Most folks who know me are usually surprised to learn that I spend considerable time reading and listening to conservative authors and pundits. Not the acrimonious, braying loudmouths like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh, or the scandalous, devious, treacherous vipers like Karl Rove, Paul Wolfowitz or Ralph Reed - in my humble opinion, they are nothing but a disgrace to the true conservative and the Republican Party.
Now I'm certainly no conservative - one brief perusal of my blog here will definitely attest to that - but that doesn't by default mean that no conservative view, idea or policy is valid or worthy of contemplation, consideration, respect.
On the contrary, I've found plenty of things that I'm at least in partial agreement with and some approaches and policies that I think are downright good ideas. Furthermore, listening to my conservative brothers and sisters out there goes a long way in building tolerance and understanding of how others view the world even if I typically don't agree with them. It's too bad that the conservative voice has been hijacked by so many beasts who believe that the end justifies the means and ridiculing, berating and vitriolic hyperbole are the ways one should get the conservative message into the world.
Buckley was a genuwhine con, baby. If you're like me, those CIA credentials immediately to give you chills up and down your spine and scare the freaking bejesus outta you. But you usually knew where you stood with Buckley and he taught me volumes about the way conservatives think.
I am going to miss him because there aren't many who can fill his shoes; Milton Friedman, perhaps, George Will, maybe....nah, there will always be only one William F. Buckley.
The picture below provides me with yet another reason to appreciate the man whenever I look at this picture of his office, I see myself in that office in so many ways. Maybe that's why I sort of gravitated to him and just liked him so much even when I didn't agree with him; the guy was a cluttered genius who apparently thrived on design chaos, something I can appreciate and practice regularly - and you know those types - you ask him where something is in that office and chances are, he'd be able to go directly to it without searching. Clean that office up and the man would be lost. While I certainly would never be so bold or arrogant as to equate my own skills as a writer in a league anywhere near Mr. Buckley's, when I see him sitting there in all that glorious "stuff," thats a man after my own heart.
Rest in peace, William - if you can - because it's got to be frustrating for you to be silenced.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
William F. Buckley Jr. (1925-2008) [Kathryn Jean Lopez]
I’m devastated to report that our dear friend, mentor, leader, and founder William F. Buckley Jr., died this morning in his study in Stamford, Connecticut.
He died while at work; if he had been given a choice on how to depart this world, I suspect that would have been exactly it. At home, still devoted to the war of ideas.
As you might expect, we’ll have much more to say here and in NR in the coming days and weeks and months. For now: Thank you, Bill. God bless you, now with your dear Pat. Our deepest condolences to Christopher and the rest of the Buckley family. And our fervent prayer that we continue to do WFB’s life’s work justice.
