LULAC Salutes John McCain: True American Leader & Statesman
Throughout his life, he stood by his principles and he stood by America
Washington, DC - Washington, DC – Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) mourns the passing of Arizona Senator John McCain, a man whose courage both in military uniform and in a lifetime of public service exemplified the highest values of patriotism and leadership even in the face of great personal sacrifice.
“My condolences to the McCain Family,” said Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President. “I have the greatest respect for the way in which Senator McCain worked with us tirelessly trying to pass bipartisan immigration reform even when it was unpopular to some and despite opposition from within his own party. LULAC has lost a good friend and our nation has lost a great American,” added Garcia.
Senator McCain had a strong relationship with LULAC for decades focused on advancing issues vital to Latinos in the United States. He was honored as a recipient of the LULAC Legislative Friendship Award for championing bipartisan support on critical policy decisions. His words to LULAC ring as true today as they did when he spoke them in 1999.
“We Americans are a hopeful people. We believe in the promise of tomorrow no matter how content or discontent we are today. Hope has made us brave. Hope has made us a big country, where faith in the individual, no matter his race or ethnic background, has released a greater store of human initiative than in any other nation in history. I believe we are an unfinished nation; that we can be a better country than we are today. And it is up to all of us to make certain we don’t let politics impede our progress.”
Garcia recalls meeting Senator McCain a few months later during the New Year’s Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial when Bill Clinton was still President. “The Senator stood out as one of the few Republicans at the event. I read Jeremiah Denton’s book, ‘When Hell Was in Session’ about the experiences endured by POW’s in Vietnam and went up to the Senator to thank him for his service to our nation. He was extremely gracious and a gentleman. In that moment I realized that I was speaking with one of America’s true statesmen. His bravery and humility were the hallmarks of his true strength and we are better as a country because of him.”
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The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org.