I cried yesterday when I heard of the death of Walter Cronkite.
Actually, I sobbed. He may have been the most trusted man in America, but to me he was more like a father figure.
As far back as I can remember, watching the evening news was a ritual in our family. My dad would come home, and we’d all gather around the television to find out what happened that day in the world. Afterwards, we’d sit down to dinner together and discuss world happenings.
After I was out on my own, I would still watch Walter each night as a way to reassure myself that some things are dependable in life. Some things stay the same. He was always there for us. We could believe him.
I’m told the term “anchorman” was created to describe him in 1962, when he took over the CBS news desk. And that is as it should be. He was our anchor in a world that was changing so fast it was tough to keep up. He always treated others with respect and dignity. That was before television became the multiple-choice mayhem of corrupt and corrosive talking heads it has turned into today. Who can you trust?
The death of Walter represents the end of an era for me and many other boomers, I’m sure. It represents the end of a time when we could trust the news and the people behind it, because we knew that they worked with the utmost integrity and respect for their employers, the American people.
“I don’t want to live in a world without Walter Cronkite!”
- George Clooney
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Laura,
Yours is a wonderful statement describing a time in our nations history that is long gone. Those who think, live and represent violence control the news and the stock market. The U. S. is devoted to using others and crowding each other out. This is today the American way.
Love
dad
Thanks for your comment,Dad.
The times they are a changing and I’m afraid not for the better! The dog eat dog world we live in just keeps getting more nasty and competitive.
Laura
I had much the same reaction as you did about Walter Cronkite. But there is something that bothers me. He finally broke with form and gave his opinion on the Viet Nam war, thank goodness. But where, then, was the investigative journalism that would have unearthed and shed light on all the lies the government was perpetrating? The connectivity today gives us more accessibility to diverse information. However, we still have to filter all that information through our personal prejudices and lenses to find the “truth.”
Lia:
I agree! The good news about today is how much more investigation there is into everything that happens! The connectivity is wonderful!
Look at the revolution in Iran recently! They asked Twitter not to shut down for routine maintenance to help the revolutionaries. Amazing!
Laura Lee