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Guest Commentary: April 30, 2001
Washington Post Story on Senator Strom Thurmond
An 'Orgy of Pejorative Blather'
The Honorable Robert Byrd (D-WV)
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[On April 26th, the] Washington Post contained a front page story on our distinguished colleague, Senator Strom Thurmond.
I am the Senator in this body who has served longest with Senator Thurmond. I served with Senator Thurmond when Senator Thurmond was a member of the party on this side of the aisle. So, having served with Senator Thurmond all of these long years, I began reading the story, thinking how nice it was that the paper would devote time and space to take notice of the longest serving U.S. Senator in American history, Senator Thurmond, who has cast more than 15,800 votes.
He is a man who loved his country so much that he gave up his draft exemption status during World War II in order to enlist in the U.S. military and take part in the invasion of Normandy and the liberation of Europe. I salute Senator Thurmond for his patriotism. He didn't have to do that, but he did it.
As I read the story, I was filled with dismay, then revulsion. Contrary to my expectation, what I was reading was a demeaning drivel filled with denigrating language and insensitive images.
As I read, I kept asking myself, what is the point of this story? Is there any purpose to be served by it?
This is certainly not a news story. Yet, it is on the front page of a major national newspaper -- a newspaper that is read around the world everyday, a newspaper that is a great newspaper.
I can see neither a point nor a purpose to the story other than a pathetic attempt to demean an outstanding man and a long serving, distinguished federal lawmaker.
Every senior citizen in America ought to be offended by this orgy of pejorative blather which aims only to viciously exploit something as normal as the human aging process.
We are all going to be old one day, if we live long enough. We ought to be conscious of that fact. We should be conscious of it every day regardless of what pursuit we follow in life.
Is there no decency anymore?
Is there no respect for anything anymore?
The people of South Carolina continue to place their confidence and their trust in Senator Thurmond . They elected Senator Thurmond to represent their State in the U.S. Senate. And they have elected him and reelected him many times. That is their judgment to make, and I respect their judgment, and so should everybody else.
The Senate is a collective body of 100 men and women who have been elected by the people of their various States to make the Nation's laws. We are a unique body. One-thousand, eight hundred and sixty-four men and women have served in the Senate since the first day it met in 1789.
We are a special body. While we may have our disagreements on this floor, I believe that the Members of this body for the most part respect each other off the Senate floor as well as on the Senate floor.
However, midway through the story, the Post journalist quotes a Senator who "agreed to speak candidly only if he was granted anonymity."
I am speaking candidly today, and I don't do so with anonymity.
At any rate, the story quotes the unnamed Senator as saying, in talking about Senator Thurmond, "At what point do you draw the line?"
That is the question I kept asking myself as I read this inappropriate, tasteless, cheap-shot piece of journalism: At what point do you draw the line?
That is the very question the Washington Post should have been asking before they chose to print their tabloid tripe: At what point do you draw the line?
May I suggest that the real story here is not Senator Thurmond's age. The real story should be that he loves this institution so much and loves serving the people of South Carolina so much that he, at the age of 98, continues to serve and have the courage to carry on, and that he loves his country so much that he was willing to set aside his exempt status in World War II and participate in that dreadful landing on the beaches of Normandy and risk his life, as so many others risked their lives. And many of them never returned.
Senator Thurmond continues to serve and have the courage to carry on, in spite of non-news, deeply offensive stories such as the one in [the] Washington Post.
Note: This column has been adapted from a speech Sen. Byrd delivered on the floor of the Senate, April 26, 2001.
 How to contact Sen. Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia)
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