If it's Sunday...

I'm going to break from my usual blog post to offer a look into the man that was Tim Russert and the profound impact the man had on me. Tim Russert was most famous as the host of "Meet the Press" on NBC. Almost every Sunday, I, with about 4 million other Americans, watched in awe as one of the most intelligent, and thought provoking journalists of our time informed a nation on the affairs of the country. If you interviewed with Mr. Russert, you had better been prepared to own up to what you had said before. Whether a speech to thousands or a personal interview, he'd dig up a statement that would blow you off message, and leave you scrabbling for words. It was that gift, that I admired about him most. He never let a politician spin his view on the facts, he'd somehow more than anyone else, demand the facts. I would often laugh when watching "Meet the Press", because I'd love to see his guests squirm. But none of this was for ratings, or political gain. It was a search for the truth. Tim Russert had a way of making politics idea-centered, instead of the "what I meant was" game. I first began watching him in high school, his interviews with Al Gore and George Bush made me realize that I had a thirst for politics. He lit a fuse in me, because with him politics took on a new life. Suddenly, to me, a seemingly dull subject was exciting. It was a discussion of ideas, the very ideas that I too discussed with friends and neighbors. Mr. Russert had a way of making all of these complicated issues, simple and understandable. He was a teacher, and he taught me well. Beyond television, Tim Russert lived an extraordinary life. He honored his father, and cherished the bond of family. He never cared about the money he made or the fame he received. He cared about his job, for which he worked very hard, and his beloved family. In his short 58 years on this planet he lived more than most ever can. And although I am deeply, deeply saddened by his passing, I know that his dreams in life came true. He lived a full life and one that I am truly envious of. He will be missed. Sundays and life will not be the same without him.

"Some men see things as they are and say 'Why?' I dream things that never were and say, 'Why not?'

Robert F. Kennedy died on June 5th 1968, a little more than 40 years ago. And as I did with the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr, I wanted to write a few words about the great man he was and the reason the world is better off for having known him. Much has been written about the Kennedy's throughout the last 40 years and it's all been said. What I'd like to talk about is a personal admiration of Robert Kennedy. I first heard about him when my mother and me sat down one day and I asked her who the best President we ever had was. She wrinkled her nose in deep thought, and said "I can't be sure, but I will tell you who would have been the best" and with a sureness I had never seen she stated, "Robert Kennedy." It was then that I began my journey of realizing that I too agreed with her. And that Bobby (as he is often referred as) had offered an opportunity for this country we have never seen. In him we had a politician that truly cared, and one that saw the meanness of the world and hoped to end it forever. I quote his eulogy by his brother Ted, "My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it." As I learned more about this great man, I wondered why I have never seen a man like him run for office. I saw politician after politician come up and say the same old promises with the same old lies. Their answers relied not on what was best for the country but what was polling better. They did not offer something that was different, as Senator Kennedy did. And I soon figured out why. The reason Bobby was allowed to be who he was is for two reasons. One: His name, because he was the brother of John he could be still be loved and devoted without be written off as a blind optimist. The people saw what his brother did and projected that upon him. Two: Most importantly, he had a persistence and stubbornness for what he believed in, more than any other man since. He was a champion for civil rights, a champion for peace around the world, and a champion for the little guy. He believed that all men should get a chance in this country. He believed that despite the differences we had with each other, that we are all brothers, and in turn our brothers keepers.
I'm not sure what his Presidency would have been like or if his vision could come to fruition with it. But what I do know is that he would have tried, more than any President had ever tried to make this country what it could be. And with his assassination, America's wound grew wider. Without him, it seemed impossible to overcome the vast odds ahead of us. And as I reflect, 40 years later, I see a country that is just as divided, just as hungry and hopeful of something different. I just hope this time we're ready to finally accept it. Because if we aren't, then our time may never come.