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Robert Byrd, longest-serving member of Congress, dead at 92

rivrrat said:
Look, seriously... I didn't agree with Byrd on everything. He was a Democrat after all. :lol: Democrats are pretty well known for their racist policies (affirmative action) among other things. But I'm not going to jump on some Byrd bashing bandwagon solely because he used to be in the KKK for like a year when he was in his early 20s. Did he used to have racist views? Without a ****ing doubt. He admits to it, which is more than I can say for most politicians... hell, most PEOPLE period. Perhaps he still held those racist views to his death, I don't know. What I DO know is that his policies changed. And I really don't give a flying patootie what someone's personal beliefs are as long as they don't try and make me and the rest of the country abide by them. And, after the civil rights movement, he didn't. His policies changed with the times... which, again... is more than I can say for most politicians or people in general.

You want to bash him, then bash him for something significant, I'm sure there's a ****load of stuff out there. But don't bash such an icon simply for being a member of a racist organization for all of a year in his youth.
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for a year?


Sen. Robert Byrd not only was a KKK member but led his local Klan chapter | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment
 
Reverend_Hellh0und said:
for a year?


Sen. Robert Byrd not only was a KKK member but led his local Klan chapter | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment
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Byrd joined the Klan at the ripe young age of 24 — hardly a young’un by today’s standards, much less those of 1944, when Byrd refused to join the military because he might have to serve alongside “race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds,” according to a letter Byrd wrote to Sen. Theodore Bilbo at the height of World War II.
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:shock:

Dang....that's harsh.
 
I have little doubt that about 50 years from now, that generation will look back at the 90's a think how completely stupid people were when it came to the treatment of homosexuals, who by then will be treated mostly with respect and basic human rights.

Generations change perceptions.
 
Middleground said:
I have little doubt that about 50 years from now, that generation will look back at the 90's a think how completely stupid people were when it came to the treatment of homosexuals, who by then will be treated mostly with respect and basic human rights.

Generations change perceptions.
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yes because black people can hide there blackness and be treated like a white man to a ku klucker like byrd. :ssst:
 
Middleground said:
I have little doubt that about 50 years from now, that generation will look back at the 90's a think how completely stupid people were when it came to the treatment of homosexuals, who by then will be treated mostly with respect and basic human rights.

Generations change perceptions.
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Not as long as homophobia remains good political business for the left.
 
Reverend_Hellh0und said:
seems in 47, he thought the Klan was needed "more today, than ever"


Robert Byrd - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Lets not white wash his past. :ssst:
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Yes, he did. But he wasn't a member of the KKK then. I stated that his racist views could have continued until the day he died, but his POLICIES - for which we elect individuals - changed with the times. I couldn't care less if he feels that blacks, jews, and whoever are the scum of the earth as long as he doesn't enact policies that put into action that belief. After the civil rights movement, his policies changed.
 
rivrrat said:
Yes, he did. But he wasn't a member of the KKK then. I stated that his racist views could have continued until the day he died, but his POLICIES - for which we elect individuals - changed with the times. I couldn't care less if he feels that blacks, jews, and whoever are the scum of the earth as long as he doesn't enact policies that put into action that belief. After the civil rights movement, his policies changed.
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i think had they not changed, neither would his policies, makes him pretty low in my book. I will concede he was like WV royalty. ;)
 
My condolences to this man's family. However, I cannot praise him for being a senator or for the life he lives. He was a racist Democrat who was the "king of pork." We are better off without him.
 
American said:
Not as long as homophobia remains good political business for the left.
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Not sure what you mean. Do you not think that homosexuals will eventually be treated the same as everyone else?
 
were you a guide on the gauley?
 
liblady said:
were you a guide on the gauley?
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I assume you were asking me since I mentioned working on the rivers in WV. Yes, the Gauley and the New, full time guide for about 10 years. Then a weekend warrior for a couple of years, and now I just go for fun.
 
On May 19, 2008, Byrd released a statement endorsing Barack Obama (D-Illinois) for President of the United States. One week after the West Virginia Democratic Primary, in which Hillary Clinton defeated Obama by 41.32 percent,[33] Byrd said, "Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support."[34] In a written statement, Byrd stated Obama was "a shining young statesman, who possesses the personal temperament and courage necessary to extricate our country from this costly misadventure in Iraq." When asked in October 2008 about the possibility that the issue of race would influence West Virginia voters, as Obama is an African-American, Byrd replied, "Those days are gone. Gone!"[35] Obama went on to lose West Virginia (by 13 percent), but win the November 2008 presidential election.

Robert Byrd - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
rivrrat said:
He's well liked in WV because he's one of our own. He was raised in a small coal mining town by coal miners (and btw, he was born in NC), he went to local colleges.
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That's because they hadn't yet invented the wheel to allow him to attend school outside of the state. :2razz:

The guy made some mistakes in his life, had no problem with funneling federal money to his area, and held his seat for far longer than he should have. He also had a family, had a lot of friends, and had a positive impact on an astounding number of people over his life. My condolences to all of them.

Video: Headlines - Braked Alaska | The Daily Show | Comedy Central

RIP you old coot
 
rivrrat said:
I assume you were asking me since I mentioned working on the rivers in WV. Yes, the Gauley and the New, full time guide for about 10 years. Then a weekend warrior for a couple of years, and now I just go for fun.
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i had the best time ever rafting the gauley one october long ago. better than sex.
 
liblady said:
i had the best time ever rafting the gauley one october long ago. better than sex.
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Awesome!! The Gauley is certainly a world class whitewater run. Did you do it when the dam was still using the tubes to put the water out? (as opposed to the stupid underwater release now with the hydro)

Reverend_Hellh0und said:
Then you are not doing it right shorty. :2razz:
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You should let me take you down the Gauley, you might change your mind. ;)


On topic, though, this is one reason I respected Byrd:

Robert C. Byrd’s “We Stand Passively Mute” Speech: Doc Text
 
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All the Byrd apologetics in this thread have me shaking my head. The man was a cynical opportunist at best, and did vile, unforgivable things. Having him in the Senate, especially for so long, was an embarrassment to this country. It's appalling that his legacy of racism didn't end his political career, and does not speak well of the sort machine politics still at work in this country.
 
Guy Incognito said:
All the Byrd apologetics in this thread have me shaking my head. The man was a cynical opportunist at best, and did vile, unforgivable things. Having him in the Senate, especially for so long, was an embarrassment to this country. It's appalling that his legacy of racism didn't end his political career, and does not speak well of the sort machine politics still at work in this country.
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What vile, unforgivable things?
 
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