HOW DIFFERENT WOULD AMERICA AND OUR NATION'S HISTORY BE IF JFK HADN'T BEEN ASSASSINATED?

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     As a child, the memories of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy ring fondly in my mind. I was all of eight-and-a-half years old in the summer of 1963 when America's 35th president had scheduled a campaign rally at the airport in Columbus, Ohio. We - that is my mom, dad, younger sister, younger brother and I - moved to "The Buckeye State" from New York four years earlier.  On this day, though, we were overjoyed with excitement as we had hoped to meet the president of the United States.

     Air Force One was taxiing along the tarmac.  Dad was driving us in Mom's big, orange Oldsmobile 98 convertible as his Ford Thunderbird was a spiffy sports car, but not the most comfortable vehicle for five people, even with three toddlers.

     Our family had been looking forward to this day for weeks, but "Mother Nature" wasn't cooperating with our enthusiasm.  I sometimes wonder if she's a Republican.

     The weather forecast had called for heavy thunderstorms, but not until late in the afternoon or early evening.  However, meteorologists - more than half a century ago - didn't have the luxury of Doppler radar and other state-of-the-art equipment to aid in the prediction of the day's atmospheric conditions.  As such, when my family and I began our adventure to greet the president, the beautiful terrain that had been glowing all morning from bright yellow sunshine smiling down upon it...had suddenly taken on a somber look...and the majestic blue skies had dramatically transformed to a gloomy and ugly shade of gray.

     In between "Top 10" music by The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons, the rock 'n roll disc jockey on the car radio became the voice of displeasure and doom as he warned listeners who were headed out to Port Columbus International Airport...(now John Glenn Columbus International Airport)...to see JFK...may be disappointed because the summertime inclement weather was moving in to the state's capital city faster than had been expected.

     But the aforementioned "Mother Nature" can be fickle...and we hoped she'd drag her feet for awhile before crying a deluge of showers upon us.  Nevertheless, Dad pulled over to the side of the road to raise the top of the convertible so that a downpour of rain wouldn't bombard us from above.  And it was lucky Dad stopped when he did because in only a matter of minutes after the top was locked down, the heavens opened up.

     As we circled around the airport, our eyes were witness to a mass exodus of people who - like us - had dreamed of this day...even if it was to only get a glimpse of our commander-in-chief.

     But Dad had connections with the local Democratic Party office, so actually meeting President Kennedy was to be Mom and Dad's surprise for my sister, brother and me.  Disturbingly, thunder was booming, lightning was crackling, and the rain was pounding our car like bullets at a rifle range.  Traffic was building as cars were exiting the airport parking lots.  President Kennedy's rally had been officially canceled because of the bad weather.  Thousands of men, women, and children, who had prayed for a peek at the president...with the heartfelt hope of perhaps shaking his hand...had the air sucked out of them.

     Mom and Dad tried to cheer us up - and themselves too - by assuring my sister, brother and me that President Kennedy would probably reschedule the event before the election the following year.  But 1964 never came for this president.  As we all know...tragically...John F. Kennedy was assassinated, a few months later, on November 22nd, 1963.

     Growing up, my parents were Democrats.  Their political persuasion remains the same today.  For that reason, as a child, my perspective was that of a Democrat. But as I got older - especially in to my teens and early twenties - supporting Democratic candidates was not merely because that's what Mom and Dad did.  It was my choice...what I myself crafted as a result of my own liberal views.

     If you're asking whatever became of my sister and brother...Deborah is a Democrat...while Wayne is a staunch Republican.  As I am a self-proclaimed ultra-liberal progressive, my brother is a far-right conservative.  To say the least, we politically agree on absolutely nothing.  You may have read some of his comments, over the years, in response to my editorials, as he has debated the issues with me via The Controversy.  However, it's a politics-free zone whenever we get together.

     You may be asking yourself if there's a particular reason why I shared the aforementioned story with you about President Kennedy.  Today, May 29th, 2018 would have been JFK's 101st birthday.  Perhaps if I had thought of writing this column last year, it would have been more celebratory on the centennial anniversary of President Kennedy's birth.  But it's still a good time to pay tribute to a president of the United States who - despite such a close election against Richard Nixon in 1960 - Jack Kennedy ended up beloved by practically every person in America.  That's a refreshing statement considering the political climate we live in today where hatred - or at least aggressive dislike - is prevalent among Democrats and Republicans. The polarization in our country, in 2018, is so strong that it causes me to think whether a nation that identifies itself as "United" will ever have all its citizens "united" about anything.  

     Those of us who lived through it...painfully remember the tragedy of November 22nd, 1963...and the days that followed.  They were four of the darkest days in America's history.  Altogether, Americans were numb with disbelief.  Collectively, most every man, woman, boy and girl suffered the agonizing misery of a United States president who had been murdered.  I was seventy days shy of my ninth birthday, yet I - along with presumably millions of other children and their parents - wept at the announcement by CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite that President Kennedy was dead.  "From Dallas, Texas, the flash apparently official...President Kennedy died at 1 P.M. Central Standard Time, 2 o'clock Eastern Standard Time, some 38 minutes ago."

     Did you ever wonder what America would be like today if President Kennedy had not been assassinated on that fateful, crisp autumn day nearly fifty-five years ago? How different would our country and our nation's history be if JFK wasn't killed?

     A number of years ago, I hosted a live political talk radio show.  On one edition of that program, I asked the aforementioned two questions to my panel of commentators and my listeners.  

     Of course I don't have a crystal ball...and I certainly would never claim to be a swami.  But if President Kennedy had not been shot to death by Lee Harvey Oswald...what would the future have been like for the United States of America? And yes...until proven otherwise, all the conspiracy theories in the world are not going to change the fact that Oswald was the lone assassin who took the life of our president.  Unfortunately, when Jack Ruby shoved a gun into Oswald's belly...and he triggered a deadly bullet...it put an end to the world knowing Oswald's true motive for killing JFK.

     But think about it.  A slain President Kennedy may have changed our country in ways that none of us could ever imagine.  However, here are some thoughts that have crossed my mind over the years.

     I think about the Vietnam War.  President Harry S. Truman, in 1950, sent the first U.S. military advisers to Vietnam.  President Dwight D. Eisenhower continued in the same manner in 1955 and throughout the remainder of his two terms in The White House.  And President Kennedy, in May 1961, ordered four-hundred Green Berets overseas as "special advisers" to properly train South Vietnamese soldiers the technique of "counter-insurgency" in their war against Viet Cong guerillas.  Within the next two years, President Kennedy had increased the amount of military advisers in to the thousands, but none of those troops were "boots on the ground" fighters. However, on August 26th, 1963, the president met with his senior aides - and continued to do so for three days - in what has been described as "heated" debate over whether the United States should become involved in actual combat efforts or to completely withdraw all American advisers from Vietnam.  But less than one week later - on September 2nd, 1963 - in an interview with Walter Cronkite...President Kennedy remained committed to helping the South Vietnamese.  "If we withdrew from Vietnam, the Communists would control Vietnam.  Pretty soon, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaya...would go."  Truth to tell, prior to his assassination, JFK had sent more than 16-thousand advisory troops to Vietnam.  But when the conversation shifted, in 1965, from training and support to patrolling rice paddies, President Lyndon B. Johnson launched a plan to fight.  The 36th president issued a command to the U.S. Army for 3,500 combat troops to be deployed to Vietnam...and our battlefield involvement began in that southeast Asian country.  Over the next several years, LBJ expanded that number so it eventually totaled nearly one-half-million.  Thus, the question to ask is...would President Kennedy have acted in a similar fashion?  Would JFK have sent combat troops to Vietnam?  If not...58,220 U.S. servicemen from the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard would have not died in that military action.  But if President Kennedy had sent troops to fight in Vietnam... perhaps America might not have stayed there as long as we did under LBJ.

     Nobody expected Senator Barry Goldwater - the Republican nominee for president in 1964 - to win the election over President Kennedy.  It was a foregone conclusion that America would have been blessed until January 20th, 1969 with Jack Kennedy as our president.

     If President Kennedy hadn't been assassinated, it's possible that Vice President Johnson would have run for president in 1968. But, as did happen, Bobby Kennedy would have sought the Democratic nomination too.  As attorney general in his brother's administration, Robert F. Kennedy might have never represented the U.S. Senate from the state of New York.  And with his older brother, Jack, campaigning for him in his bid for the presidency...it's likely that RFK would have beaten Vice President Johnson - and all others - to win the Democratic nomination.  But only if President Kennedy was still alive.  Most historians are in agreement that Bobby Kennedy would have swept the remaining primaries after California...if Sirhan Sirhan hadn't assassinated him.  But without his big brother in his corner...some historians believe that since this was 1968 and not post 1972 - which was when Democrats reformed their primary process - that if RFK had lived...Democratic Party leaders may have still supported, as they did, the sitting Vice President, Hubert H. Humphrey.  And with President Johnson being the boss at the time...well...he wanted Humphrey.  After all, despite winning the popular vote in the primaries, Eugene McCarthy lost to Humphrey at the convention in Chicago, which ignited protests by delegates.  So the rules of 1968 may have kept Robert Kennedy from securing the nomination.  Or maybe not.  It's a matter that has been argued for fifty years...and historians will likely debate fifty years from now.  In reality, though, since President Johnson decided not to run for re-election...and RFK was mortally wounded...the Democratic Party's nominee was indeed Vice President Humphrey...who narrowly lost the election to Richard Nixon.  But what about Bobby's victory in the California primary?  In my "what if" scenario...with a living President Kennedy in 1968...Robert Kennedy - as the attorney general...and as the brother of a sitting president - would have had more protection...whereby the U.S. Secret Service might have prevented him from being shot on June 5th, 1968.  He died on June 6th.  And even if Richard Nixon was the GOP nominee that year...as I prognosticate in this concept of pretend and make-believe, Robert Kennedy would have triumphed...to be elected the 36th president of the United States.  Therefore, Nixon would have been defeated by two Kennedy brothers. 

     Without Richard Nixon as president...there would have been no Watergate...no "long national nightmare" - as President Gerald Ford called the impeachment proceedings and subsequent resignation of Nixon - which was the result of the Watergate scandal.
   

     But let's take this hypothetical fantasy one step further.  By 1976...after two terms with President John F. Kennedy and eight more years with President Robert F. Kennedy...it would have been Teddy's turn.  Oh I know what some of you are thinking.  There still would have been Mary Jo Kopechne and the automobile accident on the bridge in Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. To that I say...no there wouldn't be.  We will never know what really happened that July 18th, 1969...because now... both Kopechne and Kennedy are dead. Be that as it may, the likelihood of Edward M. Kennedy being at a party that night, off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, is rather slim if his brother, Bobby, was sitting behind The Oval Office desk.  The party was a reunion celebration in honor of some of RFK's campaign workers.  But if Bobby Kennedy wasn't killed...but instead was president...there would have been no need for such a reunion.  And as the brother of a sitting president, Teddy wouldn't have been driving his own car...and no matter where he was...the Secret Service would have been with him. The bottom line is that Teddy Kennedy would have been able to run for president in 1976...and a victory in that November general election would have awarded him the title of 37th president of the United States...giving America a Kennedy trifecta.

     So just imagine... twenty-four years of Kennedys in The White House.  A Kennedy dynasty.  Our American "royal family." 

     Despite leading our country for a short period of time - a mere two years and ten months - Americans valued President Kennedy's thoughts and his ideals.  We treasured him as the epitome of what a perfect president should be...even with his human imperfections.

     The Kennedy legend lives on because many politicians - although it's not apparent from the Republican's choice in 2016 - still seek a desire to give their constituents a virtuous and conscientious candidate who will provide them with a wholesome environment for which to live.  Therefore, given the opportunity - if he had not been assassinated - President Kennedy's achievements would have been endless.

     John F. Kennedy embodied the hope of many generations.  He appealed to a wide spectrum of Americans who were not only mesmerized by his charismatic demeanor, his good humor, and his wit...but by his powerful leadership skills, his honest voice, his magnificent stature, and his passion to serve America.  We trusted that President Kennedy deeply cared about the citizens of our country in ways we knew would be beneficial to us as individuals...and that would be productive for us as a nation. When JFK...in an address to a joint session of Congress on May 25th, 1961...wholeheartedly expressed - "I believe that this nation should commit itself...to achieving the goal...before this decade is out...of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth." - he not only gave us confidence about space exploration...but he molded our spirits...so that if we set our minds to do anything...we could achieve it.  Four months earlier...we were captivated by his inauguration speech on January 20th, 1961, when President Kennedy energetically encouraged each and every American to "Ask not what your country can do for you...ask what you can do for your country."

     The United States has had presidents - some whose names were on The White House letterhead for eight years - who aren't as revered by Americans more than half a century later, as much as Jack Kennedy.  Why then is President Kennedy still so special?  It's not simply the glamour and charm that comes with the Kennedy mystique...or the fatherly love he had for Caroline and John-John...nor was it the aura of "Camelot" that aroused an image of a romantic fairy tale around Jackie and him.  Perhaps Americans' devotion to JFK include all those sentiments.  But most importantly, it's remembering a genuine faith that our country had in a president's abilities...and his integrity to do what truly was best for the people of our nation.

     More than five decades after his death, Americans widely hold President Kennedy in high esteem and salute him as one of our greatest presidents.  And whether that pedestal is lowered by historians...who tend to rank our political leaders - especially presidents - by only their accomplishments while in office...really isn't relevant. Instead...it's the dignified recognition, admiration and affection that the people of America have given Jack Kennedy that distinguishes him from all others.  Those individuals - like me - who cherish a president such as John F. Kennedy...do so...because President Kennedy was everything that a little boy...(or little girl)...envisioned when we dreamed about what an American president should be.

     John Fitzgerald Kennedy was president of the United States for 1,036 days.  But it only took a matter of seconds for one fatal bullet to end his presidency...and his life.  Therefore, what could have been...was stolen from him...and from us.

     How different would America and our nation's history be if President Kennedy hadn't been assassinated?  I guess we'll never really know for sure. 

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions.  Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.

Now please express your personal opinions by following the instructions above.  And thank you for reading The Controversy.

Photo credits:  The White House Archives and TotallyHistory.com (former President John F. Kennedy #1), AlphaHistory.com and Pinterest (former Senator Robert F. Kennedy), United Press International/UPI (former Senator Edward M. Kennedy), Pinterest (The Three Kennedy Brothers), CSMonitor.com (former President John F. Kennedy #2) and Facebook (former President John F. Kennedy #3)

Copyright 2018 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.  This column may be freely shared among individuals, but it may not be reprinted or republished in any medium without the express written consent of Gary B. Duglin. Interested parties may contact The Controversy.  Broadcast, cable, satellite, and other forms of media are welcome to quote Gary B. Duglin by crediting him and The Controversy.

THE NFL TACKLES THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND SACKS THE U.S. SUPREME COURT

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     In what was billed as his final "Hail To The Chief" speech, President Barack Obama - on December 6th, 2016 at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida - reminded us that the United States of America is "a nation that believes freedom can never be taken for granted...and that each of us has a responsibility to sustain it.  The universal right to speak your mind and to protest against authority...to live in a society that's open and free...that can criticize a president without retribution...a country where you're judged by the content of your character, rather than what you look like, or how you worship, or what your last name is, or where your family came from...that's what separates us from tyrants and terrorists."  I carry President Obama's speech with me at all times.

     But to our 44th president's inspirational words, I add that all Americans - and that includes professional football players - have the right...and the freedom...to not stand for our National Anthem...and to not pay tribute to our American flag...if they choose not to honor the "Red, White and Blue."

     In his last speech to America's armed forces, President Obama encouraged our military servicemen and servicewomen to "Remember what that flag stands for."

     I'm old enough to recall when our "Stars and Stripes" were set aflame by certain citizens, as a method of protest during 1960s demonstrations against the Vietnam War.  It was not a practice that I in any way supported then, nor do I today. However, I did support...and I continue to think as such, half a century later...that any American who has the sick desire to light a match to "Old Glory" - as disgraceful as that behavior would be - he or she has the right and the freedom under our nation's most treasured document to express himself or herself in a manner that is protected by the United States Constitution.

     It wasn't until 1989 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. Johnson that because of the First Amendment, it is unconstitutional for a government - whether it be federal, state or municipal - to prohibit the desecration of our national flag.  The ruling was reaffirmed in 1990 in U.S. v. Eichman.

     In their decisions, the justices concluded that the American flag has a status as "symbolic speech."  The highest court in our land determined that "free speech" doesn't just encompass talking and writing, but any form of symbolic expression, including flag burning.  Accordingly...not standing for our National Anthem understandably falls in to the same category.

     But on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018, the National Football League - in essence - "gave the finger" to the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court.  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell laid down the law for his athletes with his order that any team will be subject to a fine if one of its players does "not stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem."

     Although the NFL's new policy doesn't specifically forbid personnel from "taking a knee"...Goodell's command does effectively restrict anyone...who represents the NFL...who might be tempted to kneel during the playing of The Star Spangled Banner...to "stay in the locker room or in a similar location off the field until after the anthem has been performed."

     The truth of the matter is...NFL players - dozens of whom during the 2016 and 2017 seasons had, in fact, "taken a knee" during the National Anthem - were not attempting to be disrespectful.  The players have persistently echoed that the kneeling had nothing to do with either our flag or our anthem.  The protesters focus was on injustices.
   

     But a policy that includes the words... "appropriate respect for flag and anthem"... insinuates - if not directly suggests - that the football players were not being respectful.  Now...that may not be what the athletes intended... but by not standing for The Star Spangled Banner...basically - to my thinking - does show a lack of respect.  However...there is no law in our country that forces citizens to respect our National Anthem...or our flag. 

     Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick - whose actions ignited this controversy - says that his kneeling was meant to "stand up for people that are oppressed."  Some players chose to raise their fists in silent solidarity, instead of kneeling.  But that form of body language is not included in the new NFL policy.

     Kaepernick and his former teammate, Eric Reid - who also kneeled - have filed grievances against the NFL.  Kaepernick - a free agent - claims that football owners conspired to keep him off the field.  He has not been on the roster of a NFL team since he elected to opt out of his contract with the 49ers in 2017.  That being said...San Francisco's management subsequently announced that they would have released Kaepernick if he hadn't cut ties with the club on his own. Reid also remains unemployed.  

     Kaepernick has stated that he and Reid "came to the conclusion that we should kneel, rather than sit, as a peaceful protest.  We chose to kneel because it's a respectful gesture.  I remember thinking our posture was like a flag flown at half-mast to mark a tragedy.  It baffles me that our protest is still being misconstrued as disrespectful to the country, flag and military personnel.  We chose it because it's exactly the opposite."  Kaepernick - who is bi-racial - was first, two years ago, to not stand for the National Anthem, in an effort to protest racial oppression, including alleged police brutality against African-Americans.

     The National Football League Players Association have their athletes' backs.  In defending players who kneeled, the union says, "NFL players have shown their patriotism through their social activism, their community service, in support of our military and law enforcement, and yes...through their protests to raise awareness about the issues they care about."  The Players Association will "review the new 'policy' and challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement."

     Along with their criticism of the NFL ruling...the Players Association chastised the League because the union was blindsided when Commissioner Goodell "chose to not consult" with the Association before making his decision.

     Furthermore...although the NFL insists the policy was a "unanimous" decision by team owners, and that all thirty-two club owners approved the League ruling...that is not true.  Based on a report from ESPN, Goodell's announcement that all team owners voted in favor of the policy is in plain English...a lie.  Perhaps Goodell has been taking lessons from Donald Trump.

     ESPN reports that there was no actual vote by team owners, which would be standard practice for such an issue.  ESPN says the NFL did "a little informal polling"...but no vote.  Anyway, whether they call it a vote or a poll, not every club owner agrees with Goodell's decision.  San Francisco 49ers president and chief executive officer Jed York abstained, and ESPN says Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis didn't respond either.  Plus, the chairman and CEO of the New York Jets is not in step with Goodell.  Christopher Johnson says his team will pay any fines and not take the money out of athletes' paychecks.  Johnson says, "There will be no club fines or suspensions, or any sort of repercussions.  If the team gets fined, that's just something I'll have to bear."  The NFL has not yet specified the amount of the fine, but Johnson is adamant that "I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players."

     So who's running the NFL...Roger Goodell...or Donald Trump?  To me, it sounds as if Goodell is nothing more than a Trump puppet.

     At a Huntsville, Alabama rally in September 2017, Trump was downright vicious when he called for team owners to kick a player out of the end zone and out of the stadium.  "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners - when somebody disrespects our flag - to say...'Get that son-of-a-bitch off the field right now, out, he's fired.  FIRED!'"

     And on Thursday, May 24th, 2018, Trump told Fox News..."You have to stand proudly for the National Anthem or you shouldn't be playing.  You shouldn't be there. Maybe you shouldn't be in the country."

     Who the hell does Donald Trump think he is?  I'm sure you remember Trump's words to Billy Bush on that infamous Access Hollywood video.  In "The Donald's" mind it's okay for him to "grab (women) by the p--sy" because "when you're a star, they let you do it.  You can do anything."  But apparently, it's not okay with Trump when football players don't stand for our National Anthem, as a means to protest the abuse of African-Americans.

     But none of this totalitarian tactic is new for Donald Trump.  Shortly after the presidential election, Trump tweeted on November 29th, 2016..."Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!"  After making that kind of a statement, how can any Republican believe that Trump is fit to be president of the United States?  He undoubtedly has no clue about certain laws of our land that define our freedoms.

     By its new policy, the NFL has opened the door for our nation's "narcissist-in-chief" to claim victory. He's gotten his way...by Commissioner Goodell bowing down to Trump and doing - at least in part - what Trump wanted done.  However...by fearing and giving in to Trump's heavy hand is not the American way...and makes the NFL appear to be subservient to a dictator.

     Roger Goodell and the National Football League have taken our country back nearly thirty years.  The NFL was careful in constructing the new policy so that the players will not be fined by the League...the teams will be.  But whether it's an individual or a club, the NFL is still acting in a manner that crosses the line of scrimmage between what is right and what is wrong.

     Let me be crystal clear with my readers, especially those Republicans - some of whom I have discovered have an attention span of a gnat.  I truly don't mean to be cruel with that analogy, but I frequently receive comments from conservative readers when it's obvious they haven't read my column carefully.  Due to that, I don't want anyone accusing me of lacking patriotism because they think I am condoning disrespect towards the American flag and our National Anthem.  After all, I always stand when The Star Spangled Banner is performed and I place my right hand over my heart.  Since childhood, the 4th of July has been one of my favorite holidays, though my reasons have nothing to do with barbecues and fireworks, but the birth of our nation...our independence from Great Britain in 1776...and the history of our Founding Fathers who created our republic and the democracy that we dearly cherish.

     I own several American flags that were flown on special occasions over the United States Capitol in Washington, DC...and I have given, as gifts, many other American flags that have also waved proudly over the building where our House of Representatives and our Senate call home.  So if I ever witnessed another person setting fire to an American flag...I'd be furious.  But my embrace of the U.S. Constitution would overpower my anger.  As someone as American as apple pie, there is nothing that tops my list of freedoms other than our First Amendment.  And if a football player or anybody else wants to stay seated or "take a knee" during the presentation of colors and the musical accompaniment of Francis Scott Key's lyrics, then that is a right that no one - not Roger Goodell, not Donald Trump, not any other single individual - should be allowed to take away from any American.

     When we give in to someone who steals one of our most precious freedoms, straight out from under us...then that is the beginning of tyranny.  And after nearly two-hundred-forty-two years...we cannot let that happen.  We must block...and we must not fumble.  Otherwise, it will be people like Roger Goodell and Donald Trump...who score the touchdowns.  And the rest of us will still be looking for a first down. 

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions.  Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.

Now please express your personal opinions by following the instructions above.  And thank you for reading The Controversy.

Photo credit:  Shutterstock.com (The Star Spangled Banner and American Flag)

Copyright 2018 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.  This column may be freely shared among individuals, but it may not be reprinted or republished in any medium without the express written consent of Gary B. Duglin. Interested parties may contact The Controversy.  Broadcast, cable, satellite, and other forms of media are welcome to quote Gary B. Duglin by crediting him and The Controversy.

HILLARY CLINTON: SHE'S NOT DONE YET

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     Ponder this thought.  It's February 27th, 2019...and the only child of Bill and Hillary Clinton begins her 40th year of life.  And how should President and Secretary Clinton celebrate Chelsea's 39th birthday?  How about with the announcement that her mom will once again run for president of the United States? 

     Oh I’m fully aware that Mrs. Clinton – in September 2017 - told CBS News anchor Jane Pauley on a Sunday Morning broadcast…“I am done with being a candidate.”  But I don’t buy it.  After all, many politicians over the years have issued similar such statements and yet…when the time came to hit the campaign trail…they were back in the saddle again.

     Let us recall that in an interview with Barbara Walters on her 2012 ABC special, 10 Most Fascinating People, Mrs. Clinton was ambiguous with her thoughts when Barbara asked about a run for The White House in 2016.  “I’ve said I really don’t believe that that’s something I will do again.  I just want to see what else is out there.”  Of course…what was out there…was the brass ring…and Hillary Clinton was going to make every effort to grab it.

     Regular readers of The Controversy are well aware of my longtime support for the former Secretary of State…and, as part of my contribution to her campaign for president, I wrote dozens of editorials throughout 2015 and 2016 to promote the many reasons why she would make an outstanding leader for our country and for the free world.  My respect and admiration for Secretary Clinton are unwavering.  And although others will disagree with me…I trust Hillary Clinton implicitly.  

     I can hear my readers – especially Republicans – shouting…“If you trust her so much, how can you think that she’s not being honest about running again?”  Well, I’ll tell you.  I suppose faith overpowers trust…at least in this instance.  Think about it…when it comes to politics – in fact, when it comes to just about anything in life – one can never really say never.

     In her post-2016 election memoir, What Happened, I genuinely believe that Mrs. Clinton artfully composed the following words.  “That doesn’t mean I’ll ever run for office again.”  To my thinking, there is nothing definitive by that statement.  Furthermore, Secretary Clinton also writes in her book…“There were plenty of people hoping that I, too, would just disappear.  But here I am.”  So in no way do I believe that she has completely ruled out another run for president.  We need to read between the lines.

     Generally speaking, I take most people’s words at face value.  But in the case of Hillary Clinton – or anybody, for that matter, who has the desire to seek the highest office in our land - I recommend it's better to be cagey than to be totally straightforward.  But that's only prior to becoming a candidate.  After that...I want transparency and truth.

     The former First Lady and United States senator has been around the block a time or two and she knows how to answer a question by placing just the right words in her sentence.  In that interview with Jane Pauley on CBS, Secretary Clinton carefully followed up her response about not running for president again.  "But I am not done with politics...because I literally believe that our country's future is at stake."

     Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in 2016 by nearly three-million votes.  Nobody expected her to lose the electoral vote…not even Donald Trump.  After all…Mrs. Clinton hadn’t prepared a concession speech…and there was no victory speech hanging out of Donald Trump’s pocket.

     But when Secretary Clinton finally did concede formally, her speech never gave me the impression that she was tossing her goal in to the trash can.  I truly believe she still wants to be president.  "I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday, someone will, and hopefully sooner than we might think right now."  And Mrs. Clinton concluded her remarks by saying..."So my friends, let us have faith in each other...let us not grow weary...let us not lose heart...for there are more seasons to come.  And there is more work to do."  The end had clearly not come for Hillary Clinton.

     I’m an optimist, at heart.  So I quote British author Sir Michael Morpurgo.  “Wherever my story takes me – however dark and difficult the theme – there is always some hope and redemption.  Not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart.  I know the sun will rise in the morning…that there is a light at the end of every tunnel.”

   

     The United States needs Hillary Clinton as our president.  Mrs. Clinton represents the honest truth in doing what is right for Americans...especially concerning some of the most crucial issues facing our country today.  She supports universal health care so that every single U.S. citizen - man, woman, boy and girl - can receive the best health care at an affordable cost.  With twenty-three school shootings in just the first four-and-a-half months of 2018, Secretary Clinton cares about the children of our nation and their safety...not to mention the safety of all Americans at any age.  Therefore, she is engaged to properly target gun safety reform.  Mrs. Clinton is designed to give our youngest generation every opportunity to live full, productive lives.  But that begins with education.  So Secretary Clinton stands for public school funding that will give students from all walks of life a pathway toward success through good teachers and the necessary tools for kids to learn. And when money is on the mind, "Uncle Sam" cannot ignore that most people do not get paid what they're worth.  The federal government has to create laws so that everyone is compensated with a fair wage.  There is nothing fair when someone has to work two or even three jobs...merely to "get by."  Americans...that is all Americans...deserve to live and be happy...and to enjoy life.  As the old saying goes..."All work and no play..."  Well, you know the rest.  Finally, when the conversation focuses on fair wages...equal pay for men and women alike...cannot be overlooked.  It's time that people of both genders...who are employed to do the same tasks...are paid the same salary.   

     Donald Trump can sing his “There Is No Collusion” song all day long.  He can tweet everyday that the Russia investigation is a “witch hunt.”  And his base of supporters can drink the Kool-Aid while they continue to put “The Donald” on a pedestal.  But Special Counsel Robert Mueller is going to learn the truth.  And when we know what he knows, then Americans need to accept his outcome.  But evidence without proof is not a solution…and Mueller needs to provide the proof.

     Long before the November 2020 election, the American people will have the answers that we seek…good or bad.  We will know whether Donald Trump resigns the presidency or is impeached and removed from office.  Or we will know if Mueller conclusively finds that Trump did nothing illegal with his 2016 campaign and that he has not participated in a cover-up of any crimes.  But we will also know if Trump decides that since he's already checked off being president of the United States from his bucket list...that he simply doesn’t want the stress of the job anymore.  Perhaps, after making one victory lap around The Oval Office...he doesn't want to bruise his narcissistic ego and exit a loser.

     So it doesn't matter whether Donald Trump's name is on the 2020 ballot or not, Hillary Clinton is not going to throw in the towel.  My confidence is strong that this special woman…this special lady…is going to be elected our nation’s first female president.  People attending the Democratic Party's 2018 Women's Leadership Forum in Washington, DC were treated on Friday, May 18th to a speech by Hillary Clinton. And as she expressed her thoughts, she finished by giving me another hint that she is going to run for president again.  "I will be there every step of the way...because we are going to take back the country we love."

     Hillary Clinton has a lot more to say...and it's well worth listening to her.  And as the 46th president of the United States, her words can be put in to action.  

     Now I know there are many Democrats who feel Mrs. Clinton will be too old to be seeking the presidency again.  But in 2020, she'll be 73 years young, while Donald Trump - if he's the Republican nominee - will be 74.  And other possible candidates - from both sides of the aisle - are also in their seventies and eighties.

     There's another old saying that perfectly applies to this column.  "If ifs and buts were candies and nuts, we'd all be at a party."  We human beings ask ourselves all the time..."But what if?"  Hillary Clinton does not want to wake up one morning...ten or twenty years from now...and say to herself..."But what if?"

     Call it her determination – or purely her love of country - to reverse the damage that Donald Trump has done since taking the oath of office…or – for the lack of a better reason – call it legitimate revenge for her 2016 loss as a result of Russian meddling, former FBI director James Comey’s meritless letter – eleven days before the election – that he sent to Congress…or call it anything else that you might want to call it…including any mistakes she herself might have made.  But when all is said and done…Hillary Clinton is not done.  Not yet.

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions.  Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.

Now please express your personal opinions by following the instructions above.  And thank you for reading The Controversy.

Photo credits:  Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation (Chelsea Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton), The Capital Times/Michelle Stocker (former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton #1) and Afterfeed (former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton #2)

Copyright 2018 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.  This column may be freely shared among individuals, but it may not be reprinted or republished in any medium without the express written consent of Gary B. Duglin. Interested parties may contact The Controversy.  Broadcast, cable, satellite, and other forms of media are welcome to quote Gary B. Duglin by crediting him and The Controversy.

JOHN SIDNEY MCCAIN III: A UNITED STATES SENATOR AND AN AMERICAN HERO WHO "DESERVES BETTER...SO MUCH BETTER"

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     Sixty years ago, in 1958, a young man - the son and grandson of two four-star admirals - graduated from the United States Naval Academy and began serving our country as an officer in the U.S. Navy.  Later in his armed forces career, he was deservedly promoted to the rank of captain.  This distinguished naval aviator fought with honor and bravery during the Vietnam War.  But while on a bombing mission over Hanoi on October 26th, 1967, a Russian missile - which he once described as "the size of a telephone pole" - shot down the aircraft he was flying. Terribly and painfully injured, he was subsequently captured by the North Vietnamese.  For nearly five-and-a-half years, John McCain was a prisoner of war.

     Today, the 81-year old senior senator from Arizona is undergoing treatment as he battles an aggressive form of brain cancer.  The 2008 Republican nominee for president was diagnosed in July 2017 with glioblastoma.

     On Thursday, May 10th, 2018, one of Donald Trump's senior White House aides was heartless when a crass crack rudely rolled off her tongue while discussing Senator McCain's opposition to Trump's nomination of Gina Haspel as CIA director. "It doesn't matter, he's dying anyway."  And as this column is published, it's been nearly a week since the tea kettle began to boil and bubble over with fierce fury because of such thoughtlessness.  Meanwhile, neither the aide - Kelly Sadler - nor Trump...or any of his spokespersons...has publicly apologized for the callous comment that later was leaked to the press by multiple unidentified White House employees.

     What kind of person utters such horribly unkind words?  What sort of person adds agony to someone who is fighting cancer?

     With about two dozen staffers in the room...Sadler - a special assistant to the president - reportedly blurted out the reprehensible remark at a closed-door meeting of the White House communications team.

     Sadler claims her off-the-cuff comment was merely a joke and that she meant no harm.  But it is never appropriate to joke about another individual's impending death.

     Backbones and civility are not part of the structure of Donald Trump or evidently any of his senior advisers.  In the past, Trump offended a Gold Star mother and father whose soldier son was killed in Iraq while performing a valorous act of heroism to save the lives of troops in his command.  Trump ethnically insulted a federal judge and his Latino heritage.  He mocked a disabled reporter.  And Trump has ruthlessly mistreated women, Mexicans, Muslims, and many others throughout his campaign and during his presidency.  Therefore...to be so inconsiderate as to not offer any words of remorse for Sadler's repugnant remark paints one more ugly, black portrait of today's White House. 

     But do we really expect compassion from aides whose boss has spewed venomous verbiage since announcing his candidacy in June 2015?  Blatantly...in this administration...the rotten apples don't fall far from the Trump tree.  After all...it was July 2015 when Trump despicably belittled Senator McCain.  "He's not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured.  I like people who weren't captured."

     Denying McCain as a hero because he was "captured"...demonstrated the cruel streak that flows through Donald Trump's veins.  Has our country's current commander-in-chief - who never spent one moment in a foxhole, or...for that matter...as a peacetime military veteran - ever bothered to take a look at the list of meritorious awards that decorated McCain's Navy uniform?

     The Silver Star Medal
     Three Bronze Star Medals with Combat Valor
     Two Purple Hearts
     Two Legion of Merit Awards with Combat Valor
     The Distinguished Flying Cross
     Two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Combat Valor
     and
     The Prisoner Of War Medal

     Such hardware only represents a fraction of McCain's fortitude during a harrowing experience in his life.  It is his loyalty...and his love of country and family that empowered him to survive and to live a full life with dignity; a life that has earned him the respect of a nation.  John McCain the man brings pride to Americans...and we celebrate his service to our country.

     Donald Trump and John McCain never "kissed and made up" after Trump voiced his harsh view of McCain's wartime woes.  And when McCain - on the Senate floor - gestured a dramatic "thumbs down" vote last year, which killed the Republicans' efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")...that enraged Trump.

     However, after Trump's vile campaign statement about a United States veteran who gave twenty-three years of his life to military service, I - along with presumably millions of other Americans - thought there was no way Donald Trump would ever win the GOP nomination, let alone be elected president.

     I was appalled three years ago by Trump's disgraceful discourse.  I wrote, at the time, that I expected Trump to be forced out of the race within days following his odious opinion.  But his supporters couldn't care less.  And when Trump continued to taunt one person after another, the insults became a matter of accepted practice by the vast majority of Republican voters who brushed them off as insignificant.

     Are these really the Americans who are my neighbors?  I am embarrassed for the United States that so many of my fellow countrymen and countrywomen can applaud a president whose behavior is so disgusting.

     How dare Donald Trump not recognize John McCain as a hero.  How dare Kelly Sadler speak in such morbid tones about a U.S. senator who has been a Capitol Hill rock for thirty-five years.

     When Lieutenant Commander McCain was captured by the North Vietnamese, more than half a century ago, his wounds were serious...having suffered fractures in his right leg and both arms.  But that didn't matter to his captors who were beyond evil.  They added to McCain's injuries by crushing his shoulder with a rifle butt and stabbing him with a bayonet.

     McCain was taken to Hanoi's main prison where he was left, nearly naked but for his underpants, on the floor of a cell; his badly hurt body covered by a blanket. He was not only refused medical treatment, but his captors violently beat him in an attempt to gain information.  It wasn't until the North Vietnamese learned that McCain's father was a high-ranking military officer that they provided marginal hospital care to their prisoner, which McCain has in the past explained "almost killed" him.

     After six weeks of horrendous medical treatment, McCain - in December 1967 - was transported to another POW camp in Hanoi, which was known as "The Plantation" and where he shared a cell with two other Americans...both Air Force majors.  Three months later, McCain was moved into solitary confinement and he was kept there - in wretched conditions - for two years.  McCain once wrote about the ten by ten enclosure in a published piece for U.S. News & World Report.  "The door was solid.  There were no windows.  The only ventilation came from two small holes at the top in the ceiling, about six inches by four inches.  The roof was tin and it got hot as hell in there.  The room was kind of dim - night and day - but they always kept on a small light bulb, so they could observe me."

     McCain would not accept any preferential treatment because of his dad's powerful position with The Pentagon, nor would he agree to fall in to the North Vietnamese's propaganda trap when they offered him early release.  McCain would not - as the Military Code of Conduct states - "accept parole or special favors from the enemy."  Unless the North Vietnamese agreed to release every other POW who was captured before him, McCain would continue to refuse repatriation.

     Lieutenant Commander McCain - in August 1968 - became the victim of severe torture by the North Vietnamese.  Despite suffering from additional health problems, McCain was basically hogtied then bashed and thrashed every two to three hours over a period of several days.  I cannot even fathom how he survived repeated brutal abuse, time and time again, over the course of more than a year until October 1969.  Now, five decades later, McCain's injuries from the Vietnam War has left him permanently unable to raise his arms over his head. 

     Moving day came in December 1969 and McCain became the guest of the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prison.  But his "innkeepers" restricted him to solitary confinement until March 1970 when a roommate bunked in with him.

     But going forward, the North Vietnamese rarely kept McCain in one place for very long.  From prison cell to prison cell - in drastic accommodations - McCain lived mostly away from others who were being held by these North Vietnamese savages.

     Throughout various stages of his imprisonment, McCain would go weeks, even a month, without being permitted to bathe.  His normal weight was 155 pounds, but McCain wrote in U.S. News & World Report, "In late '69, I was down to 105, 110 pounds, boils all over me, suffering dysentery."  But "aside from bad situations now and then, 1971 and 1972 was a sort of coasting period," and he "managed to get back in a lot better health"...gaining strength for his release on March 14th, 1973.

     Apparently, Donald Trump doesn't give a damn how much John McCain sacrificed for our nation?  Does Kelly Sadler?

     Trump sets the tone for his administration.  Therefore, it shouldn't shock any of us that one of his flock would conduct herself with such cold-hearted disrespect about an ailing American with terminal cancer...especially one who has given so much of his life to our country.

     Donald Trump should have been outraged by Sadler's insensitivity.  But that would require Trump to be dripping with sensitivity...and displaying that kind of emotion - is not a Trump trait.  He's just as awful as Sadler is...if not worse.

     Any other U.S. president would have denounced Sadler's words and immediately reprimanded her.  She should not only be condemned, but perhaps fired.  Yet, she still holds her job.  But when Trump himself is the personification of the "no decency poster boy" then we really shouldn't depend on one of his disciples to raise the bar.

     Politically, I am not in line with most of Senator McCain's thinking.  Regular readers of The Controversy are well aware that I identify myself as an ultra-liberal progressive Democrat.  But this is not a political matter.  It's a human matter. Anyone who uses such inhuman language should take responsibility and apologize. And so should her boss. 

     Sadler apologized to John McCain's daughter in a private telephone conversation on May 10th.  In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, May 13th, Meghan McCain confirmed that Sadler did say she was sorry for the words she used.  But I say...that isn't good enough.  What about personal apologies to Senator McCain's wife, Cindy... and to the other McCain children...and grandchildren?  And most importantly...Sadler needs to express her apology to John McCain.

     Why do some people have such a difficult time saying "I'm sorry"?  After all, we are human beings...mere mortals.  We make mistakes...and unfortunately...we...each one of us...on occasion...hurt someone's feelings by speaking something that was wrong.  Apologizing can cleanse the soul.  And even if the person on the other end doesn't accept the apology...the individual issuing it...does the right thing by doing it.  

     Donald Trump is never going to apologize on behalf of his aide.  Trump is spineless and has no courage to admit when he has erred.  Therefore, he certainly will not invest an ounce of his time to persuade Sadler to do that which he himself would never do.  So getting Sadler to stand behind The White House podium...with Trump at her side...isn't going to happen either.  But she needs to do it herself.  

     I'm a second chance - or sometimes even a third chance - type of guy.  So depending on the sincerity of Sadler's public, nationwide apology...I might consider keeping her on my payroll.  And yes, as a taxpayer, she is on my payroll.  However... if she appears to be a phony, I would demand that Trump dismiss her as a representative of "The People's House."  But Trump doesn't think he has to take orders from anybody...not even from the citizens of our land.  So no matter whether Sadler apologizes before the nation or not...firing her isn't on Trump's "to do" list. Nevertheless...Sadler's action should have consequences...and apologizing to Senator McCain and his family...as well as to the entire country...is her penitence.

     I have to wonder what our men and women - who proudly wear the uniforms that represent our armed forces - are thinking...when they salute a commander-in-chief who disrespects the hero that is John McCain.  I wonder what runs through the minds of our military service members, as they salute Donald Trump, knowing he has done absolutely nothing to punish Kelly Sadler.

     But a former three-star Air Force general showed his true colors on May 10th when retired Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney falsely accused Lieutenant Commander McCain of collaborating with the enemy by releasing military secrets to the North Vietnamese while he was a prisoner of war.  Such allegations are without substance...without foundation...without truth.  Still, on the Fox Business Network, McInerney labeled McCain..."Songbird John."

     PolitiFact confirms "there is no evidence that he (McCain) ever collaborated with the North Vietnamese."  McCain - in his memoir, Faith Of My Fathers - admitted that he told his captors, "I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital."  But when he was interrogated, McCain only provided his ship's name and squadron number, along with the target of his failed mission.  There were no military secrets revealed.  Instead...McCain made up stories and gave the North Vietnamese a potpourri of bogus data, including names of the Green Bay Packers football team who McCain noted were members of his squadron.  He also falsely identified cities that American aircraft had already bombed when his captors requested the locations of future targets.  In other words...McCain deliberately lied to mislead the North Vietnamese.

     When McCain ran for president in 2008, I did not support him. But I discovered in Senator John McCain, a man of class and good character, a man with dignity and honor who refused to attack his opponent with scandalous gossip and falsehoods.  

     During the campaign, at a televised Minnesota Town Hall meeting in October, a female voter in the audience questioned Barack Obama's American citizenship.  "I can't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's not...he's not...he's a, a...he's an Arab."

     Senator McCain took the microphone away from the woman and he quickly defended his Democratic challenger.  "No ma'am.  No ma'am.  He's a...he's a...he's a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on, on fundamental issues, and that's what this campaign's all about.  He's not (an Arab)."

     In another instance at the same town hall meeting, a male voter acknowledged that he was "scared" of the Illinois senator.  McCain once again went to bat for Barack Obama.  "I want to be president of the United States, and obviously I do not want Senator Obama to be.  But I have to tell you.  I have to tell you.  He is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared, as president of the United States."

     Back to present times...in a May 10th tweet by McCain's wife of thirty-eight years - for which she tagged Kelly Sadler - Cindy McCain wrote..."May I remind you my husband has a family, 7 children and 5 grandchildren."

     And on the Friday, May 11th edition of the ABC television program, The View, McCain's daughter questioned how can Sadler "still have a job."  Meghan McCain was outspoken when she chastised Sadler and Lieutenant General McInerney.  "My father's legacy will be talked about for hundreds and hundreds of years.  These people?  Nothingburgers.  Nobody's going to remember you."

     ABC News and Axios were first to report on Saturday, May 12th that press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the White House communications team met on May 11th in the aftermath of the firestorm of controversy that has brewed ever since Kelly Sadler's gruesome comment in the May 10th meeting.

     A source told ABC News that White House strategic communications director Mercedes Schlapp has Sadler's back.  "You can put this on the record.  I stand with Kelly Sadler."

     But Donald Trump and his White House cronies are more concerned about who "leaked" Sadler's inappropriate comment to the press than they are about the comment itself.  Deputy principal press secretary Raj Shah told reporters at a White House press briefing on Monday, May 14th..."This is an internal matter.  We addressed it internally."  No.  This is a national matter.  And it needs to be addressed openly...before the American people.

     Meanwhile, Mercedes Schlapp's husband, conservative commentator Matt Schlapp - in a May 14th interview on NPR - argued that the leaks are worse than the phraseology.  "The bigger issue The White House has is that they can't have confidential meetings without people on their own staff leaking it.  And that is a mortal threat to the success of this agenda."  And on CNN, Schlapp stood up for Sadler and called her "a little bit of a victim."  It's astonishing to hear anyone try to assign Kelly Sadler as the "victim."

     Also on May 14th, Trump hopped on his high horse and galloped throughout Twitter.  "The so-called leaks coming out of the White House are a massive over exaggeration put out by the Fake News Media in order to make us look as bad as possible.  With that being said, leakers are traitors and cowards, and we will find out who they are!"

     There's no reason for the media to make Trump and his people look bad.  They accomplish that task all by themselves.

     I am against Donald Trump's policies.  And practically everything he stands for, I oppose.  But I have disagreed with the policies of other Republican presidents.  And - believe it or not - I have clashed with certain Democrats who have sat behind The Oval Office desk...and I've debated with some of my peers and colleagues when those political issues are not to my liking.  The difference, however, between Trump and any other U.S. president - Republican or Democrat - is his dangerous demeanor...his volatile temperament...his absence of morals...and his overall reckless nature.

     Donald Trump has no heart.  He lacks empathy towards everyone.  And he cares about nobody but himself.  And now it seems that others in his administration are following in his footsteps.
   

     Former Vice President Joe Biden - on May 11th - hit the nail on the head. "People have wondered when decency would hit rock bottom with this administration.  It happened yesterday." A longtime Delaware Democrat who served thirty-six years in the United States Senate - twenty-two of those years with John McCain - Mr. Biden described his friend as "a man of valor whose sacrifices for his country are immeasurable.  As he fights for his life, he deserves better...so much better."

     Yes.  Yes he does.

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions.  Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.

Now please express your personal opinions by following the instructions above.  And thank you for reading The Controversy.

Photo credits:  Biography and A & E Television Networks (Senator John McCain #1), Getty Images/Jennifer Stewart, Hearst Communications and Town & Country Magazine (Senator John McCain #2) and HuffPost, Yahoo!, Oath Inc. and Verizon Communications (Senator John McCain and Former Vice President Joe Biden)

Copyright 2018 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.

This column may be freely shared among individuals, but it may not be reprinted or republished in any medium without the express written consent of Gary B. Duglin. Interested parties may contact The Controversy.  Broadcast, cable, satellite, and other forms of media are welcome to quote Gary B. Duglin by crediting him and The Controversy.