Mister C (on NPR)

Walter C was a man I trusted
To dot every i and cross each t
As he spoke truth crafted unvarnished
And gave his all so freedom could ring

He gave us hope for our great nation
And calmed fraying nerves when bad news rained
Assassinations, war and protests
He was the rock where no shadow came

He said goodbye in humble manner
And we lost a friend who told news straight
For he had bowed down to no master
And his honest zeal was not replaced

We could not see that come tomorrow
That news would put on an ugly face
Of partisan views that fudged the truth
With propaganda that would breed hate

And divide us into red and blue
As the white of our flag bears this stain
With news turned into entertainment
And government a sound byte refrain

We were proud, but leaders now tell us
To lock every door and be afraid
And trust their secrecy to guide us
As they act corrupt in Jesus' name

Democracy should have few secrets
By, for and of people is our right
Now there's no trust for fair elections
And we badly need Mister Cronkite