What You Heard Was What He Saw

"Do I have any opinions that might irritate some people? You're damn right I do. That's what I'm here for."

It could certainly be said that the man lived a full, rich life, widely admired and heeded. His words, whether grumpy by design, or practical in reflection of his intelligence and values, held a fascination for viewers who regularly watched CBS's 60 Minutes news program for over thirty years.

He died on the 4th of November 2011, in hospital, the result of complications after minor surgery, at age 92.

As a curmudgeonly elder statesman his wisdom was valuable to all who heard his news-ending spiel. No one seemed immune from his critical eye, and this is precisely as it should be, particularly emanating from the press of a country that celebrates its dedication to freedom of speech.

His opinions were widely shared, but only he possessed the sarcastic wit to frame it in his own timely, inimitable manner.

When he uttered that scandalously correct thought that in his opinion blacks had "watered down their genes because the less intelligent ones are the ones that have the most children", he was speaking a truth. But, in fact, it's a universal truth that transcends colour, ethnicity, culture.

It simply happens to be the truth, that it is the dull and ignorant who produce great numbers of children, not the creative, cultured and intelligent among us. Which goes quite a way to explaining why and how it is that the great preponderance of the great unwashed do not present as thinking, sensible and responsible individuals.

His involvement in history and mass communications goes back a long, long way. His experience and expertise as a skilled communicator had a natural flair to it. There was nothing that smacked of a facade. With this man who valued veracity and honour, what you heard was what he saw, as he saw it.