Jesse Helms: A Legacy To Die For?
July 4th, 2008 | by Daniel DiRito |Controversial former North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms has died at the age of 86. The following two quotes from Jesse Helms are not, on their surface, offensive…which is why they are so important.
I believe they provide insight into understanding the motivations behind all of the other reprehensible Jesse Helms quotations. You see, what you will find in the hearts of many who are outspoken is an unfortunate and misguided righteousness derived from their religious beliefs. He had every right to his beliefs. Unfortunately, some of his actions suggest he didn’t support the same for others.
“I want our government to encourage and protect freedom as well as our traditions of faith and family.”
“I have tried at every point to seek God’s wisdom on the decisions I made, and I made it my business to speak up on behalf of the things God tells us are important to Him.”
Note in the first quote how the protection of freedom is modified by the need to support traditions of faith and family. In other words, freedom should be available to those whose notions of faith and family comports with his own. The inference is that those who do not support his notion of faith and family may not deserve the same freedoms.
In the second quote, we see the certainty to enact the beliefs expressed in the first quote…and to do so unabashedly. Again, this Helms quote implies that God spoke to him…which entitled him to speak his mind…regardless of who it injured.
Further, I suspect he was convinced that it also granted him the authority to pass legislation to abridge the rights of those who didn’t follow his interpretation of God’s edicts or to block the passage of measures intended to grant equality to those he deemed inferior.
Helms’ legacy is therefore a testament to intolerance and intransigence. Rather than see himself as a cog in the wheel of humanity, he saw himself as the pilot designated to steer the course of his fellow man. In the end, his legacy is steeped in arrogance and wholly lacking in the ability to demonstrate the very humanity he must have believed his actions were upholding.
And now the quotes that the history books will undoubtedly use when defining Jesse Helms.
“I’ve been portrayed as a caveman by some. That’s not true. I’m a conservative progressive, and that means I think all men are equal, be they slants, beaners, or niggers.”
- Jesse Helms, North Carolina Progressive, February 6, 1985, quoted from the Democratic Alliance.“There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in origin to sodomy.”
-States News Service, 5/17/88“I’ve never heard once in this chamber anybody say to the homosexuals, ’stop what you’re doing.’ If they would stop what they’re doing there would not be one additional case of AIDS in the United State.”
“To rob the Negro of his reputation of thinking through a problem in his own fashion is about the same as trying to pretend that he doesn’t have a natural instinct for rhythm and for singing and dancing.”
“The Negro cannot count forever on the kind of restraint that’s thus far left him free to clog the streets, disrupt traffic, and interfere with other men’s rights.”
“Homosexuals are weak, morally sick wretches.”
- 1995 radio broadcast“She’s a damn lesbian. I am not going to put a lesbian in a position like that. If you want to call me a bigot, fine.”
- Explaining why he was opposing the appointment of a woman for a cabinet post.“They should ask their parents if it would be all right for their son or daughter to marry a Negro.”
- In response to Duke University students holding a vigil after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, 1968“We’ve got to have some common sense about a disease transmitted by people deliberately engaged in unnatural acts.”
- Arguing for reduced AIDS funding, The New York Times, 1985“These people are intellectually dishonest in just about everything they do or say,”…. He added, “They start by pretending that it is just another form of love. It’s sickening.”
- From Variety
I doubt it’s possible, but I’ve often wondered if the dead can look back and see their legacy. It would be nice to know that Jesse Helms would want to modify portions of the one he leaves.
Cross-posted at Thought Theater
16 Responses to “Jesse Helms: A Legacy To Die For?”
By Jersey McJones on Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
It is inspiringly fitting that he died on July 4th. Independence from people like that is something to be celebrated.
JMJ
By Tom Harper on Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
If there’s an afterlife, that sack of shit might very well be looking back and reviewing all the shit he’s created. He’ll have eternity to think “oh my God, that meanspirited little pusbucket was me? Nooooo!!! No wonder it’s so hot down here.”
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
Off topic, I know, but…surprise, surprise! Growing fuel: the single worst idea in the history of sorry ideas.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
In other news, you probably thought Pringles were made from potatoes. You were totally wrong, according to a British tax court ruling:
Even the guy from Pringles won’t say what they are. Weird.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
In England, their total gun ban seems to be working wonders. As they say, “If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will carve you up with their knives and stab you hundreds of times…wait a minute, that doesn’t sound right…”
By rube cretin on Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
too bad there ain’t a hell.
By rube cretin on Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
craig,
Take a deep breath and have someone drive you home. And folks think i go off on a tangent?
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
Happily, I am at home.
By Chris Radulich on Jul 5, 2008 | Reply
A true conservative icon.
“America lost a great public servant and true patriot today,” White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said few senators could match Helms’ reputation.
“Today we lost a Senator whose stature in Congress had few equals. Senator Jesse Helms was a leading voice and courageous champion for the many causes he believed in,” McConnell said in a statement.
Fear and hate The two pillars of the Republican party. They truely mourn one of their own.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 5, 2008 | Reply
Interesting factoid. Jesse was a Democrat until, as best I can tell from Wikipedia, he ran as a Republican in a race in 1972.
By Chris Radulich on Jul 5, 2008 | Reply
I can probable give you the exact date of his conversion. July 2, 1964
That is when Johnson signed the civil rights act. Prior to that they had not forgiven the Republican party Lincoln. After that they never forgave the Democratic party for Johnson.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 5, 2008 | Reply
Chris,
Don’t know. All I know at present is that 1972 is the first political activity as a Republican or for a Republican that Wikipedia mentions.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 5, 2008 | Reply
Read the short bio at JesseHelms [dot] com. They don’t ever mention him being a Democrat or working to elect Democrats, as Wikipedia does. Kind of Weird.
Wall Street Journal has this:
That doesn’t quite SAY that Helms left the Democrats behind in ‘72 but seems (to me at least) to sort of imply that. WSJ may not, however, be the most respected news source around here.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 5, 2008 | Reply
This Washington Post article mentions his work for a nasty campaign for a Democrat in 1950 and states that Helms became a Republican in 1970:
One may suspect that, in his heart, he left the party earlier than that but I have no reason to doubt the veracity of WaPo on this point so I’ll take it as established that 1970 is the year that he joined the Republican party.
By Chris Radulich on Jul 6, 2008 | Reply
I’m not surprised that his site does not mention he was a democrat. The south is really upset about the civil rights movement.
If you look at the electoral maps prior to 1964 the South ( Georgia, N & S Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi) where solidly Democratic prior to 64( except for Einsenhower). After 64 the only election they went demomcratic was Carter’s election.
By Mike Licht on Jul 6, 2008 | Reply
The late senator deserves a fitting memorial. See http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2008/07/05/jesse-helms/