Reflections on the Passing of William F. Buckley, Jr.

To say that William F. Buckley, Jr., has had an immeasurable impact on American political and intellectual thought is quite an understatement. To say that he was a man who transcended the limitations of his day to spawn the birth of a movement, who laid the groundwork for the candidacy of Senator Barry Goldwater in 1964, who laid the solid foundation for the movement that ushered in the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, who today is being mourned by Conservatives and intellectuals in this country, and who will be sorely missed for decades by his proteges and students, begins to scratch the surface.

Personally, I have been grossly ignorant of the true impact of this man until the last two days. I have known that he was one of the "leaders" of the modern American Conservative movement, but I was naive of his true intrinsic and manifest value. It was not until yesterday, when reading and listening to individuals reflect on his impact, followed by some independent research, that I have begun to understand his contribution.This was the man who was conservative before it was acceptable to be so. He was the first conservative on television, and provided the intellectual foundation upon which the movement was to stand. After graduating from Yale, he was recruited to serve in the Central Intelligence Agency, then in 1955 founded the National Review, the first major conservative publication of the twentieth century (of which I am aware). He also hosted his own debate/interview show called "Firing Line", the significance of which cannot be underestimated. The fact that we as political enthusiasts can enjoy Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Hannity and Colmes, Glenn Beck, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Crossfire, and the like, can be credited to the trail blazed by Bill Buckley. The commentators and hosts of those shows stand on the shoulders of this man. Even Ed Shultz, Al Franken, and the Air America types owe the format of their medium to the progess instituted by Buckley.

His countless books, articles, and editorials leave for us a treasure of intellect and history at our disposal; truly timeless, and still relevant for today. With his wit, matchless vocabulary, intellect, and that unmistakable New England brogue, he captivated a generation and simultaneously laid the foundation for two major political revolutions in the United States.To label him a "conservative author and commentator" does not do justice to his manifest value and significance. Simply put, the man was right. He was one of the first to espouse the reality that lowering tax rates creates growth, and thereby increases revenue. He was more than an idealogue, more than a commentator, he was a true intellectual giant.

He loved his country, his nation, his America. While others, including Chomsky, Robert Kennedy, and the like, were spouting all the reasons why America was wrong, why America should be changed, and why, in Chomsky's case, why America was the cause of much of the world's evil. Those thinkers never bothered to talk about one topic: what was right about America, and the fact that America, by the power of God Himself, was the catalyst for the vast majority of GOOD in the world.What other nation, kingdom, or empire, in less than 235 years has taken the sole place of leadership in the world. A world, mind you, that contains the U.N., the European Union, NATO, etc. We are the scourge of tyranny, and the hope of those who desire freedom. Are we perfect? By no means, but unlike his political opponents, Buckley chose to not blame America first as the source and cause of the evils of the world.

For those of us born after the "Reagan (Buckley) Revolution" and those of us who barely remember the Republican (Reagan [Buckley]) Revolution of 1994, it will take us years, perhaps decades, to process and understand the true impact of William F. Buckley, Jr. This being an election year, we will have to wait and see the results of what I am predicting will be a pivotal point in American history, in the vein of 1968 and 1980. Nonetheless it will take time for us to comprehend the legacy and impact of this man. He will be missed, not just by conservatives, but by Americans.