..out of the dark

Robert Byrd, one of the more attentive and active senators on Capitol Hill even at 92 years old, died yesterday, on the 28th of June. He spoke his mind, and made even apologising to easily offended misers afterwards a lesson in communication. And I hope he and his talks are remembered for a long time.

I remember his speeches ahead of the Iraq invasion - he asked questions. Difficult questions that no one could answer. Or that couldn't be printed in the papers. Or couldn't be included in speeches by the president. Or, as it turned out, even mentioned by any other senators or politicians in the US.

Byrd apparently had a pocket-book sized constitution with him at all times. Doubtful that he needed to use it to remind himself what was in it. But perhaps he had it on loan to others passing through the committees.

I think Byrd was one of the few senators in the US with some critical self-insight on their political role. He spoke about how he started his political career once - that is, not the part where he joined the Ku Klux Klan, but later, after he left and stood for election in West Virginia. And explained how he was campaigning. On a Sunday, after Church, with a fiddle. Basically, he'd go somewhere, play the fiddle, and wait for people to gather around. Then speak, and play the fiddle some more.

He didn't congratulate himself on being clever, it just was an interesting image - it conveyed something more than just words could - and it was important to have that. But it would not replace the speech, it was a way to further the speech, and engage the audience. To tell them a story so they'd understand.

He was quite good at it.