ABC News announced to the world that their longtime anchor, Peter Jennings, died of lung cancer at age 67 on Sunday. Jennings' death is a reminder to all of us that the battle to find a cure for cancer is far from over and we have a very long ways to go.
I didn't always like his politics, but he was an American and Canadian treasure.
A veteran newsman, he left his mark on ABC News; many aspiring journalists looked to Jennings as an example of how one reporter could shape how the public viewed the world around them.
Jennings' huge contribution to the coverage of 9/11 will never be forgotten. He spent more than sixty hours on the air the week that the twin towers came crashing down and provided the nation with a much-needed sense of continuity. He probably did not realize it at the time but his deep voice and smooth speaking style did much to calm his larger-than-usual audience. Unlike the other networks, when you turned ABC News on during that week, you didn't see a second stringer sitting there; you saw Jennings.
When he announced that he had cancer on April 5th, he said something that has stuck with me since then. He said "...that almost 10 million Americans are already living with cancer and I have a lot to learn from them. And living is the key word." People at the Relay for Life echoed this sentiment all night when I was there doing my walking for the cause.
What a magnificent outlook on his condition. He must have known that he was in dire straights when he was diagnosed, but he never gave up hope and fought it tooth and nail. The fact that Jennings lost his fight to the cancer doesn't change the fact that he inspired others to take on their cancer and struggle to live.
Goodbye Peter Jennings, and thank you for your courage.
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