Senator McCain is Owed An Apology

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I am only able to raise my right arm to maybe 50 percent, sometimes not that much, but that is due to shoulder separations from playing football. John McCain cannot raise his arms because he was tortured in Vietnam.

I believe that it is just about sinful for Mr. McCain, in his days of very serious illness, to have anyone in this country, particularly anyone in a position of significance, say things about him that cannot in any way bless him or encourage him but, in fact, denounce him through baseless attacks.

Mr. Speaker, when I was elected, I promised my four children that I would never come to the well of this House and attack a human being or call them names. Unfortunately, things have changed in this country to the point now where that is a part of our daily way of doing the business of the greatest Nation God has ever allowed to exist.

There is something wrong, Mr. Speaker, when the elected leaders of our country refuse to apologize. There is not a single parent watching the goings-on in this Chamber who would tell their children: No matter what you do, no matter how awful you hurt another human being, you had better not apologize.

We are setting examples for children and unborn children by what we do in this Chamber. How in the world can a person sleep at night who can hurt another individual and not apologize?

I guess there are some things I will never apologize for. I will never apologize for never coming to the floor to attack a colleague. I will never apologize for respecting a person with whom I may disagree. I will never apologize for displaying disrespect for a member of the other party though their policies are separate and distinct from mine.

I will never apologize for trying to get my point across without stabbing someone with it. I will never apologize for being sensitive to the pain and hurts of others. I will never apologize for being an apologist when I wrong someone.

Silence is consent. And when I see this going on around this Chamber and I see it going on in other places in our government, I know that there are millions of people who believe that that is okay, that if it is done by someone in my party, it is okay.

I have said to my family, I have said to our church, and I have said to my colleagues here: If the leaders of the Democratic Party, Nancy Pelosi or Steny Hoyer, stand up and attack someone, particularly someone who is ill, I would come to the floor and condemn them.

Right and wrong is not based on party; it is based on right and wrong.

We are becoming a mean-spirited nation. No one watching this will tell their children: I want you to watch what is going on in Washington and use what you see as an example of how to live.

Mr. Speaker, Washington is dark right now. The people around this country who believe in light should let it shine.

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