Dean Barnett, 1967-2008. R.I.P.

I have just read that fellow conservative blogger Dean Barnett has died today of complications from Cystic Fibrosis. He was 41-years-old.

Our paths never crossed but I did read his stuff on occasion and liked the clarity with which he utilized his powers of persuasion. In fact, on at least one occasion, I quoted him when I reviewed Dinesh D'Souza's The Enemy At Home (www.intellectualconservative.com/2007/02/08/dinesh-d'souza-gets-september-11th-wrong/)

I regret that we did not meet because I suspect we would have had a great deal to discuss about politics and baseball. He was as avid a Red Sox fan. Before he went to work for Hugh Hewitt, his blog was titled Sox Blog http://dbsoxblog.blogspot.com/.

If there is a silver lining in all this is that the prognosis for people afflicted with CF is much better than it was a quarter century ago. I remember while going to grade school in Thunder Bay we would have presentations by this woman whose daughter had CF and her daughter would usually accompany her. I don't know if she's still alive. But back then a CF patient could expect to live into their 20s and some occasionally made it past 30. In the present, CF patients can survive into their 40s as was the case with Barnett. Some even make it to 50. So there is something to be said for medical research that has made treatments more effective.

Still, Dean Barnett had a lot more to give this world.