While there are doubtless celebrations in Moscow, the news that Sen. John McCain has irreversible brain cancer hit me harder than any such news since I sat in a seventh-grade classroom and our science teacher ran down the hall shouting, “The president’s been shot.” That president, JFK, was a war hero, too, but not one of McCain’s stature.

Shot down over North Vietnam, crippled by wounds and tortured, McCain refused early release and remained in his Hanoi prison, suffering for years beside his comrades. Returning home at last, on crutches, he dedicated himself to serving the people of Arizona and the United States in Congress. A senator for three decades, he’s stood out as the greatest defender of freedom in either legislative body in our lifetimes.

Somehow, I believed he’d always be there. I knew he was 80, but McCain has been the indispensable man for so long I can’t ponder Congress without him. A proud Republican, he never placed his party over his country. He stood up to tyrants, even when his position frustrated presidents.

Damn it, I can’t write about this man today without tears invading my eyes. I’ve only met him a few times. But he’s the only one-time presidential candidate I actively supported — not only because of his commitment to freedom, but because of his belief in what our country stands for, his sense of who we are and have to be.

Now we cannot know how much longer John McCain will be there to say, “No!” as others bow to the pressures of the moment.

Meanwhile, there is one thing Congress can do and another that we all can do to honor this exemplary American. Congress has it easy: The House can pass the Russia (and Iran) sanctions bill that the Senate’s already approved by a vote of 98 to 2. And name it the “John McCain Freedom Act.”

For the rest of us, the task’s tougher: We must strive to be genuine patriots. It’s a hard path now that the word “patriotism” has been cheapened by demagogues and party hacks, by special interests waving flags for profit and by a host of dubious charities. At times it seems that patriotism is the last refuge of the talk-show host.

What do we mean, in 2017, when we claim we’re patriots? Surely, it doesn’t mean rigid adherence to party lines. Nor can it mean reversing our views on issues, foreign and domestic, for personal advantage or partisan loyalty.

When we think of patriots, the men and women who fight our wars come instantly to mind, and rightfully so. But what about the rest of us? Is it enough to put out a flag on a holiday and restrict ourselves to media outlets that reinforce our prejudices?

Shouldn’t patriotism mean hearing out our fellow citizens who hold differing views? Our wartime heroes weren’t fighting for the Democratic or Republican parties. They fought for our country. As did John McCain.

What actions can we take in our daily lives to better serve the United States of America?

Take responsibility for your own life. Our ancestors blamed the devil, or witches or, yes, Jews when things took a bad turn. Today, we blame the government. And we don’t even distinguish between the government-in-being, which keeps those Social Security payments coming on time and ensures our food’s fit to eat, and a particular administration, which may, indeed, do harm to the republic. Nor do those much-maligned federal bureaucrats make the laws. Congress does. And we, the People, decide who goes to Congress.

Our ancestors blamed the devil, or witches or, yes, Jews when things took a bad turn. Today, we blame the government. And we don’t even distinguish between the government-in-being, which keeps those Social Security payments coming on time and ensures our food’s fit to eat, and a particular administration, which may, indeed, do harm to the republic. Nor do those much-maligned federal bureaucrats make the laws. Congress does. And we, the People, decide who goes to Congress. Vote. Not only in the “big” elections, but in all elections and primaries. If you don’t vote, you have no standing to bewail election results.

Not only in the “big” elections, but in all elections and primaries. If you don’t vote, you have no standing to bewail election results. Take responsibility for your own health. This is a radioactive issue, but patriots should do all they can to avoid becoming a burden on their fellow citizens. Fitness is patriotic.

This is a radioactive issue, but patriots should do all they can to avoid becoming a burden on their fellow citizens. Fitness is patriotic. Do honest work. A fast-food clerk who does an honest day’s work does more for this country than any irresponsible tech billionaire. Take pride in a job well done, in always doing the best you can, in craftsmanship. Do business honestly.

A fast-food clerk who does an honest day’s work does more for this country than any irresponsible tech billionaire. Take pride in a job well done, in always doing the best you can, in craftsmanship. Do business honestly. Pay your taxes honestly. Yes, there’s government waste. But contrary to stir-things-up pundits, our government does a remarkably good job. Don’t be one of the cut-everything-but-my-slice-of-the-pie hypocrites.

Yes, there’s government waste. But contrary to stir-things-up pundits, our government does a remarkably good job. Don’t be one of the cut-everything-but-my-slice-of-the-pie hypocrites. Live with integrity. If we Americans have lost anything, it’s our sense of ethics, public and personal. Live the values you profess, even when it costs you.

If we Americans have lost anything, it’s our sense of ethics, public and personal. Live the values you profess, even when it costs you. Be tolerant of your law-abiding neighbors. Judge people as individuals, not as a group. Disagree. Argue heatedly. But stick to the facts and respect the other’s rights. And never let politics interrupt a friendship.

Sen. John McCain has lived by every one of those tenets.

Do we?

Ralph Peters is Fox News’ strategic analyst.