Good Bye, W.F. Buckley Jr.

I didn't post about William F. Buckley Jr last night. I really couldn't figure out what to write. Still can't.

When I was a kid my favorite thing to do on rainy days was to sit and read the dictionary. Really. I still get a kick out of learning new words and their meanings. I don't read dictionaries for fun anymore, because the plot is thin. It's the same reason I don't read novels much.

I love to read William F. Buckley with a glass of good scotch and a dictionary. I didn't always agree with what he said, but I always found that he made me think. Sometimes he even convinced me to change my mind about things, if only incrementally. He also made me look up words and learn their meanings. The only other pundit who accomplishes the latter is George F. Will, but he rarely achieves the former.

My political beliefs didn't originate from reading William F. Buckley Jr. My understanding of politics and conservatism is better because William F. Buckley Jr. made me look up definitions. I'll miss knowing he's around.