Rather, Brokaw Retire; Leroy Aarons Dies

Honor and good wishes to Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw on their retirements. Both network anchors accentuated the positive about this country and the journalistic profession.
There's a good deal of talk about Rather making a mistake this fall. What I prefer to remember was his hard-driving good reporting over many years going back to the administrations of Nixon and Kennedy. Rather believed in this country, and he cried with joy when American troops entered Kuwait City in the first Gulf War. He was not afraid to show his emotions, which made him not only a better journalist, but a better human being. And I particularly remember that he spoke up for New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines when Raines was railroaded out of that job by a weak publisher.
Tom Brokaw captured the respect and love of millions for extolling the heroes of America's "greatest generation" thosewho fought in World War II. Steady, incisive, and modest, all will remember fondly his great work.
Leroy Aarons, former editor of the Oakland Tribune, Washington Post West Coast correspondent , and a man who came out of the closet and led gay journalists to great advances within a too-often prejudiced profession, died on Sunday. He deserved the respect of us all. We'll miss him.