From Thurmond Family Struggles With Difficult Truth, by Jeffrey Gettleman (The New York Times, Dec. 20, 2003):

"It's been really hard this week... You have to turn on the TV and there are jokes about him and you're still grieving. I just hope this woman is coming out for the right reasons."— Robyn Bishop, 25, Strom Thurmond's great-niece.

"The man's dead, and he can't speak for himself... I don't know why this lady is doing this."— James Bishop, 59, Thurmond's nephew.

Um, try callling her "Aunt Essie." It may make everyone feel better.

Sidebars: 1. "I went to a church meeting the other day and all these people came up to me and you could tell they didn't know what to say...For the first time in my life, I felt shame."— Mary T. Thompkins Freeman, Thurmond's niece. She didn't feel shame when he filibustered for 24 hours against civil rights?
2. "Mr. Thurmond Jr., known as Lil' Strom and Stromboli..." Stromboli!