Sunday, June 15, 2008
Mr. Russert...RIP
I've been a part of a national e-mail list about journalism for over 12 years. This is remarkable only in that I am NOT a journalist. I'm a computer nerd. But I am also a news and political junkie, so this list has been an important part of my life. And I've been honored to be a part of it all these years.
So today, as I was working away, came the initial e-mails....Tim Russert was dead! I was overwhelmed with saddness.
But I had a job to do. The first thing was to make sure the word was getting out to my friends on the list. So I put out the word. In very simple terms:
Tim Russert, dead at 58.
SHIT!!!!!
This is a sad day for both journalism, which he was the best in his field, and politics, which needed him more than any politician will admit. Who will step forward, who will take the responsibility to be the watchdog of our body politic?
Who will be the person to lead us through the drama of election night? Who will make sense of all the senselessness that is politics?
I don't know the answers. All I know is that I sit here, having watched a special about the life of Tim Russert, I'm struck with saddness. And hope.
Just as there was a Tim Russert, there is another. A person who will be the watchdog of our democracy.
But until that person steps forward....
Rest In Peace, Mr. Russert.
So today, as I was working away, came the initial e-mails....Tim Russert was dead! I was overwhelmed with saddness.
But I had a job to do. The first thing was to make sure the word was getting out to my friends on the list. So I put out the word. In very simple terms:
Tim Russert, dead at 58.
SHIT!!!!!
This is a sad day for both journalism, which he was the best in his field, and politics, which needed him more than any politician will admit. Who will step forward, who will take the responsibility to be the watchdog of our body politic?
Who will be the person to lead us through the drama of election night? Who will make sense of all the senselessness that is politics?
I don't know the answers. All I know is that I sit here, having watched a special about the life of Tim Russert, I'm struck with saddness. And hope.
Just as there was a Tim Russert, there is another. A person who will be the watchdog of our democracy.
But until that person steps forward....
Rest In Peace, Mr. Russert.
# posted by Kevin @ 9:28 AM 
