In the latest example of fringe candidates proving they don’t deserve to be taken seriously, Morgan Bruce Reeves (who is representing the Green and United Citizens parties on the November S.C. gubernatorial ballot) has arbitrarily proposed removing former U.S. Strom Thurmond’s name from 80 percent of government buildings in South Carolina.
How did he come up with that “80 percent” figure?
Our guess is that this would-be “Pharaoh” reached around and randomly pulled it out of his ass.
From WLTX TV-19 (CBS – Columbia):
Reeves said it was Thurmond’s past as a supporter of segregation, as well as his questionable relationship with a black servant, that has urged him to protest.
However, Reeves did say he thought Thurmond represented our state in a positive way at times, so his name shouldn’t be removed from all buildings.
“I’m not perfect, and I realize I’m not perfect,” Reeves said, “So I suggest that we take Strom Thurmond’s name off 80 percent of the buildings in our state.”
Reeves also took this opportunity to call out Republican Nikki Haley and Democrat Vincent Sheheen, challenging them to a three-way debate.
“I feel I’m being discriminated against because they have not invited me to join them in a debate,” Reeves said.
Reeves also told WLTX that he has conducted his own straw polls which show him leading both GOP nominee Nikki Haley and Democratic nominee Vincent Sheheen in the gubernatorial race – a claim that’s about as believable as his whole “I played in the NFL” shtick.
Reeves added that “Democrats who owned the plantation” will vote for Sheheen, while “Democrats who tried to get off the plantation” will vote for him.
UPDATE: Regarding buildings that bear Thurmond’s name, there’s Strom Thurmond High School in Aiken, the Thurmond federal building in downtown Columbia and the Thurmond Institute at Clemson. There are also Thurmond buildings at Winthrop and Charleston Southern University. Are we missing any?
By Phili September 1, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Strom Thurmond Fitness Building at USC
By Soren Kay September 1, 2010 at 9:00 pm
“Reeves pushed for year-round schooling, emphasizing the importance of ethanol plants and establishing a statewide high-speed rail system. He referred to Nikki Haley, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, as a “housewife,” and said Sheheen didn’t have a solid congressional record.”
http://www.theitem.com/news/article_42e6e7d6-7ac5-5742-a59d-50d22ab031a2.html
BTW, notice WLTX missed an “f” in “off” and called him “Harold Reeves” which is something I haven’t seen before…
By Sumterite September 1, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Not my neck of the woods, but I think there’s a lake in the Upstate . . .
By flipnut September 1, 2010 at 10:04 pm
J. Strom Thurmond Dam, aka Clarks Hill Dam
By Annette September 2, 2010 at 12:30 am
Thurmond was a hypocrite of the first order.
When popular to condemn blacks, he lead the pack, while he raped his black maid.
When popular to praise blacks, he changed his mind, keeping up with public sentiment.
Not a leader or a man of character.
Not even a Christian.
His namesake in Charleston is a snob who was trounced by Tim Scott, a black Republican.
What sweet justice.
By Charlie Speight September 2, 2010 at 1:46 am
Stromboli Thurmond High School is in Johnston, not Aiken.
By Charlie Speight September 2, 2010 at 1:47 am
Strom, that is…
By CriticalMass September 2, 2010 at 3:29 am
There are Democrats who are still trying to get off the plantation?
If so, I guess it would be smart for them to vote for Reeves.
I think all this hoopla just proves that Reeves had an inappropriate relationship with Essie Mae Washington.
By Old Bike Dude September 2, 2010 at 7:23 am
The sad truth is that if Thurmond were a young nobody today, he would be featured on a sexual predator website.
By countryboy September 2, 2010 at 8:19 am
I’m not perfect and I know that, so I say – take this idiots name off 80% of the ballots in November.
By countryboy September 2, 2010 at 8:24 am
BTW – Don’t take my previous statement to indicate I supported Thurmond, because I never did.
By ArtVandelay September 2, 2010 at 8:48 am
Well said Annette…
By Strong Bourbon September 2, 2010 at 9:12 am
Strom Thurmond Blvd and Strom Thurmond Soldier Service Center at Ft. Jackson – not that the state could do anything about those if they wanted to.
Strom Thurmond Highway – I-20 from the GA Line to Florence.
Strom Thurmond National Guard Armory (which is state property) in Edgefield in the shadows of Oakley Park (where the Red Shirts were organized.)
Statue in Edgefield in addition to the Statehouse one.
USAF has a C-17 named “The Spirit of Strom Thurmond” – “Spirit of X” is the typical way they name planes (There’s a B-2 Nighthawk – aka Stealth Bomber – named the Spirit of South Carolina for example)
Strom Thurmond Federal Building in Columbia (the tall one next to Finlay Park right on Assembly.)
The dam and lake as others have mentioned.
Thurmond Auditorium at USC Law.
Thurmond Mall – street/grassy area down by the offices/apts where the State Ethics Commission offices are.
Also, a bunch of scholarships and a few chairs at colleges.
Strom Thurmond Room in the US Capitol – look for some Senator down the road to try to change that one.
Most of this info came from Ol Strom by Jack Bass and also some from wikipedia.
By The Colonel September 2, 2010 at 9:42 am
Annette – you’re a twit.
Your “not a leader or man of character” volunteered for the Army and left the bench during WWII despite being above the draft age and exempt from the draft due to his position. He landed in a glider on D-Day, earning a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with V device (for valorous service under fire). He ultimately rose to Major General and was among one of the most beloved leaders the US Army Reserves has ever had.
There is NO evidence that he raped Carrie Butler, the relationship that they had was not that unusual in the rural south in the 20s.
Your assertion that he was not a Christian should raise his stature in a good little liberal’s eyes like yours but like many (most) liberal assertions, it is wrong. Ol’Strom was a devout Southern Baptist.
As for the idea that he did one thing when it was popular and another thing when it wasn’t, there is some truth in that. However, like most liberal positions, it is not viewed in context. Strom was a man of his time – it wasn’t popular to “condemn blacks” in the 20s and 30s, condemnation was never the issue, equality was. Blacks were simply treated as second class citizens because that was the way it was. He didn’t own slave ships or a plantation – slavery had ended (in the South) 50 years earlier. Strom ultimately embraced integration and led it on his own staff by hiring the first “African” American as a senatorial staffer.
For the record, slavery was wrong, “all men are created equal” and flaws aside, J. Strom Thurmond has done more for the state of South Carolina than any politician before or since.
If you want to remove people’s monuments for cause, walk around to the other side of the tae House and Start with a “good ol democrat” named Ben “Pitchfork” Tillman.
By matthew boedy September 2, 2010 at 11:42 am
I counted 18 in early 2000s….
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2002/12/04/met_362134.shtml
By CNSYD September 2, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Annette, I assume you have PROOF that Strom raped the lady, is that correct? You were there and have first hand knowledge? It is extremely dangerous to assume you KNOW what any individual’s relationship is with the Almighty. I doubt very seriously that God consults with you on who is or isn’t a Christian.
By CM Sullivan September 2, 2010 at 1:04 pm
The following is a list of things honoring or named for the late Strom Thurmond…
… Hall, Winthrop College; Rock Hill.
… High School; Edgefield County.
… Student Center, Charleston Southern University; Charleston.
… Federal Building; Columbia.
… Institute, Clemson University; Clemson.
… Auditorium, University of South Carolina School of Law; Columbia.
… life-size statue, Town Square; Edgefield.
… Vocational Rehabilitation Center; Aiken.
… Educational Center; Union.
… Lake, Dam, and Visitor’s Center; Clarks Hill, Georgia.
… Mall; Columbia.
… Soldier Service Center, Fort Jackson; Columbia.
… Room, U.S. Capitol; Washington, DC.
… Highway, all of Interstate 20 in South Carolina.
… Boulevard; Columbia.
… Biomedical Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina; Columbia.
… National Guard Armory; Edgefield.
… Defense Finance and Accounting Building; Charleston.
… Bust, U.S. Capitol; Washington, DC.
… Monument, The Statehouse; Columbia.
… Wellness Center, University of South Carolina; Columbia.
… Brigade, 360th Civil Affairs Brigade, U.S. Army.
… Portrait, State Senate Chamber; Columbia.
… 2003 edition of the S.C. Legislative Manual.
Source: Strom Thurmond Institute and South Carolina Legislative Manual.
By to catch a predator circa 1920 September 2, 2010 at 3:55 pm
at the very best strom thurmond was a child rapist by all legal standards. when you’re an adult and you have sex with a 15 year old child, that’s called child rape. can anyone seriously question that logic, you republitard idiots?i guess what makes it worse is that he thought he had the slavemaster’s preogative: that he could use his properety any way he saw fit. then, i guess, the fact that he was blackmailked by j. edgar hoover with the information that every South Carolinian knew to be fact but denied publicy, simply makes him the longest serving STOOGE in the history of the US senate. but for SC republicans, who give mark sanford a near 65% approval rating, strom thurmond was and always will be a saint ( and essie mae was the temptress witch seducer of strom’s pure as the driven snow innocence).
By csnyd... September 2, 2010 at 3:57 pm
…since when is a 15 year old child a “lady” you f-in ignoramus?
By LOL the colonel said: September 2, 2010 at 4:01 pm
that child rape which he calls a “relationship” was “not that unusual in the rural south in the 1920s.” i’ll just add: it was not that unusual for slavemasters to rape their child slaves either. but i’m sure you’ll find some BS rationale for that too.
By Soft Sigh from Hell September 3, 2010 at 8:19 am
There were jokes of renaming the state Thurmundia several decades ago, what with all the pieces being named or renamed..
The Thurmond operatives shamelessly tried to get the new judicial annex building near the Thurmond Federal Building named after him too but failed.
By /b/ September 3, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Strom was no pedo, and banging young hos wasn’t unusual then or now.
Lest we forget the rules of the game back then, have some facts:
The Constitutional age of consent for South Carolina is still fourteen:
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/scconstitution/a03.htm
SECTION 33. Age of consent.
No unmarried woman shall legally consent to sexual intercourse who shall not have attained the age of fourteen years. (1999 Act No. 3.)
Practical AOC now is sixteen:
http://www.ageofconsent.com/southcarolina.htm