Strom Thurmond passes away at 100 years

[Kwyjibo]

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/special_packages/strom/



Longest filibuster ever 24 hours and 18 minutes against a civil rights bill

[tazo]

May he rest in peace.

[voicegy]

``I want to tell you,'' he declared in one speech in 1948, ``that there's not enough troops in the Army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the Negro race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes and into our churches.''

Then, over the years, his racial politics changed as blacks began voting in large numbers. He became the first Southern senator to hire a black aide, supported the appointment of a black Southern federal judge and voted to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday.

RIP, Strom.

[pellucidity]

No tears shed here, and I know it's cruel.... But I can't say I'm sorry. With power comes responsibility, and he did not distinguish himself.

[Clark C]

I always thought he was a racist. But after watching the news last night, he was a pretty amazing man. He earned my respect. He was a teacher and coach, became and became a districe judge. In World War II he stormed the beaches on D-Day and was in many major battles up through the Battle of the Buldge. He also fought in the Pacific. He was the only guy to win a write-in vote to the senate. I think he also sincerely changed his view on civil rights (at least I hope he did).

[wdlove]

My sympathy goes out to his family and friends. At 100 years quite a remarkable life. May he long hold the title of longest and oldest serving Senator!

[jayscheuerle]

May the devil have him.

[redAPPLE]

your wish is my command :D

[wdlove]

Stronm Thurmond had a long and historical life, from WWW II to his retirement in January after 48 years!

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/27/obituaries/27STROM.html?th

[jackiechan]

A racist and a politician, two birds with one stone.

[tazo]

The blending of sarcasm, unwavering wit and hatred is unappealing at best. A war hero and a great politician who helped many people has been hailed a racist, albeit a reformed one. In a sad twist of fate a man can change his ways, but not the views of those around him.

Now, before I too am called a racist (wouldn't be the first time, in fact its an inside joke amongst friends), I would like to point out something. Strom Thurmond introduced and supported many policies which were conducive to a better world. Now before you view only the bad in a person, you must look at what he has done well. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, general rights, policies in the South, helping civilians in South Carolina-the list goes on! True at one time the man was a full blown racist, but he reformed himself.

I find it mildly amusing that liberals are quick to strike down Thurmond as anything more than a now dead racist, and yet blindly supported our former President, Mistah Bill Clinton. Irrefragably, a man that influenced so many people negatively did more harm then good.

[mod. edit - Keep it clean.]

[Ugg]

Originally posted by tazo
The blending of sarcasm, unwavering wit and hatred is unappealing at best. A war hero and a great politician who helped many people has been hailed a racist, albeit a reformed one. In a sad twist of fate a man can change his ways, but not the views of those around him.



Can a tiger really change its stripes? I don't know if he really changed inside or if he finally realized that in order to survive in public office he would have to change his evil ways. The man did a great deal of harm to the nascent civil rights movement of that, there is no doubt. After his change of direction he genuinely did a lot of good. To deny his past is to deny his transformation.

He was a southerner through and through and my limited experience with southerners is that racism and segregation are deeply seated. I think that is why so many people doubt his sincerity. Anyone who could stand on the podium as long as he did to filibuster civil rights legislation had to have some deeply felt convictions.

Maybe the views of those around him are so cynical because racism still exists?

[wsteineker]

Being a southerner and a voting Democrat, I feel torn here. On the one hand, Strom Thurmond was (for a while) a deplorable representative of his constituents and a prime example of the worst that my region has to offer. On the other hand, he didn't start out that way, nor do I believe he ended up as such. Strom Thurmond's career in politics began with the late Senator serving as a model progressive. It was only when his run for the Presidency as a Dixiecrat that he began to wear a racist suit. And while he never got back to those roots after years of saddening behavior, I genuinely believe that he gave everything he had to his attempt at changing his stance on civil rights issues. While he may have toted the Republican party line most of the time, he did step out when he felt it was important (MLK holiday, for example). While no saint, the late Senator Thurmond will be remembered as an illustrious and powerful man with a career unprecedented in American politics. And unlike some of his younger compatriots (Newt Gingrich, Trent Lott et al.), he will be remembered as a man who eventually learned to do the right thing. Or maybe I'm being entirely too giving as a result of a distinguished man's passing. Oh well. Rest in peace, Senator Thurmond. May your legacy, no matter what it be, not go quietly into the night so that we may be priveliged enough to learn all that we can from your life.

[tazo]

Originally posted by Ugg


He was a southerner through and through and my limited experience with southerners is that racism and segregation are deeply seated. I think that is why so many people doubt his sincerity. Anyone who could stand on the podium as long as he did to filibuster civil rights legislation had to have some deeply felt convictions.



I can agree with your comment on racism still being prevalent in the south. I was in Georgia with my dad, he was on a business trip. My dad sent me out of my hotel into some barber shop a few blocks away we had seen earlier. I walked in and I was the only white person in there. I could have sworn the music stopped. The owner of the shop said look man we don't want you here. Leave. So I did. I have had similar experiences in other parts of Georgia and the south in general.

[HasanDaddy]

Yes - he was a racist.....it did, however, take a lot to change those views, and hopefully, influenced others to change in the process.......hopefully we'll remember that too

did you guys know that Strom has been a USA Senator since FDR's Presidency!!!

[wdlove]

Originally posted by HasanDaddy
Yes - he was a racist.....it did, however, take a lot to change those views, and hopefully, influenced others to change in the process.......hopefully we'll remember that too

did you guys know that Strom has been a USA Senator since FDR's Presidency!!!

He was elected to the South Carolina Senate during the presidency of FDR.
In 1954 he was elected to the US Senate, during the Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration. He was sworn in by VP Richard Nixon. His official biography listed below giving date of service in the State Senate, WW II, Governor of SC, & the US Senate.

http://www.strom.clemson.edu/strom/bio.html

[pseudobrit]

Whether you agree with his actions and opinions or not, you have to agree that Thurmond was a great man who kept working well past his prime and gave his life to service of the country.

As an outspoken democrat but fellow human being, I can honestly say I hope he rests in peace.

[dr_spudboy]

Strom derserves to be remembered as a Senator who campaigned for what his constituents wanted. Yes he was a full blown racist in is early days, just as many of his constituents back then. He moderated his stance just as the South was in general moderating. But he will always have the racism follow his legacy, which can show us all that the hardened zealot can change his stripes.

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
As an outspoken democrat but fellow human being, I can honestly say I hope he rests in peace.
I couldn't have put it better myself. Rest in peace, Senator Thurmond.

[jackiechan]

I say good riddance. This has nothing to do with blindly supporting Bill Clinton. I'm definately not a republican, and I'm sure not a democrat either.

One year good ole Strom hates black people, the next year he's the biggest supporter of MLK. Politicians shouldn't be allowed to stay in office for as long as he did.

[tazo]

Originally posted by jackiechan
I say good riddance. This has nothing to do with blindly supporting Bill Clinton. I'm definately not a republican, and I'm sure not a democrat either.

One year good ole Strom hates black people, the next year he's the biggest supporter of MLK. Politicians shouldn't be allowed to stay in office for as long as he did.

Nah we shouldn't you're right. We need space for more billclitons.