It turns out that the late Senator Strom Thurmond was even more of a sad, conflicted, and self-loathing man than anyone knew simply on the basis of his racist political agenda. During all the years he worked to prevent integration, voting rights, educational equality, and more, it turns out that he was quite consciously working to prevent his own daughter from enjoying all the benefits of American citizenship. It's hard not to view a man who lived his life in this way as evil, but I really do think the more accurate view is to see him as simply pathetic.