral, and a burial service.  He knew there would be television coverage of it all.  It would be his last opportunity to make the point that guided his life: Doing what is right for this nation is more important than party or convenience or self.

I pray the services he planned for this week will accomplish the goals he set.I pray that his character, his patriotism, his courage and love and respect for all those who serve our nation will have a lasting impact on this nation.

Somehow we must heal the divisions among us. We must learn to discuss, not argue. We must listen and be willing to learn. We must stand our ground when it’s not popular to do so, and we must look those those who have gone before us and set a high example as John McCain did.

No one is perfect. No one gets everything right. The question is whether we do our best with intelligence, respect, dignity and honor.

God bless him and his family. May we continue to learn from his words and his example, whether we agreed with him on every issue or not.