Nonno
09-20-2008, 11:19 AM
Steven T. Banko: McCain's Passion Play (http://www.counterpunch.org/banko09192008.html)
Am I the only one to think that John McCain trivializes both his sacrifice as a POW and the determination of a wide range of specially challenged Americans to lead productive lives? I’m referring to McCain’s repetition of his POW status as a wild card to trump any failing that is otherwise difficult to explain.
Was there any more pathetic display of his willingness to cheapen his sacrifice than McCain’s recent performances with Jay Leno and Katie Couric? He couldn't remember how many houses he owns because he once had “no house, no kitchen table, no chair.” One might think not having a house as a prisoner might make one more acutely aware of exactly how many houses one owned—but not John McCain.
Now we’re told McCain is computer illiterate because – you guessed it — he was a POW and his tortured arms can’t work a keyboard. Tell that to the millions of profoundly disabled Americans who master cyberspace with their teeth, who navigate in wheelchairs with their chins or a single functioning finger, or who communicate with synthesizers. They struggle every day to prove how normal they are. Their lives are campaigns against prejudice and stereotypes and fear. They fight through their disabilities. They adapt to a world that too often turns its eyes away from them.They strive not for privilege or for pampering or for priority. Instead, they seek only opportunity. Their impediments are challenges, not excuses. Their obstacles are surmounted every day. Their opportunities are seized with grit and determination.
No one expects that John McCain would be an avid weight lifter in light of his disabilities. No one expects him to be a marathoner or a tennis player. But we ought to expect that his mental acuity is agile enough to master the basics of the greatest technological advancement of the 20th century.
There might be a reasonable explanation for McCain not knowing how many houses he owns. There might be a similar explanation for his computer illiteracy. But being a POW four decades ago is not it.
Am I the only one to think that John McCain trivializes both his sacrifice as a POW and the determination of a wide range of specially challenged Americans to lead productive lives? I’m referring to McCain’s repetition of his POW status as a wild card to trump any failing that is otherwise difficult to explain.
Was there any more pathetic display of his willingness to cheapen his sacrifice than McCain’s recent performances with Jay Leno and Katie Couric? He couldn't remember how many houses he owns because he once had “no house, no kitchen table, no chair.” One might think not having a house as a prisoner might make one more acutely aware of exactly how many houses one owned—but not John McCain.
Now we’re told McCain is computer illiterate because – you guessed it — he was a POW and his tortured arms can’t work a keyboard. Tell that to the millions of profoundly disabled Americans who master cyberspace with their teeth, who navigate in wheelchairs with their chins or a single functioning finger, or who communicate with synthesizers. They struggle every day to prove how normal they are. Their lives are campaigns against prejudice and stereotypes and fear. They fight through their disabilities. They adapt to a world that too often turns its eyes away from them.They strive not for privilege or for pampering or for priority. Instead, they seek only opportunity. Their impediments are challenges, not excuses. Their obstacles are surmounted every day. Their opportunities are seized with grit and determination.
No one expects that John McCain would be an avid weight lifter in light of his disabilities. No one expects him to be a marathoner or a tennis player. But we ought to expect that his mental acuity is agile enough to master the basics of the greatest technological advancement of the 20th century.
There might be a reasonable explanation for McCain not knowing how many houses he owns. There might be a similar explanation for his computer illiteracy. But being a POW four decades ago is not it.