With those two things in mind, an icon of St. Louis is gone; someone who virtually everyone knew. And somehow, it made me extraordinarily sad when I saw the news Mr. Sinclair had passed away. So here's my own tiny tribute to him.
As far back as I can remember (and well before that, I'm sure), Sinclair was a fixture on local television. He did all his own ads, and finished each with the same tagline, "Thank you, and here's my address." Those ads were a part of the fabric of life in St. Louis, or at least the fabric of my own life in St. Louis. It seems strange to think he'll never make another. In recent years, Sinclair had become increasingly concerned with the outsourcing of American jobs overseas, and had begun speaking publicly about the subject. He made headlines late in 2008 when he pulled his advertisements from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch over their own outsourcing practices.
Whether you agree with the man and his politics or not, it was remarkable to see someone take such a stand in public. He didn't harangue or scream; he simply presented his argument, using his own money, and let the public decide. I don't know if I've ever respected someone more than I did when I saw his ads encouraging people to educate themselves about the politics of the day. Dave Sinclair, in his own small way, showed us all the best of what America can be. He will be missed.
