When I first heard that Senator Paul Wellstone had been involved in a deadly plane crash over northeastern Minnesota, I was overcome with a profound sense of sadness and loss. Like most Americans, I was overwhelmed and deeply troubled by the loss of this maverick Senator. I went directly to the television seeking to find an explanation for this tragedy.

While the facts of how the campaign plane carrying Senator Wellstone, his wife, daughter, three campaign workers and two pilots crashed still remains a puzzle, what we do know is the manner in which Wellstone chose to live his life.

In an age when politics seems to be more about money, physical appearance, and the most overly simplified sound byte, Senator Wellstone was truly the antithesis of many in public office.

Senator Wellstone started his career teaching at Carelton College in Northfield, Minnesota. Wellstone became the youngest tenured professor in the college’s history, after hundreds of students signed a petition publicizing their solidarity with the professor who the administration was trying to fire for his seemingly radical, leftist notions. While at Carelton, Wellstone was a teacher, a mentor and an activist; mobilizing many students in his efforts towards fair labor practices and equality for all.

In 1990, Wellstone accomplished the unthinkable and won a seat in United States Senate from Minnesota. His campaign was limited monetarily, but was a paramount example of how grassroots organizing can be an effective way of getting your message across.

While serving in the Senate, Wellstone was truly a voice “for the people.” He spoke for those in our nation whose voices are often silenced due to circumstance and he built a reputation for being an independent thinker capable of voting his conscience rather then for what was most popular.

Ironically, Wellstone’s first and last votes in the Senate were opposing resolutions that approved war on Iraq. While his most recent vote was not popular and could have conceivably cost him his re-election, he still voted with his mind and heart.

The loss of Senator Wellstone is one that has dramatic political ramifications, but much more considerable are the implications that his death will have on the American people. When Wellstone’s plane plunged to the earth on that fatal Friday morning, it brought with it an independent mind that was redefining how American politics function. We should all take time, if only just one moment, and reflect on the life and efforts of a man that practiced a type of politics that sadly, with his passing, may never be seen again in quite the same way.

In his death, a door has been shut forever. Yet, from his life I sincerely hope that windows have opened elsewhere for people who wish to carry on the principles that Senator Paul Wellstone will forever be remembered by.