These days, I'm not an avid watcher of the evening news and even when I do watch, I tend to gravitate towards NBC broadcasts. That being said, I have had the utmost respect for anchor Peter Jennings who passed away yesterday at the young age of 67.

By all accounts, he was an intelligent man (and a high school dropout) who worked to interpret and report the news in a truthful way. He was Canadian-born but had such a passion for American history that he carried a copy of the Declaration of Independence in his back pocket. It is said that he was a devoted father who took great pleasure in speaking with children and helping them to understand the world around them. From all that I've read, he was a gentleman whose character and integrity earned the respect of his coworkers, friends and viewers. Some try, but you really can't fake stuff like that. It's either who you are or it's not.

Whether a celebrity or not, the world loses something when an intelligent man like Peter Jennings leaves us. I am sorry for our loss.