Jim Lehrer passed away yesterday. He had a good run, I guess. At 85, he got his money’s worth and he lived a full life. But I still mourn his passing. He came from a time when people served their country, and he was a real reporter…the kind that provided news, not propaganda. There aren’t too many of those around any more. Maybe none.
I heard Jim Lehrer speak at Harvard once. He was the commencement speaker and his message struck a nerve with me. There might have been 2000 people in the crowd. At a time when we were fully committed in both Afghanistan and Iraq, he asked the crowd how many people knew someone who was actually serving in the military. Maybe 100 hands went up. Then Mr. Lehrer asked another question: How many people had been personally affected by the war? Not a single hand went up. This was a rarified crowd. Knowing more than a few of the folks in this group, I knew many of them perceived themselves to be foreign policy, military strategy, and political experts (you know, like everyone on Facebook these days). But not a single one had any skin in the game. Mr. Lehrer had just demonstrated that (very politely, of course).
Lehrer went on to speak about his service as a second lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. This was a man with opinions I wanted to hear. He had served, and he had my respect. His recommendation? That we all do some kind of national public service in our early years. It need not be in the military. It could be the Peace Corps, or maybe teaching in the public school system. Or maybe public health. But it should be something, some form of national service. I could not agree more.
Lehrer said in the commencement address that he was a better man as a result of his Marine Corps service, and that some form of shared public service would make all of us better. Jim Lehrer, we are a better people as a result of your presence among us. Rest in peace, Sir.