I would like to think that Senator Robert Byrd, who passed away at 3:00 AM today, represented, in some way, the movement of our nation from deeply embedded and publicly displayed racism to an acceptance of all peoples as equal human beings, marked by their talents and their moral fiber, rather than their race or nationality.
Regards — Cliff
7 comments:
What? On the basis that an avowed racist and KKK "Exalted Cyclops" can claim to have changed his mind, only so he could become one of the greatest porkers in the history of Congress? The man FILIBUSTERED against the voting rights act of 1964. I'm relieved he's no longer dishonoring Congress by his presence.
Robert Byrd's greatest achievement was to become a walking argument for term limits. (He'd been a Senator since when there were only 48 states).
Nicely put Cliff! We *all* can change and Sen Byrd certainly showed a good example of the change that's possible in one's thinking.
Robert Byrd is the greatest example of the need for term limits. Byrd "changed" because to not do so would render him "unelectable" and force him to find "honest" work like the rest of his constituents.
In so many things, much like MA's Scary Kerry, he was for it before he was against it.
No wonder our laws are such an incredible nightmare of entangled purpose and objectives. Nobody in DC stands for anything...except "electability."
I've found in my journey, that a measure of a person is not in their mistakes, but in how they learn from them.
Also, the cynics, that prefer to yoke someone with the errors in their life, are normally incapable or unwilling to account for growth. Imo, frequently these cynics are frauds. They are shysters, portraying themselves as those that have grown. No. They are the ones that give safe harbor to darkness in their hearts.
If an afterlife exists in the sense that many believe, we should send Mr. Byrd off to meet his maker with the best wishes that we can muster.
Thank you for your service, Sir.
RIP
WHEW!!! I was so afraid that you would not avail yourself of the opportunity to condescend to mere, cynical, dark-hearted frauds such as I am. Life must be so, well, perfect in your secure little world.
It's such a shame that you can't wave your magic wand and rid the earth of vermin like me.
Actually, I cut and paste this comment of mine from another blog, Blue Hampshire.
by: Jack Mitchell @ Mon Jun 28, 2010 at 08:33:17 AM EDT
http://bluehampshire.com/showComment.do?commentId=94057
Note: I wrote it before Clif posted his diary. I thought I'd share it here. Without much regard for you, per se. Not that I didn't notice the contrast my perspective offered.
But you go get down with your bad self. I need not worry. Attrition is a magical natural force.
There are different views on this. I will say that Senator Byrd is getting a better send-off than Senator Strom Thurmond, but then Strom was from an earlier era—as a middle aged man he went ashore at Normandy, as I recall. (I checked—glider landing w/ the 82nd Airborne at age 42.)
Kad makes some valid points, but in the afterlife, as Jack says, it is Robert and his Maker. In this life he was more like the late Jack Murtha. He should have moved on a while ago.
Regards — Cliff
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