Tim Russert: You Touched Our Lives and Hearts With Your Life and Your Death.

I never in my wildest dreams ever thought that it is possible to get so emotionally and intellectually affected by the death of someone I did not know personally . Yet, I feel like I lost my best friend with the death of Tim Russert . I truly do feel lost.

There was something about Tim Russert that exuded integrity , honesty, total contentment and joy in what he was doing. I keep seeing his smile and the twinkle in his eyes during the primaries.

Tim Russert was like an architect. He understood that comprehensive knowledge about his guest was the foundation, and we the public were the client. From these notions, he formulated his questions with the intention of generating the closest profile rendering of the guest, and left it to us to approve or disapprove. He was a genius.

For the past three days I have been trying to understand my very sad feelings for the loss of a Journalist, thousands of miles away, whom I did not know beyond TV.

Finally today while watching the sort of Wake for Tim Russert during the Meet the Press time slot,it hit me.

We look to the Journalists and news Media to be our eyes and ears, and we need to trust them to report the Facts to us.

Unfortunately, during the past few years, we were hit with a new reality.

Journalists armed with the First Amendment to protect them, forgot what their roles were , and allowed themselves to be intimidated into submission and fear .

Many replaced information, facts and integrity, with sensationalism, and with some, intentional misinformation.

Corporate Media Moguls in search of ever more power, bought into the underlying notion that has being perpetuated for the past decade , that we the public, are morons & stupid, and THEY , have the power to mold us as they please, with lies and misinformation, and turned Journalists into pushers of agendas.

Tim Russert was able to stay above all that and stayed true to his profession, ideals, and those who depended on him to deliver facts. He cannot be replaced.

I sincerely hope that every journalist will take some time to reflect on Tim Russert's Life and how he is being remembered . I sincerely hope that this loss, will inspire journalists to stand up and demand that Journalism 101 be returned as the basis of reporting.

To Tim Russert, who in his life as in his death has touched the core of our hearts . Happy Journey !