Lotus Geek :: Goodbye Peter, we'll miss you...

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One of the last great anchormen passed away Sunday evening. ABC News' Peter Jennings died yesterday (Sunday), succumbing to his long bout with lung cancer. Normally I wouldn't talk about the passing of a news guy, but Peter was different to me. Peter was my Walter Cronkite - he was the voice that I trusted, with his quiet, assured delivery and knowing, wise countenance. His ability to not only convey the news but to make me feel the news was crystalized on that fateful day - September 11, 2001.

I, like many other Americans, was glued to the television for over 72 hours solid. I had been up that morning watching Good Morning America, and saw the coverage unfold as the World Trade Center was attacked. I even saw the second plane hit the tower live, with Charles Gibson and Dianne Sawyer covering it. Shortly thereafter they switched to Peter, and he began to cover this world-changing event, helping me personally, and I am sure many other people, cope with what we were seeing and feeling during this troubling event. Peter stayed on the air for days, without sleep. Peter was cathartic for me, calming, in the way he covered the event. I know he was feeling what I was feeling, but he helped me cope with it with just the right combination of anchorman presenting facts, counselor helping cope with emotions, and human sharing tragedy.

I don't see any anchormen on TV today who were in the class of Peter, and Walter Cronkite before him. Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather were wooden and distant when compared to Peter, and noone today has the authority coupled with compassion that those two had.

Peter, I for one will miss you. Television news is forever less because of your passing.

Rest in peace.

Rock
**When your dad is mad and asks you, 'Do I look stupid?' don't answer.

Comments

1 - Everyone loved Peter Jennings - especially us, his fellow Canadians. His was a comforting Canadian accent in a mass of Americans. It's a sad, sad day in Toronto.

I wonder if John (JR) Roberts has les testicules to lead the foreign content on the American nightly news by himself from now on.....

Posted by Red Sometimes At 01:59:35 PM On 08/08/2005 | - Website - |

2 - Yeah, I used to watch him nightly, but I found him to be very LEFT leaning. He didn't try to hide it. He'd flutter and roll his eyes every time he mentioned President Bush's name, and he'd never say "President Bush" or "the president." He'd say simply "Bush." A few years ago, however, he'd say "President Clinton." You can bet on that. Little things like that were kind of annoying.

I did like to watch him, though, because even though he was a lefty. Hate to see him go, especially as young as he is, but as a broadcaster, I like Elizabeth Vargas better, for several reasons....

Posted by Tom Nichols At 01:07:40 PM On 08/08/2005 | - Website - |

3 - Yeah, I always thought it was neat that Peter was a Canadian. He loved his homeland, and he also deeply loved America. He even became a US citizen a few years back.

Thanks for your posts, Tom and Red.

Rock

Posted by Rock At 03:30:39 PM On 08/08/2005 | - Website - |