“What about Walter?”

The nation paused to note with gratitude the passing of Walter Cronkite last week.  The public reaction was notable for its subdued nature in comparison to the explosive outpouring on the death of pop musician Michael Jackson.   The television news programs ran virtual “sea to shining sea,” 24-hour coverage to the Jackson passing for days.  The Cronkite passing received respectful but comparatively brief note before fading to black. It seemed to me that even the memory of this great man stood as an embarrassing, silent rebuke to what much of television journalism has now become in America--a lurid stewpot of opinion, argumentation, venom and bluster.

One of the distinguishing marks of a Cronkite broadcast was his closing signature: “That's the way it is.” What we need is a person who can say with credibility, “That's the way it is.” It shouldn't be so difficult in America to find such a person, but it is.  What we really need is a firm fix on facts. Oh, there are shreds of fact in the falling confetti but how do we fit it all together to make a true picture?  Walter Cronkite could do that.  Maybe it was because he had heard that word from the Bible:  “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” It would fit into his Episcopal religious perspective. Upright, matter-of-fact, to the point.  So, at the end of the day, Walter would sign on as the nation watched and he would tell what was happening around the world.  His report was true. He would leave it to us to decide what to make of the report.  When, in those very rare moments, he allowed his emotions to show through, (Kennedy assassination; NASA landing a man on the moon; Viet Nam War) we were moved too.

We admired Walter. As he aged, we dubbed him “Uncle Walter.”  We counted on his resonant tones, his reassuring voice to help us make our way through a stressful world. There was a time when he was the most trusted man in America. Some wanted him to run for the presidency but he demurred. There never was much entertainment value in “Uncle Walter.”  He was impatient with those who wanted to make news amusing and those who wanted to make amusement news.  He just wanted to keep to the truth and allow truth to do its work for freedom.

I loved Walter for what he embodied. Devotion to America, consistency of vision, commitment to truth, a classical philosophy of journalism--that was Walter Cronkite. He would have made a great priest. He was a kindly and wise man. He could have heard confessions and maintained his cool no matter how shocking.  It is easy to imagine persons waiting in line to seek his counsel.  He could have preached with power while never lifting his voice.  On the other hand, if he had roared from the pulpit, he could have shattered the stained glass.  He was a man fascinated by and tied to earthly happenings but whom, in his 92 years, never lost his romance with the heavens.

I enjoyed watching Michael Jackson doing his famous “moonwalk.” I never tired of it. His body seemed at times to defy physics as he danced his way into our awareness and fired our imaginations.  On another large stage “Uncle Walter” had no such lightness of foot. But, oh how I wish he could have taken a few steps on the moon in one of these NASA astronaut uniforms. It would have been a fitting launch into the arms of his Creator.  Well, one can only speculate, but I'm confident that he has gone to be with God. That's the way it is, Walter Cronkite.  Goodbye.

Hit counter provided by hit counter website.