Cord Byrd: “Recently I received a letter from a Dr. Wayne M. Miller of Killeen, Texas. The letter was in reference to my recent…”

“Recently I received a letter from a Dr. Wayne M. Miller of Killeen, Texas. The letter was in reference to my recent eulogy for the late and beloved Senator John Cornelius Stennis. Dr. Miller wrote that he was deeply moved by the tribute, so much so that he sat down and composed a poem after hearing it. I call attention to the letter and to the poem enclosed with it because it demonstrates not only the sensitivity and talent of the writer, but also the power and the passion which words can evoke. In these days of often destructive, rude, and even dangerous rhetoric, let us stop and reflect on the tremendous power of our words. Such reflection may help those of us in public life and in the media to strive to use our voices to inspire rather than to enflame.”