I won't pretend I knew him well -- I didn't. But we talked a few times, and had lunch together fairly recently at the waterfront in Tacoma. He was openly leftist.  When he introduced himself to me he said, "I obviously come from a liberal viewpoint."  It was refreshing. So often, people in journalism try to pretend they have no viewpoint, which means they're either not thinking about any information they gather, they're lying, or they're blind to it. The last journalist I'd seen that introduced themselves that way was Brit Hume back when he was with ABC News, but Hume identified as conservative and explained he thought acknowledging one's own bias was important in providing objective journalism. That way, you could be on guard for information you might avoid or suppress because it didn't paint "your side" in a flattering light. Surprisingly, Driscoll reminded me of him because just after telling me his views were left wing, he said he was seeking perspectives that were not.

Driscoll acknowledged that he was a leftist writing for a paper in a city that is liberal but a county that is swing. Pierce is one of the last truly politically mixed areas and he want to provide readers a variety of perspectives. He wanted me to be a part of that and help him find others that could be too. 

We talked some politics, some culture, we talked about our families and where we came from. We talked about things that made us laugh and those that ticked us off.

Then we talked about the bill. 

He'd forgotten his wallet and I paid. He said ethics rules wouldn't allow him to accept it, When I asked what kind of employer assumes you can be bought for a cheeseburger and fries,he laughed. To avoid washing dishes, he accepted my "loan" but made me agree he would be buying the next time -- he even reminded me about it the last time we spoke. 

Never in a million years did I think there would be no "next time." 

He was a father of three. His youngest was nine. Everything I've read about his devotion to his family and his job since then was reflected in his personality over that lunch. I can't image the loss they must be feeling.

I don't believe people ever get over the loss of a loved one. I just think you get strong enough to carry the grief.  And as you get stronger, the memories you have of that person bring stop causing you as much pain and bring instead gratitude for the journey and the time you shared together. The pain is always there, but the joy starts to overshadow it.  

I hope that happens swiftly for the Driscoll family and that his voice and their memories of him remain ever vivid.

And I hope Driscoll's approach of seeking out other views, allowing them to be heard and encouraging civil discourse is a legacy that spreads. We could all use more of it.