Blog by Betsy Carstairs

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Watler Cronkite

I watched 60 Mintutes airing Walter Cronkite's life story a few Sundays ago. What I thought this man is gone!!!!! What happened. For me he was a icon. What Walter said you could trust & in today's world that is huge with most of the politicians word smithing what they say to such a extent that the truth is not just skewed but altered completely. When I watched his autobiography I saw a man who stood in integrity & had a balanced life pre balanced life being the goal. He was steeped in the history of my time serving in WW 11 as a "in service" reporter & then going to Vietnam as a civilian reporter.  I polled a few friends whose opinion I valued as to their thoughts on Walter. Henry Vagar said listening to Walter was like talking to his dad Walter stood for truth. A friend of my mom's @ Amica Mr T said he was a interesting man...Mr T had sat beside Walter @ a Christmas luncheon in Vancouver & had a more personal experience with Walter. Lynden Johnson  knew how valuable Walter's opinion was when Walter changed his opionin on the US's presence in Vietnam Lynden said "If we have lost Walter we've lost America" such was the power this 1 man had.

I am saddened that this man we all knew & respected is gone but I am inspired that there were men of his calibre out there & I vision a world where we have more men & womyn  aspiring to follow in Walter's foot steps.