Perhaps the death of William F. Buckley Jr. didn’t strike many twenty or thirty something members of today’s society as important. In fact many probably called parents or older siblings and asked William F. Who?
In the “Me” generation, people like William F. Buckley are rare. Those heros that stand their ground whether the opinion they hold is popular or not.
Ex CIA Agent, Politician, Writer, Editor and Entertainer Extrodinaire could all be used to describe this hero eloquently. He was a true right-winger, and as any good republican would, he turned his hate mail into a gold mine by composing a book from it.
Foie de gras and peanut butter were served in the same grand style at each of his dinner parties, he adored criticizing political policy and welcomed a great sparring match over his criticisms.
His name became famous alongside Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford. He was a workaholic, editing a magazine and still finding time to produce one book a year throughout the majority of his career.
In the midst of shifting views and the changes that occured during the sociological shifts of the sixties and seventies, Bill Buckley never waivered. He never abandoned his conservative views.
Gaining a following in “cult” proportions during the years his show Firing Line was popular, a weekly roast of the leftist-come-lately caused his popularity to soar. There is nothing like heated and honest debate to strike a fire in the souls of Americans. We tend to take up one side or the other.
As a child in the sixties, my knowledge of this man was limited, but I knew I heard his name on the news nearly every night. In the 1970′s, the era of Peace, Love & Rock &Roll, and though the transitions of the late 1970′s and early 80′s, I had little appreciation for the man.
In the 1990′s when I became a parent, and a student again after a 20 year absence from school, William F. Buckley again struck a chord. This time, I was not a child listening to a name on the news, but an adult, with children, and political views that had changed drastically.
Here in my forties, my bohemian spirit still exists to some extent, but my admiration for men such as William F. Buckley Jr. is a flame that will forever burn within me.
I may not have always agreed with his opinions through the years, but I see his points quite clearly now. I have long been a fan of the saying “Happiness lies not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do.” William F. Buckley Jr. embraced that every day of his life.
I sincerely hope that as I continue my path, I can remain even half as steadfast in the things I believe in. In my eyes, the ability to do so is one of the characteristics of a hero.
