William Sloane Coffin Jr, 1924-2006
Rev. William Sloane Coffin Jr died today at age 81. Coffin was the first person I ever interviewed, as a 14-year-old aspiring journalist for New Youth Connections. I was already a committed peacenik by then (more so than now), so much of what he had to say wasn't new to me and didn't stick in my memory. But he made an impression when he talked to me about "the sin of pride." A child of the Free to Be, You and Me self-esteem age, I had never really been told that there is such a thing as being full of yourself. No doubt his obituaries will highlight other accomplishments, but I'll always recall him as the man who helped me get my start as the greatest journalist of my generation. After Peter Landesman.
"The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love."
Comments
Wow, you just had to get in that dig at Landesman, didn't you? And yet, I would have been deeply, deeply disappointed if you hadn't.
Posted by: Steve | April 12, 2006 7:04 PM
Your site sucks much love.
Posted by: Lunar | April 12, 2006 7:37 PM
Speaking of Landesman, "Lunar" isn't fooling anyone. Who else would waste so much time posting comments on a site he hates?
Posted by: radosh | April 12, 2006 10:26 PM
He was a great example of the best that America can produce and he was a role model to many of us. His combination of conscience, sensitivity, wit, and action was remarkable. He is one of a very small group (FDR, Smedley Butler, Peter Seeger, among others) that I would actually call heroes.
[Uh-oh, gotta cut the sincerity with something]
And that's just Landesmann! Coffin was like a god!
Posted by: TG Gibbon | April 13, 2006 2:35 PM
Oooh you caught me i read it every daaaaay! i'm not a 'HE' by the way,
Posted by: Lunar | April 13, 2006 6:52 PM
Whatever, Peter.
Posted by: radosh | April 13, 2006 8:48 PM