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Remembering Byrd's Racism
Frum Forum ^ | June 29, 2010 | Alex Knepper

Posted on 07/02/2010 1:43:41 PM PDT by smoothsailing

Remembering Byrd's Racism

June 29th, 2010

by Alex Knepper

Yesterday, the media was pushing hagiographic narratives about the redemptive story of Robert Byrd’s past on race relations. The moral of the story is that you can always make up for being a racist son-of-a-bitch. But the real subtext of the story is: being a Democrat means that you can promote segregation, join the KKK, vote against both black Supreme Court nominees, and use the word “nigger” on national television — and still be remembered as a promoter of black interests.

Robert Byrd’s KKK membership is dismissed by his worshipers as youthful indiscretion. It wasn’t. It was the beginning of a long and sordid history filled with hatred and bias.

Highlights of Robert Byrd’s history of race relations include:

– 1942: Joins the KKK; eventually rises to the rank of “Exalted Cyclops.”

– 1945: Writes “Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.”

– 1947: Says in a letter that the Klan is needed “like never before” and declares that he is “anxious to see its rebirth.”

– 1964: Attempts to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It wasn’t out of principled libertarian support for property rights. Cites a racist study claiming that black people’s brains are statistically smaller than white people’s.

– 1967: Votes against Thurgood Marshall’s Supreme Court nomination. Went to J. Edgar Hoover to see if Marshall had any Communist ties that could ruin his nomination.

– 1968: Tells the FBI that it’s time that Martin Luther King, Jr., “met his Waterloo.” FBI ignores him.

– 1991: Votes Against Clarence Thomas’ Supreme Court nomination. Becomes the only senator in the body to have voted against both black Supreme Court nominees.

– 2001: Refers to what he called “white niggers” on national television. Try to imagine, say, Haley Barbour being given a pass after calling someone a “white nigger.”

We’re told that he recanted his views. Great. So did Strom Thurmond. But those words — just words — rightly got him nowhere. If Robert Byrd’s grandson runs for Congress and is defeated by a black candidate — as happened to Thurmond’s grandson in South Carolina last week in a Republican primary — will the media breathlessly report it as the end of a racist era in the Democratic Party’s sordid history, as they did of Tim Scott’s overwhelming victory?

Do I need to draw you a picture? The metanarrative must be preserved at all costs: Republicans, racist; Democrats, good. That’s all you need to know about the media’s thoughts on race relations in America. The final relic of federally-approved segregation left us. That’s the real story: it’s the end of an era. What brave news outlet will report that?


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: West Virginia
KEYWORDS: democrats; partisanmediashills; robertbyrd; westvirginia
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1 posted on 07/02/2010 1:43:43 PM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: smoothsailing

Ku Klux Klan

Byrd joined the Ku Klux Klan in 1942 when he was 24. His local chapter unanimously elected him the top officer of its unit.[10]

According to Byrd, a Klan official told him, “You have a talent for leadership, Bob ... The country needs young men like you in the leadership of the nation.” Byrd later recalled, “suddenly lights flashed in my mind! Someone important had recognized my abilities! I was only 23 or 24 years old, and the thought of a political career had never really hit me. But strike me that night, it did.”[10] Byrd held the titles Kleagle (recruiter) and Exalted Cyclops.[10]

In 1944, Byrd wrote to segregationist Mississippi Senator Theodore Bilbo:[17]
“ I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side ... Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds. ”

— Robert C. Byrd, in a letter to Sen. Theodore Bilbo (D-MS), 1944, [10][18]

In 1946 or 1947 Byrd wrote a letter to a Grand Wizard stating, “The Klan is needed today as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia and in every state in the nation.”.[19


2 posted on 07/02/2010 1:45:25 PM PDT by Kozak (USA 7/4/1776 to 1/20/2009 Reqiescat in Pace)
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To: smoothsailing

for later.


3 posted on 07/02/2010 1:45:40 PM PDT by texanyankee
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To: smoothsailing

Bubba Clinton, the traitor, says it was just a “fleeting association.” lol


4 posted on 07/02/2010 1:49:24 PM PDT by TigersEye (Greenhouse Theory is false. Totally debunked. "GH gases" is a non-sequitur.)
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To: smoothsailing

I feel badly for Trent Lott. He was nearly destroyed by the faux outrage at his comments at Strom Thurmond’s birthday celebration.

Today we have bubba excusing Byrd’s joining of the KKK as it was a way to get elected.


5 posted on 07/02/2010 1:49:24 PM PDT by Carley (For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.)
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To: Carley

When Slick Willy was done speaking 0bama got up and gave Sen. Byrd a verbal shoe shine.


6 posted on 07/02/2010 1:51:23 PM PDT by TigersEye (Greenhouse Theory is false. Totally debunked. "GH gases" is a non-sequitur.)
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To: smoothsailing
The Early Byrd


7 posted on 07/02/2010 1:52:07 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Visualize)
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To: smoothsailing
If want to see racism, just take a look at Holder and Obama.

But the narrative, of course, as you describe, is that a Black person can never be racist under any circumstances.

According to the Media, this is a privilege only for White people. Which is in itself racist racism.

There are none more racist in America than American Liberals.

8 posted on 07/02/2010 1:53:52 PM PDT by 240B (he is doing everything he said he wouldn't and not doing what he said he would)
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To: smoothsailing

Excellent piece by Alex Knepper and accurate.

The Democrats can praise Byrd all they want but he was a racist, plain and simple.


9 posted on 07/02/2010 1:56:50 PM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: Carley

Don’t feel bad for “Pom Pom Boy” Lott. He became a Conservative Republican because he began his Congressional career in the most conservative district in Mississippi. If he had lived in San Francisco, he’d have had hair half-way down his a$$, a “special friend” named Raoul, and would’ve been to the left of Teddy Kennedy.


10 posted on 07/02/2010 1:56:59 PM PDT by MuttTheHoople
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To: smoothsailing

Everyone can experience a conversion and be forgiven, but this guy deserves no slack because democrats will not ever give the same courtesy to a normal person.


11 posted on 07/02/2010 1:57:14 PM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged (liberalism: severe deterioration of the thinking apparattus)
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To: smoothsailing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FIBJt-c2o0
“Byrd: “I’ve seen a lot of white niggers in my time””


12 posted on 07/02/2010 1:58:40 PM PDT by iowamark
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To: smoothsailing

Don’t forget he continued to vote against non-whites:

– 2005: Senator Robert Byrd voted against Dr. Condoleezza Rice’s appointment, indicating that she “has asserted that the President holds far more of the war power than the Constitution grants him.” Yet, According to Senator Barbara Boxer, their reasoning had to do with Dr. Rice equating Hussein’s regime with Islamist terrorism and some could not accept her previous record.


13 posted on 07/02/2010 2:00:20 PM PDT by ntmxx (I am not so sure about this misdirection!)
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To: smoothsailing

“Hey, come on, he was only trying to get elected.” - Slick Willie


14 posted on 07/02/2010 2:11:09 PM PDT by choctaw man (Good ole Andrew Jackson, or You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma...)
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To: JoeProBono
The Early Byrd

The late Byrd

15 posted on 07/02/2010 2:11:50 PM PDT by Zakeet (The Big Wee Wee -- rapidly moving America from WTF to SNAFU to FUBAR)
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To: smoothsailing

Sad to say, black demorats have no brains, they just drink the kool-aid. Absolutely disgusting! Talk about racism; do you mean to tell me that the black domesh@ts actually respect a half white honkey muslim? This country is toast and I’m glad I’m old and won’t see the total distruction that will come in a few years.


16 posted on 07/02/2010 2:12:05 PM PDT by New Jersey Realist (Congress doesn't care a damn about "we the people")
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To: smoothsailing

Sad to say, black demorats have no brains, they just drink the kool-aid. Absolutely disgusting! Talk about racism; do you mean to tell me that the black demosh@ts actually respect a half white honkey muslim? This country is toast and I’m glad I’m old and won’t see the total distruction that will come in a few years. (Later post. Misspelled the demo-whatevers!)


17 posted on 07/02/2010 2:13:42 PM PDT by New Jersey Realist (Congress doesn't care a damn about "we the people")
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To: smoothsailing

Sheets has given up his lock on the sheet market. LOL


18 posted on 07/02/2010 2:16:12 PM PDT by org.whodat
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To: smoothsailing

the democrat party uses racism against their foes.

bill clinton was no stranger to the n-word.


19 posted on 07/02/2010 2:17:58 PM PDT by ken21 (who runs the gop?)
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To: TigersEye

We made sure to stay outside and not watch one minute of the royal a$$e$ making their fawning speeches.


20 posted on 07/02/2010 2:22:29 PM PDT by Carley (For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.)
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