The 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death just concluded, bringing with it much introspection about Dallas’ troubled past. Sadly Kennedy’s death is not the only one that has left our nation, and our nation’s young people, reeling. We’ve been robbed of too many young rising stars, and actor Paul Walker is just another whom we’ve lost too soon.

For us, Generation Y, film stars like Paul Walker are more important than politicians.

We don’t admire many politicians unless you include Ron Paul. They don’t occupy the same space that they once did. Don’t believe me? While Kennedy was president his average approval rating according to the Roper Center was 70 percent. What about President Obama or President Bush? Both had average approval ratings of 49 percent. It’s not surprising, then, that actor Tom Hanks is the most trusted person in America–and for good reason– according to a recent Reader’s Digest poll. Actors and actresses are people that we trust on a fundamental level, and have replaced our politicians as the people we admire most.

Paul Walker, the blond chiseled, handsome 40-year-old star of The Fast and the Furious movie franchise was an icon. His tragic death last Saturday in a car crash, much like the death of James Dean, was shocking to us. People my age have been attending Walker’s movies since 2001. Walker was in his prime, and was poised to remain the main character in the Fast and the Furious for the foreseeable future.

Walker had potential as an actor, and we’ve been robbed of that. The two last films that he was working on, The Fast and the Furious 7 and independent film Hours, will be released soon. They’re his final film contributions to us.

I don’t have any job approval ratings for Walker, but I’d say he was respected for what he did. Walker was someone we counted on to make entertaining films, but more so, someone whom we trusted.

What most don’t know about Walker is that he was heavily involved in charity work, and was a rare celebrity who did it because he really cared. It wasn’t to burnish his brand or sell movies. He bought a $10,000 wedding ring that a returning Iraq war veteran couldn’t afford, and on the day he died was raising money for his charity for victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines. Walker never sought recognition for his charity efforts, and went to Haiti and other disaster sites to help anonymously.

Walker projected a certain genuineness and caring that other public figures are usually unable to do. He’s what we wish more people were like.

Walker died doing what he loved in a car crash. Much like Health Ledger, and James Dean, we’re left wondering what other contributions Walker had in store. Actors are more important than we give them credit for. Let’s remember that Walker was more than his job, and more than an auto enthusiast. He really did make the world a better place.