October 11, 1990 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 28699 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS LOISE RISHER DAY emplary life. She serves as a shining example rights fanaticism that led her to say that for us all. confirming David Souter would mean "ending freedom for women in this coun­ HON. MIKE PARKER try." OF MISSISSIPPI DAVID SOUTER AND THE This style of apocalyptic trembling, fit for FEMINIST MISTAKE an embattled speech at an abortion rally, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES puts Yard over the line that separates au­ Thursday, October 11, 1990 thentic social revolutionaries from cause­ HON. BOB McEWEN mongering pop-offs who are so sure of the Mr. PARKER. Mr. Speaker, today I stand in OF OHIO correctness of their stance that anything the Halls of Congress, the "people's cham­ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES slightly askew-especially the near-harmless ber," to speak in honor of a great citizen of Thursday, October 11, 1990 remark of an 87 -year-old codger-is not al­ my district, Loise Risher. This day, October lowed to stand. 12, 1990, has been designated as Loise Mr. McEWEN. Mr. Speaker, David Souter of By bursting their veins before and during Risher Day, by the Mississippi Association of New Hampshire is now an Associate Justice the hearings over Souter's unknown views Life Underwriters and the Jackson Association of our Nation's Supreme Court. It is useful on abortion, did Yard and her tribalists really expect him to intellectually prostrate of Life Underwriters as a tribute to her for now to reflect on the hearings which preceed­ ed his confirmation. himself before the NOW demands? He re­ many years of devoted service to the insur­ fused to be cornered and, like Br'er Rabbit, ance industry and her community. Like many of his colleagues in journalism, uttered nary a peep from the brier patch. Loise is a native Mississippian. She was Coleman McCarthy wrote of NOW President On notice that nothing short of saying "I born Loise Shirley on November 12, 1920 Molly Yard's intemperate testimony and be­ pledge always to uphold Roe v. Wade" near Pineville, Mississippi. She was the oldest havior in his September 30 column in the would satisfy the abortion lobby, Souter fin­ of five children when her mother died. Loise Washington Post. It is insightful. essed it. He was well coached by the White had to assume many of the duties of keeping [From the Washington Post, Sept. 30, 19901 House and Justice Department in the art of no-answer answers, so as to appear a good­ a family together and seeing that their needs DAVID SOUTER AND THE FEMINIST MISTAKE guy moderate worthy of the Senate's sup­ were provided for. She came to Jackson, MS (BY CoLEMAN McCARTHY) port. after high school and attended business col­ High feminist dudgeon went higher at the Souter should be rejected-for rank inex­ lege. After she finished business school and Souter hearings when Sen. Strom Thur­ perience in federal law. Because abortion got her first job she used her first paycheck to mond said: "We have a lovely group of dominated his hearings, the public knows buy her family a new refrigerator. She married ladies here. We thank you for your pres­ little or nothing of his views on such consti­ John Chesney and they later moved to Ham­ ence. I have no questions." At the witness tutional issues as workplace safety, limits on mond, IN; Tucson, AZ; and Houston, TX with table, Molly Yard, president of the National corporate power, consumer rights or capital Organization for Women, rolled her eyes, punishment. John's job. John died in 1966 leaving Loise shrugged her shoulders and said later that In arguing against Souter, Yard had much with sons David, age 22, and John, age 4. Thurmond had "trivialized" her and other to say about women's rights and reproduc­ She then moved back to Jackson. women there to oppose David Souter's nom­ tive rights but nothing on fetal rights. She In 1967 Loise was hired to fill the dual role ination to the Supreme Court. defines women's freedom in a narrowness of executive secretary for both the Mississippi The South Carolina Republican, 87 and that she would find intolerable if expressed Association of Life Underwriters and the Jack­ the oldest member of Congress, belongs to by the other side. For Yard, women's free­ son Association of Life Underwriters. She has the school of chivalry that believes men dom means full empowerment to kill what is served in that capacity since 1967 and will should open doors for women, buss them on alive and growing, which is a bizarre defini­ the cheek rather than shake hands, and call tion of freedom. The state-the patriarchal retire at the end of 1990. Loise was the 1983 them lovely ladies as if they were wearing state-sanctions the destruction of fetal life recipient of the C. Carney Smith Award, which antebellum gowns and serving mint juleps for the same reason it has legalized the vio­ is presented each year by the National Asso­ to menfolk on the veranda. lence of war and capital punishment. ciation of Life Underwriters at its annual meet­ Molly Yard, tightly wound by half, picked Many credible feminists-female and ing. It honors the one outstanding association a useless fight. She might have had a case male-reject the violence of abortion be­ executive from the many affiliates of NALU. had Thurmond said "lovely girls" or, horror, cause they oppose all forms of violence. She has been active in numerous civic and "lovely gals," or fillies, chicks, or duckies. Molly Yard doesn't speak for them. Legal philanthropic organizations and served as Getting ticked off because an unreforma­ rights don't mean moral rights, a distinction ble old buck uses a double-standard phrase she doesn't discuss. 1973 president of the Public Relations Asso­ that was, at worst, the equivalent of a burp Alan Simpson, who has a solid record of ciation of Mississippi, and several years as a showed Yard caricaturing the humorless lambasting anyone who acts like a sidewind­ board member of the Southern Public Rela­ and hypersensitive side of feminism. Her er, should have gone further and told Yard tions Federation. pique gave Sen. Alan Simpson <R-Wyo.) a to stop offending not only Strom Thurmond In 1972 she married William H. Risher, Sr. chance to heave a lasso around this incivil­ but those feminists who differ from the This extended her family to include William ity. "Don't shrug," he snapped at Yard. "I NOW line. Yard doesn't speak for them. Risher, Jr., and Mrs. Sandra Ingram. William get tired of watching shrugs and kind of Little evidence exists that she even wants to Risher Sr. died December 31, 1984. Loise looking up at the ceiling when Strom Thur­ understand them. mond says something courteous." enjoys playing the organ and painting. Her oil Although Souter wasn't called back to paintings of still life, landscapes and sea­ give his views on the constitutionality or TRIBUTE TO MR. CHARLES scapes have been exhibited at numerous art calling ladies lovely or women acting unlove­ "BUD" THOMPSON shows. She is a charter member of the Missis­ ly in response, Simpson issued a sound judg­ sippi Artist's Guild. Loise was a long-time ment: Yard and her sisters "love to dish it member of Calvary Baptist Church until she out but they don't like to take it." Instead HON. CHUCK DOUGLAS moved to Brandon in 1985. She is a member of quitting while they were behind, NOW OF NEW HAMPSHIRE has called for an apology from the Senate of Brandon's First Baptist Church where she IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES continues her many years of singing in church Judiciary Committee, a request that's about as likely to be fulfilled as hair growing on Thursday, October 11, 1990 choirs. Simpson's pate. Mr. Speaker, I commend Mrs. Loise Risher Yard came to the hearings on a mission of Mr. DOUGLAS. Mr. Speaker, today I want to on her noteworthy accomplishments and ex- wild zealotry, consistent with an abortion recognize the efforts of Mr. Charles "Bud" e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 28700 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS October 11, 1990 Thompson of Canterbury, NH, for his extraor­ through lectures, guided tours, and the he obviously still believes what he said all dinary dedication to the preservation of our media, have played a consequential part in those years ago. Nation's heritage. Throughout his life, he has the enormous growth of interest in the Some people still don't get it. Given what worked to preserve the culture of the Shakers Shakers that this century has witnessed. 2. He has brought "history to the people," has occurred around the world the past year, and other American utopian societies as well giving thousands of lectures to organiza­ it is incredible that Mr. Nader can go before as Native Americans. tions throughout New England on the con­ Russians waiting in line to buy bread or what­ Bud's interest in Shaker history and culture tributions of the American Indians, the ever and actually try to talk them out of priva­ began many years agb when he came across nature lore that was so much a part of early tizing because it would give opportunities to Shaker folk music while looking for new types American life, and various aspects of Ameri­ Western corporations.