Senator Strom Thurmond Dies

[Typhoon1244]

Clinton never treated the Presidency with respect and "honor" is a word that will never appear in the same sentence with Clinton unless it is preceded by the words, "lack of."

I agree...but let's not pretend Strom Thurmond was somehow better than Slick Willie. Yes he served honorably as a soldier. He was also the candidate of choice for every Klansman and John Bircher in the nation during the Sixties.

"Speak well of the dead"...but let's remember who and what he was.

 

[46Driver]

Also remember that Slick Willie is literally only half as old as Strom - they grew up in different eras.

 

[Paladin]

I really do not understand how people can try and compare and contrast Bill Clinton and Strom Thurmond. It just makes no sense.

OK, so Strom was for segregation...in that time and in that place so were most white males. Its a part of Southern history that many are not very proud of, including myself. I live in an area of South Carolina where the public school system was not 'completely' desegregated until 1970. The college I went to (Furman) did not integrate until 1965, over objections from the Southern Baptist Convention...which thankfully has nothing to do with the school anymore. Strom Thurmond was a traditional Southern 'states rights' politician. Much like George Wallace, Strom Thurmond saw how his views were old fashioned and, well, just plain wrong. After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed he moved away from his support of segregation and began appointing blacks to high positions in government. In fact, in 1969 he was the first senator to hire a black staff member.

I find it amusing to listen to Northerners pass judgement on a man whose history and legacy far transcends certain views which he had forty years ago. I spent the greater part of my teen years up north (Cleveland) and found it to be one of the most racist places I'd ever been....I still find it to be this way whenever I visit. There's a lot of talk down here about Strom and his life, and I find it interesting that when most are asked of their opinion of the man, his support of segregation is not brought up...this from whites AND blacks. Its really not much of an issue here...its over, done with. The man deserves some respect for doing what he believed would better this country and the fine state of South Carolina for over 50 years.

Oh yeah, for the guy who brought up Hitler in this thread (Chprpilot)...get a clue, read a history book, get an education...whatever it takes... your comparison has about as much legitimacy as Sosa claiming to have never used a corked bat before...not to mention steroids.

Cheers,
Markus

American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God

 

[prodigal]

Isn't it interesting that liberals are the ones who argue for the rehabilitation of prison convicts, but at the same time emphatically and instinctually reject the notion that Strom Thurmond rehabilitated himself through an honest change of heart. Their hypocracy has no end.

 

[inline]

Hey Chperplt- What about Democratic Senator "Sheets" Byrd from W. Virginia? The ol' Grand Wizard never gets the same disrespect as Sen. Thurmond. What a constant moral struggle it must be to be a liberal!

Great post! The only racists are the democratic party.

 

[DaveGriffin]

old Onion article on Sen. Thurmond

http://www.theonion.com/onion3112/stromchange.html

 

[DTWFO]

Apparently it's now a crime to be a Democrat??!! I don't know why everyone on here bashes democrats but have you taken a look at the state of our economy now?? As for Strom, it is too bad that he passed away, but I'm not exactly sure you could catagorize him as a great senator. Just because he lived forever doesn't erase his past. I'm sure if you lived to be 100 your views would change also!

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

My views rest with Chper's. I wouldn't use the Hitler comparison but people like Strom had no place in leadership positions in our government. Strom's change of mind if it indeed did occur, took place because he had to change. Given that Harry Truman was probably only about 12 years older than Strom, why weren't his views as overtly racist in the 40's as Strom's were? Don't use excuses for this guy. We all are responsible for our actions whether we regret them over time or not. He was probably the most racist politician of the 20th century. I doubt he could have won office anywhere outside of the south.

And oh yeah, I'm from the south too! Don't use the northerners reason to explain my viewpoint.


Mr. I.

 

[prodigal]

Apparently the good people of South Carolina, of whom a good percentage are black, didn't agree with you.

 

[chperplt]

Cherplt you should be ashamed

You've got that backwards buddy.. You should be the one ashamed. You should be ashamed at yourself for believing that it is ok for a public figure to behave in the manner that man behaved for so many years.

By your comments, I take it you agree with the now dead senator? You think his views changed over the years, you need to think again. Take a look at how your great senator voted. That is, when he was able to stay awake during the voting sessions. To the very end his votes were anti semetic and blatantly racist.

I hope all the slaves and dead Jews are beating his ass with a stick right now in his afterlife.

I should be ashamed... I'll sleep just fine tonight, thanks.