WFBjr-R.I.P.

February 27, 2008 will always be remembered by Conservatives as the second most grieved day of the past twenty years. William F. Buckley Jr. passed away in his study and with him the closing of a very long chapter in the book that is American Conservatism. He was 82 years old, and all accounts say that he was working on a new book--one of many, I might add--in his study when the time came for him to be called up to Heaven. All Conservatives will say that WFB was a huge influence, and I will be more than honoured to join their ranks.

I never got the opportunity to meet Buckley in a face-to-face scenario despite being in Washington during the 50th anniversary of National Review. However, I did get the chance to interview him over the phone back in March of 2003 while I was working for a radio news network based in Dallas Texas. He was pushing his latest novel, Getting it Right and I was nervous as could be about interviewing such a titan of a mind. But after just a few minutes into the interview, I found him to be a very down-to-earth man with the inherent ability to set you at ease. The interview was maybe ten minutes, but they were the best ten minutes of my professional life.

No one is going to replace him within the Conservative movement, nor do I think anyone could. The only thing that Conservatives could do to show their utmost respect for their fallen leader and founder is to get back to first principles: limited government, individual freedom and adherence to the Founding Fathers. William F. Buckley Jr. not only showed us the way, but he taught us how to do it, and for that he will be greatly missed. We love you Bill. God bless you and your family.