Russert Deserved Tribute

By Letters To The Editor

Published: July 3, 2008

This letter is not a slam against George Carlin, the counterculture “pioneer,” who died at the age of 71. I’m sure that many are saddened by his death, but let’s face it; he didn’t exactly take care of his body over the years, now did he?

What upsets me the most about the death of Mr. Carlin was how the paper of record for Bristol Tennessee/Virginia and Southwest Virginia decided to put the death on Page One “above the fold” when the sad and untimely death of Tim Russert was regulated to the back pages (next to the rest of the obituaries). I’m not sure which individual deserved to be “Page One news,” but I know that I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mr. Russert, who seemed to be so full of life and energy, as well as faith. Mr. Carlin, on the other hand, would often mock people of faith.

I will indeed miss having Mr. Russert discuss the complex political world in a way that we will all understand. The way he treated everyone with the utmost respect. It seems that the witty Mr. Carlin had contempt for most people, or at least that was his “routine.”

Like I said before, this was not meant to be an attack on George Carlin. He did make me laugh at times, and he also made me think. Tim Russert made me laugh and think and think some more. No, the real attack is on the Bristol Herald Courier, which made such a big deal of paying tribute to Mr. Carlin and so little to Mr. Russert. I’m beginning to wonder if I should continue to read this paper, the paper I’ve read all of my life.

Couldn’t you find someone in the newsroom who could write a “glowing tribute” to Tim Russert?

Andrew Leonard
Lebanon, Va.