Beyond Rhetoric   

The effects of Mr. Buckley seem at once to be both visceral and profound.  He carried himself with an erudition and genteelism that elevated those around him, and he spoke with a candor now moribund in the public discourse that gave scrutiny to real issues beyond rhetoric and talking points.  Although I never had the privilege to know him, I had the even greater privilege to have my conservative identity be shaped by him.  While the world may mourn his loss, as long as there are conservatives, there is a Bill Buckley.
Patrick V. Turevon, Quantico, VA

03/01 01:10 PM