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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

A Great American Hero and former Washingtonian Has Left Us

It is with great sadness and respect that I salute the death of one of a childhood hero from my formative years. No. He wasn't an actor, or singer, or popular author, athlete or news personality. His degree was in sociology. Although he was born and raised locally, most of his professional life was spent in Canada and he recently died at age 93, so for example - many news organizations and tabloids where so many of us get our important news these days will most likely have nothing to print about his passing.

So I want to post his name and a link to a short piece about his death here "In Your Neighborhood" because if there is nothing else you do today in my personal opinion (which you are welcome to take or leave) you ought to take a moment to read it today.

If I could be so bold at the day's end the piece may be more meaningful to you and your family than reading all the fine print on the levels of sodium and sugars on the canned goods in the grocery store this afternoon. So without further ado I'd like to introduce you to Gordon Kiyoshi Hirabayashi.

Even for those fellow South Sound citizens and fellow Americans in general who may not be lucky enough to have been born a member of the post-war Japanese-American community (I say this in jest, but there are some out there who still consider this to be a news item of interest only to folks like myself) it is worth reading. Even if it is only to acknowlege the passing of a former neighbor whose son holds them up for teaching them the values of "honesty, integrity, and justice".

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