[guest post by Dana]

At 86-years old, Dr. Thomas Sowell has decided to spend less time on politics and more time on his photography, at which he eloquently excels. It goes without saying that it is to our collective loss that we will no longer have a regular dose of his wise observations about the issues of the day. Like many of you, Dr. Sowell’s treasure trove of thought has challenged and shaped my own views on matters of education, politics, basic economics and more. To my mind, the brilliant and insightful Dr. Sowell has also consistently demonstrated a mastery in the art of gentle persuasion. His columns remain small gems of rational thought which sparkle in a sea of increasingly tedious emotionalism and propaganda. Dr. Sowell brought it all, and through it all, remained a gentleman and a scholar.

A timely exhortation from his farewell:

It was very fulfilling to be able to share my thoughts on the events unfolding around us, and to receive feedback from readers across the country — even if it was impossible to answer them all.

Being old-fashioned, I liked to know what the facts were before writing. That required not only a lot of research, it also required keeping up with what was being said in the media.

In parting, he reminds us of why it is so vital that we remain vigilant:

We cannot return to the past, even if we wanted to, but let us hope that we can learn something from the past to make for a better present and future.

–Dana