Lawrence Chun’s tribute to U.S. Sen. John McCain was well-stated and deserving of a great man (“McCain served nation with honor,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Sept. 3). It, however, only reminds of the stark contrast between the life of McCain and President Donald Trump.

McCain was a true American hero, not the privileged coward who dared to compare his wealth accumulation as equal to going to war for your country, and who refused to recognize a true hero because he was captured.

McCain, despite his sincere conservative views, was no demagogue who seeks to divide Americans by race, religion and wealth. He sought to remedy the immigration issue with comprehensive reform, not to smear all immigrants as criminals and degenerates. He stopped Trump’s irresponsible dismantling of Obamacare with rare courage absent among his Republican colleagues.

Above all, McCain had class, integrity, generosity, respect for others, authentic patriotism and intelligence, characteristics so lacking in the man who so despised him. It’s to our nation’s shame that Trump, not a man like McCain, became president.

Francis M. Nakamoto

Moanalua Valley