The death of William F. Buckley hit hard.Like so many others, Bill Buckley has been a hero to me all my life. As a conservative; as an intellectual force; and as a man of letters, Bill Buckley was an inspiration and mentor.
My conservatism was nurtured by his newspaper columns, his books, and his superb magazine, National Review.
My love of the English language and my ambition to deliver cogent but courteous arguments came largely from his television program, "Firing Line."
And through Buckley's superb example of wit and wisdom, his love of life, his patriotism and life of public service, his joyous commitment to family, his defense of Catholic values, his famously rich vocabulary, his incomparable work ethic, and his unique élan, the lives of countless Americans, mine included, have been made richer and more productive.
He will be greatly missed. But his influence and body of work will continue to move the conservative revolution forward. Thank you, Mr. Buckley.
Among the articles commenting on Bill Buckley's passing I would most recommend: American Conservative Union's Chairman David A. Keene's statement; John O'Sullivan's reflections for Radio Free Europe; Adam Daifallah's detailed obituary published in Canada's National Post; Ben Johnson's article in FrontPageMagazine.com; various tributes collected by American Spectator; and, of course, today's entire issue of National Review Online.
