Rest in Peace Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney as I knew him, and will remember him

I was sad to hear of Andy Rooney's death.  There was something almost literary about it, like Charles Schultz dying on the day of the last Peanuts cartoon strip.  I don't know why, but when I was in high school, I was addicted to Andy Rooney.  No matter what, I tried my best to make sure I was home in time to see his little curmudgeonry on cue at the end of 60 Minutes.  Of course, back then, 60 Minutes was the News, and the News was (T)ruth.  It never dawned on me one way or another what Mr. Rooney's views were, his beliefs, his ideals and stances on this or that position.  It was the early 80s, and that meant Liberalism.  That meant we listened to people we may not always agree with, people we could still respect even if they held different beliefs.  It was the great movement to a society of tolerance, diversity, respect, and live and let live. 

And nobody pushed the limits of that ideal more than Mr. Rooney!  Even then, he could say things that would boil my blood.  He could set my parents on evening long diatribes explaining just how wrong he was.  He could cut to the quick, piss people off, and generally step on as many feet in an evening as possible.  And yet, we still went back for more.  Sure, it's because as often as not, we agreed.  But I think it's because at that stage, we were still in the days when liberalism was ironically trying to do what already was. 

I mean, nobody cared if Andy Williams was a this or that.  Nobody held some ideological yardstick up against Sinatra and said unless he conformed he was the enemy.  Nobody felt the need to qualify their respect for Mr. Rooney despite failing to hold to orthodox dogmas of diversity.  The age that liberalism promised was already there.  Ironically, it became liberalism that would do the very things it promised against.  When Rush Limbaugh entered the airwaves, it was calls for censorship and boycotts all the way!  When Charlton Heston died, sure Civil Rights leaders had to admit he walked with Dr. King, and was a strong proponent of Civil Rights.  But what mattered is that he disagreed with them, held differing beliefs, advocated things, such as the NRA, that they were against.  That is what dominated the memorials around Mr. Heston.  How times have changed.

Be that as it may, I will miss him.  I liked him enough that for Christmas one year, my parents bought me a couple of his books.  I still have them and have gone back to them a time or two over the years.  But mostly, I prefer to remember him as the product of a time when we judged the person, the whole person, not his stance on this issue, how he voted on that, what his sexual preference happens to be, or any such thing.  We simply looked to the person and said we did or didn't like him because of all he was.  And with Andy Rooney, when I looked at all he was, I admit I liked him a lot. 


Réquiem ætérnam dona ei Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat ei. Requiéscat in pace. Amen.