Who would have guessed that you, Timing, and pgabriel would be in here rejoicing in the death of a 100 year old man who happened to be a segregationist during a time when the majority of the country was segregationist... not to mention comparing that 100 year old man to a genocidal dictator. Oh wait...
Ha. I usually have no interest in the D&D forum here, but it is good for a laugh now and then. I don't care about Thurmond. One way or the other. But I don't usually celebrate deaths of people (I'm sure there are exceptions), only because I tend to focus on family/kin they have left behind. Spitting vile at the dead doesn't matter, because they are beyond our reach anyway. However. Any of you that think he had 'changed his ways' are being a little naive. This isn't an episode of Sanford and Son. He had to 'change', as time moved on. He adjusted, adapted, and said what he needed to say to keep himself where he was. He's a politician. That's what they do.
Well, for Mr. Strom Thurmond, I feel a quote from Cromwell will suffice: "You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go" He is gone, and that is a good thing.
I don't get why some people on here are getting mad when another person says "I won't miss him one bit". There was a reason why Trent Lott had so much trouble for supporting this old b*stard you know...
You're so original Nomar. #1. I haven't rejoiced in the death of anyone, but I can certainly see why people would find some sort of redemption in the death of a man who worked so hard to keep others down. #2. He didn't "happen" to be a segregationist. He was an active segregationist who proudly worked towards maintaining segregation as policy. He happened to be a white guy from the south, he didn't "happen" to be a racist piece of ****. #3. I'm not sure whether or not the majority of the country was supportive of segregation however the majority of the country wasn't in Strom's position of power. Someone here actually called Strom "courageous" for standing up for what he believed in when according to you the majority believed in it too. That doesn't take any courage. Furthermore, you say a man died that is all when in reality this man symbolized a disgusting part of our past. In the way that Hitler symbolizes hatred of Jews and in the way that Osama bin Laden symbolizes terrorism, Strom Thurmond represented hatred and racism in this country. Your defending his honor as someone who "happened" to be a segregationist simply illustrates you haven't a god damn clue what millions of people have struggled for to this day. What's worse is that we all know that you don't really give a damn and that's pretty freakin sad.
a bit off topic but....ill never understand how someone can be super religious AND racist at the same time. weve all met them and wanted to puke. if i did what strom thurmond did with my life, i honestly wouldnt expect people to mourn me. i appreciate the people here who are trying to be humanitarians by mourning the loss of life but cmon, it reeeeally looks bad when you consider what the guy represents. im a white male in the south and honestly, the man embarrasses me. i think we all kind of know where you're going anyway with instigating a political party bashing and at the same time defending his honor. id bet if you started a thread on the confederate flag being the current south carolina flag, youd argue how it doesnt symbolize racism and is in fact a tribute to the great ol dixie southern culture or whatever. condoning racism for the sake of tradition is the dumbest thing ive encountered in the south. so what if abraham lincoln was a racist? he did the right thing which is more than you can say for strom. most people get that stuff from their parents anyways.
De mortuis nihil nisi bene, and that is why I will not comment on Strom Thurmond. Anyway, I would just like to say something to Manny: Get over it. You have absolutely no idea about the relationship of that woman and the much older guy. Who are you to call that woman a gold-digger etc., when you have no idea who she is. I don't know anything about her either, but I just find your attitude towards this ridiculous because you make yourself the judge of who should be allowed to be with whom, based on their age difference, and if it is too large, automatically the woman becomes a "gold-digger". That is silly and sounds like it is said out of a certain attitude of frustration. There are very few extreme cases where I would probably agree with making such an assessment without even knowing the people, but the only one I can think of is Anna Nicole Smith marrying this old guy. And even in the Anna Nicole case, who am I to judge, maybe it's still a fair deal for the old geezer, perhaps he had some fun on the way out at least . Of course, I am just defending this because when I will be 80, I will probably still want a hot 22-year old chick next to me as well .
So, <b>timing</b>, <b>pgabriel</b> et al, the world would have been a different place if you had been born 100 years ago into Thurmond's family? Yeah, sure. It's pathetic to enjoy a sad old man's death. He was not evil; maybe he was dumb or maybe he was just like most people-- a product of his time and circumstance. There are a few heroes in this world that defy their circumstance in life and go on to do the right thing or to do the great thing, but let's not demean everyone else because that will include most of us when our time comes to go.
1. There were a number of people who were civil rights activists in the 50's and 60's. Your idea of a "few heroes" is misleading and disturbing. What are you saying? Only 5 white people in the entire United States opposed segregation and racism? The majority supported segregation but there was also a lot of people who believed it was wrong and fought against it. You think segregation wouldve ended if African Americans were the only ones behind the "cause". Please. There were more than a "few". 2. I don't understand why you cannot, or refuse to, distinguish the difference between passively accepting it versus lobbying to continue it.
<b>riet</b>: I don't consider anyone who is an activitist necessarily to be a hero. That designation is reserved for a much more select group of people. Some may have grown up as a first-generation southerner, etc. and were engulfed by fair-minded dinner conversatons every night about racial equality. There are many reasons to explain their commitment that doesn't necessarily make them heroes who have had to overcome incipient prejudice in their environment and somehow have the grit and vision to see and to be different.
woke up this morning and this happy thought occurred to me: nowadays someone with stroms or byrds credentials would never be elected to a high government possition if the people knew their racial views......hopefully. well, maybe in a podunk small deep southern town but other than that, it's not like this will ever be a problem again. this makes some president getting it on in the oval office seem a little more trivial, to me at least.
I am in no way defending Strom's past, but I wouldn't expect you to comprehend my posts anyway. I think we should look at Strom honestly, that is all. He was a typical white, Southern politician who reflected his environment. He grew personally, to the point where he actually saved the Martin Luther King Jr. Commision. Strom started out as a strict segregationist, but later hired blacks for his staff. I ask again- does that sound like the actions of a "racist scumbag", or the actions of a man who was attempting to change with the times for the better? Once again Timing, people like you, who misrepresent the truth while spitting on the grave of the recently deceased, only make yourselves look petty. Of course, Woofer is the most disgusting, as he condemns the majority of our grandparents to "rot in hell", but the rest of your ilk run a close second.
Also Timing, when we look at the life of Malcolm X, who lived as a thug, thief, drug addict, convicted felon, racist, segregationist, and then enlightened man- why do we honor his legacy? Why does our society crucify Trent Lott and Strom Thurmond while naming streets and schools after Malcolm X? I think the comparison is valid.
JAG and Jackie, Next week I will turn 30. The age difference between Strom Thurmond and his 2nd wife is the same as me and someone who won't be born until 2017! It absolutely makes me sick to think that when I am 50, my "future wife" will only be 6 freaking years old!! But other than the fact that it is highly disgusting and appalling to think of something like this, the thing that really gets me is the shallowness of it all. I don't care what anyone says, no one is going to convince me that a 22 year old woman marries a 66 year old man because she really "loves" him. She only marries him for his money, power, and prestige. Why do you think this broad separated from Strom in 1991? She got tired of waiting to cash in on his ass. And no, Jackie, I am far from being jealous. Personally, I think someone who marries someone with that big of a disparity in age has some serious issues, but more than that it shows shallowness and an accent on material things and possessions. And there is nothing more that I DESPISE than to see shallow people who think their material things are what makes them who they are.
So why can a woman not love a much older man? Explain to me how you can be so sure of what you just stated. What makes one person love another person? Are you saying this because you think they cannot be sexually attracted to someone that old? Where do you draw the line? What about Harrison Ford and Calista Flockheart (just as an example)? So are people of the same age who love each other shallow because their love might be based predominantly on sexual attraction? I think you are way too judgmental. And before a moderator claims this is off-topic for this thread, I will always keep the thread in mind that was derailed by Dr of Dunk...the one with kidney stones or something .
44 years is all that I need to base that on, Jackie. I am sure that Strom and Nancy had great times reminiscing about his days at Normandy during World War II. Oh wait, Nancy hadn't been born yet. Er, scratch that one.
Manny, I don't know what is wrong with you. As men who hope to aspire to old age, we should be doing everything possible to promote the idea that it is ok, and even desirable, for college co-eds to bed male seniors. "hey young lady, the barkeep just gave last call- would you like to see why we are called the Greatest Generation?" "hey little girl, the only thing blocking the path to nirvana for you is these false teeth, and I will let you take them out for me" etc.....
Um, Jackie, you can't present any evidence to me that this woman loved Thurmond for anything besides his money and power and prestige. And I can't present any evidence to back my point. So, what is the point of using conjectures to back up an opinion? You're a lawyer, you are supposed to know stuff like that, right? And I will keep being judgmental on things like shallowness, and I am not going to stop because you are telling me that I am judgmental. I call them the way I see it and if you don't like it, then I guess don't read my posts about it.
As a lawyer, I know that "innocent until proven guilty" is not something that you apply here with regard to this woman . Obviously, how the hell would I know whether that woman loved this guy or not - I don't care either. It just bothers me when people judge other people like that without really knowing anything about them. People are free to make choices in life. If a couple has a 44-year age difference between them, but they still make the choice to be together and they are happy, why not let them be happy? Why condemn them (or, even more interesting, only her) for this like you did?
