Strom Thurmond dead at 100

[Evanauto]

Former U.S. senator Strom Thurmond, who took the political stage as the nation's most prominent segregationist and left it as the most enduring political figure of the century, died Thursday night at age 100.

Thurmond's unparalleled political career spanned eight decades, beginning with the Edgefield, school board in 1924. He served a term as South Carolina's governor, ran for president in 1948 to oppose civil rights, and won a Senate seat in 1954 as a write-in candidate. There he served 48 years, becoming the oldest and longest-serving senator in American history.

"I want to tell you 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." Strom Thurmond's speech to 1948 States Rights convention.

Strom Thurman is dead. Thank God for that. I really hated Strom, and all that his stood for. The only good Dixie-crat is a dead Dixie-crat and I would like to take this time to thank Strom for showing me that. Burn in hell you prick.

[Alejandro1]

Wow, this is just so sudden, I don't know how to feel, maybe a song will express my feelings:

*clears throat*

Strom is dead! Strom is dead!
He was fucked up in the head!

A hundred years, boy, thats a lot!
Thurmond fucked over Trent Lott!

Why do people think he's great?
He was never head of state.

Maybe that was just his fate,
cause he'd never integrate.

Now Strom is dead, we'll have to cope,
the next to die will be the Pope!!

[Mr-Chuckles]

At 6/27/03 05:46 PM, alejandro1 wrote: Now Strom is dead, we'll have to cope,
the next to die will be the Pope!!

True but harsh, harsh.

As with Strom, but he sounds like an asshole, so I wish he was still alive so I could kick him in the face. It's not the same when they're dead.

I can't really judge him though, as I've never really knew much about the guy.

[Commander-K25]

It's easy to write off all aegregationists as bastards, but it's not that simple. He was a man of his time that stood up for a commonly held idea back then. As times changed, so did he. I do no believe that the Strom Thurmond that just died is the same Strom Thurmond as fifty years ago.

[PsychoDoughboy]

At 6/27/03 06:12 PM, Commander-K25 wrote: It's easy to write off all aegregationists as bastards, but it's not that simple. He was a man of his time that stood up for a commonly held idea back then. As times changed, so did he. I do no believe that the Strom Thurmond that just died is the same Strom Thurmond as fifty years ago.

Tell it like it is. That was eloquent. I'm impressed at your intellect.

[OpIvy420]

Strom Thurmond's dead.

The tenth circle just gained a new member.

[JMHX]

I wholeheartedly agree with Commander. Thurmond was also the first in the Senate to appoint a black assistant, and denounced his views as a segregationalist long ago. I can not hold him responsible for his past politics, and can respect him for the time he served in the senate and his adamant anti-tobacco and alcohol views.

Good eve, Strom.

[House-Of-Leaves]

I think it's safe to say that Strom's politics 50 years ago is something we disagree with.

Commander is right, and he put it well. To assume that he was the same man when he passed as he was back then would be unjust.

I hope he rests in peace. :)

[wdfcverfgtghm]

Strom Thurmond was a honerable, genuine man. I disagreed strongly with many of his ideas, and found many of his actions and policies no less than vile, but I don't see it proper to make light of his death. I can't say that I'm sad at his death, it's hard to attach emotion to someone who's only a news bite to me, but he was a sincere man, who did what he thought was right.

His life had many achievements. I don't think he could have asked for more.

[RoboTripper]

The problem is that Strom never did apologize for nor renounce his segregationist views. This "renouncement" which never happened (at least publicly or on record) is a Republican myth. I could forgive Strom for his views since they were once a popular view, but first he would've had to ask for that forgiveness, or at least admit that what he did was wrong.

Strom was in a position of power and for a long time used that position to not only allow but to advocate segregation. This view by the leaders in the South encouraged the persecution of blacks and led to a huge amount of suffering, fear, and even death. Appointing a black person as an underling is how he avoided political suicide and hardly makes up for his attitude. Burn in Hell Strom

[Commander-K25]

At 6/29/03 12:17 PM, Crack_Smoker wrote: I could forgive Strom for his views since they were once a popular view, but first he would've had to ask for that forgiveness, or at least admit that what he did was wrong.

Yes, in the age of public apologies that supposedly "make everything right", that might be expected, but remember that he came from a much different time. There's no use in apologising for the past because back then he really did believe in those things. Just because he did not sign a formal document saying "I have changed" means nothing about what he did or thought.

[torq]

At 6/27/03 06:12 PM, Commander-K25 wrote: It's easy to write off all aegregationists as bastards, but it's not that simple. He was a man of his time that stood up for a commonly held idea back then. As times changed, so did he. I do no believe that the Strom Thurmond that just died is the same Strom Thurmond as fifty years ago.

True, the quote in the initial post was delivered in 1948. That was 55 years ago. Have you heard anything racist come from the guy in the last half century?

[Prince-Gweedo]

Oh well.
He was old.
AND Racist.

[Spike-J-Wolfwood]

Ok first of all this wrinkled old turd is finally buried as all turds should be. Secondly I can’t fucking believe that there are people here claiming that he was honorable, and are actually forgiving him his actions because he FINALLY renounced segregation (let’s all give him a pat on the back for catching up with the rest of the US). The man was a bigot and just because he hired a black aid doesn’t change that. In fact some of you may remember something about him losing his only daughter in a car accident and how bereaved he was. Well now that he is dead the truth that he tried to hide has come to surface. This old codger had an illegitimate child with a black house servant when he was younger. A daughter that he never acknowledged even after he lost his public offspring. This was a secret that he took to the grave and never had the courage to face.

He was a bigot, he was a coward, and the world is better off without him.

Did he actually do or say anytying to prove that he no longer was a racist?

[DarkCyrstal]

This is really going to hurt SNL (Saturday Night Live). It there only ancient politician is dead. ANd it isn't cool to make fun of the dead until long after they have deceased. Unless it is someone REALLY HATED. such as Osama, Saddam. Though Strom was a bit serengated, he spoke what he wanted and was honest. he pled to what he beleived in and he let it know strongly. You can't really hate Stron that much. He wasn't made senator by loyalty, but he was voted there. It shows what the people of that area think and feel.

At 7/8/03 11:57 PM, DarkCyrstal wrote: Though Strom was a bit serengated, he spoke what he wanted and was honest. he pled to what he beleived in and he let it know strongly.

Bin Laden also did that.

[DarkCyrstal]

At 7/9/03 12:02 AM, _crossbreed_ wrote:

At 7/8/03 11:57 PM, DarkCyrstal wrote: Though Strom was a bit serengated, he spoke what he wanted and was honest. he pled to what he beleived in and he let it know strongly.

Bin Laden also did that.

Yea, and that is why he is Famous. Dam it takes balls to get someone to run into an airplane.

[TheMDude]

At 7/8/03 11:57 PM, DarkCyrstal wrote: he spoke what he wanted and was honest. he pled to what he beleived in and he let it know strongly.

Yeah, he hated blacks. Should I respect him because he let people know strongly that he hated integration?

You can't really hate Strom that much.

Yes I can. The people trying to apologize for his actions should be ashamed of themselves.

He wasn't made senator by loyalty, but he was voted there. It shows what the people of that area think and feel.

Yeah, I wonder how many white sheets and hoods they had.

I'm glad the old scumbag is dead. The more of them that die, the more society can move on.

[JMHX]

At 7/9/03 03:06 AM, TheMDude wrote:

At 7/8/03 11:57 PM, DarkCyrstal wrote: he spoke what he wanted and was honest. he pled to what he beleived in and he let it know strongly.

Yeah, he hated blacks. Should I respect him because he let people know strongly that he hated integration?

I was in South Carolina just a few weeks before Strom Thurmond died. Or turned to salt. One of them. I was fighting the racism battle, and asked a black man who voted for Strom Thurmond why he did so. His response?

"I would rather vote for a man who was an honest racist half a century ago than a man who is a secret racist today."

It meant quite a bit.

How do you know if your political candidate is racist or not if he's keeping it a secret?

[JMHX]

At 7/9/03 08:53 AM, _crossbreed_ wrote: How do you know if your political candidate is racist or not if he's keeping it a secret?

Eventually they will slip up. ::cough::TrentLott::cough::

[DarkCyrstal]

At 7/9/03 12:02 AM, _crossbreed_ wrote:

At 7/8/03 11:57 PM, DarkCyrstal wrote: Though Strom was a bit serengated, he spoke what he wanted and was honest. he pled to what he beleived in and he let it know strongly.

Bin Laden also did that.

yep, you see Thurmond Kamazazing massive buildings and killing thousands.

[Commander-K25]

At 7/9/03 08:53 AM, _crossbreed_ wrote: How do you know if your political candidate is racist or not if he's keeping it a secret?

Do they act racist? Do they implement racist policies?

What politicians think is their own business. What they do is what matters.

[DarkCyrstal]

At 7/9/03 10:30 PM, Commander-K25 wrote:

At 7/9/03 08:53 AM, _crossbreed_ wrote: How do you know if your political candidate is racist or not if he's keeping it a secret?

Do they act racist? Do they implement racist policies?

What politicians think is their own business. What they do is what matters.

Exactly! If they hate Jews, let them hate jews. They can hate fucking Jews till' the end of fucking time for all i care. BUT, when they create that Anti-Mozzletuff Policy, then, my friends, we have a problem.

[JMHX]

The point is that Thurmond changed his views when segregation fell, and left his past behind him. The man's done it enough. After all, as I said, he was the first to appoint a black aide in the Senate, and the first to agree that Martin Luther King Day should be a national holiday. We all go through phases in life we wish we could take back, but instead of dwelling on that, Thurmond pressed forward with his career. Every election, Thurmond captured a quite decent amount of the African-American and minority votes. He must have been doing something right to have served so long.

[Spike-J-Wolfwood]

It was all pandering. If he wouldn’t even acknowledge his half black illegitimate daughter even after losing his “only” (read - white) daughter then he obviously didn’t change as much as his professional life may reflect.

I don’t see why everybody is always so nice to dead people. Especially when it wasn’t even worth being nice to them when they were alive.

At 7/9/03 10:30 PM, Commander-K25 wrote:

Do they act racist? Do they implement racist policies?

Some of them, yes.

What politicians think is their own business. What they do is what matters.

I agree but what they do is determined by how they think.

[JMHX]

At 7/10/03 03:03 PM, _crossbreed_ wrote:

At 7/9/03 10:30 PM, Commander-K25 wrote:

What politicians think is their own business. What they do is what matters.

I agree but what they do is determined by how they think.

Agreed. Which is why people like Trent Lott, who have said the world would be much better, and we wouldn't have the problems we do today, if 1948 Strom Thurmond had been elected president, have to give up their spots as Majority Leader. Stupid people, stupid quotes.

[Commander-K25]

At 7/10/03 03:03 PM, _crossbreed_ wrote: I agree but what they do is determined by how they think.

What I'm saying is that what they think doesn't matter as long as they don't act on anything (such as racism).

Gandhi may have been the most violent militant ever, but it wouldn't have mattered since he didn't act on it.

This is all theoretical, so nevermind.