I was staggered to learn this morning of the death of William F. Buckley, Jr., founder of National Review and modern American conservatism; sometime editor of the magazine. Mr. Buckley, ill with emphysema, passed on sometime last night while in his study -- a fitting ending-place for a man whose work contributed so much to American political and intellectual life.
I shall never forget first discovering his magazine in the late 1970's, during Jimmy Carter's era of malaise. America, and freedom, had been defeated in Vietnam; political discourse was dominated by the friends and fellow-travellers of the 60's and 70's protesters; and too many of our teachers and professors mouthed the noxious platitudes of the flag-burners; malnourished us on the foul nostrums of the Left.
Finding a powerful conservative voice who so eloquently articulated, promoted and advocated a different political path, one that upheld and proclaimed the greatness of the nation, was a great encouragement and comfort in those drab, wrongheaded, spiritless political and intellectual times. Mr. Buckley now rests with God, and is thereby the infinite gainer, but the rest of us miss him now, when the country and conservatism both need someone like him so very badly.
2 comments:
he lectured at tulsa university once. i went to see him that day. i can't remember anything of what he said that day.
but i do remember this.
later that night, as i watched the KOTV local news station, coverage of his visit consisted of a verbal comment by mr. buckley followed by a voice over comment by the newstaff. having been at the lecture, and heard what he said, i was surprised to see that the news editing came across in a manner to represent mr. buckley's response to be the opposite of what he said earlier that day.
i said to myself that was wrong of them to report his opinion in that manner. that was 1983. little did i know what was to come of legacy media.
It is to my own detriment that I never knew more about Buckley. I knew his name but had never head him speak. I spent yesterday afternoon watching his videos on youtube. He was rather incredible to watch.
Post a Comment