Wow, an entire AP obituary and not one word about his racist or gay-bashing legacy. The human turd’s sycophants even went as far as to compare him to John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both of whom also died on the Fourth of July. They even called him a patriot!
Helms was no patriot. He hated everyone who wasn’t like him–white, male, straight, privileged. Since that only includes a tiny percent of the American population–he hated most Americans. Therefore, he hated America.
26 Comments.
You treasonous scumbag…Jesse Helms had more America in his pinkie than you'll ever have in your entire family.
Ah, I can't keep it going…this should have been a whole column!
Wait one moment. Just because his believes were not our own, does that make him a scum bag? There may be some poetic justice in his death on the 4th.
The AP obit in my local paper has explicit quotes and accounts about his racism and gay-bashing and much else that revealed who he really was. (And the quotes by his sycophants. At least they clearly identified the source of their paychecks,The Jesse Helms Center.)
As the Bard's Mark Anthony said, "The evil that men do lives after them…"
Let's burn a cross in his memory.
It certainly gets old being asked to "tone down" the comments whenever someone like this dies, to be labeled a "grave dancer", or merely just disrespectful to the family.
Screw that.
Where was this asshole's respect for all the families of all the blacks and gays when he had a direct impact on the misery they suffered?
Screw him.
LOL!
Maybe the embalmer will have a sense of justice and will slice Jesse's dick off and shove it up his withered old ass. It's the send-off he deserves.
Wrong Rall. You – and all liberals – hate America. We in the Midwest know this thoroughly, so don't try to pull a switcheroo on us. It's elitist, and won't work. Anyone who would pen such a hate-filled diatribe against one of our own great leaders, shows the true colors of the liberal elite: hate and more hate.
What's the matter Rall? The "crispy brown" description is no longer hateful enough for you?
The UK Guardian Obituary pulls no punches. It is scathing and detailed.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/04/usa
Thanks Ted,
I remember this douche bag from the 90's.
I remember him using the Senate floor to air his homophobic and racist remarks.
I hope he is getting reamed in hell as we speak.
Ted, I agree.
"Superpatriots" love their country, while hating 90% of the people in it.
Being from North Carolina, I have a special place in my heart for Jesse Helms, did you know that a pro-choice group in the late 1990s covered his house in north Raleigh with a giant condom??
Good stuff!!!!
I was also there when Edwards took down Lauch Faircloth…it was impressive to see 20-somethings crying over it because they simply couldn't believe it happened.
John Edwards and Al Gore are two people this country really needs in leadership.
Happy JHID day to everyone. From now on, July 4th will represent independence day for me as our independence from segregation supporting racist bigots like Helms…not at all that the task is complete.
Of course, since Helms staffers often went to work for other Conservative causes (and since said staffers were trained to a higher standard than others by Helms), it's no suprise that there were so many "Cnservatives" willing to praise him. Also interesting to note- his infamous "White Hands" ad? That was done by none other than Dick Morris, who's advised numerous Republicans- and Bill Clinton.
Finally, the Robert Williams who I mentioned in comments to Ted's column had his beliefs influenced in childhood by seeing a policeman beat and drag a black woman- said policeman was Jesse Helms, Sr, Jesse's dad.
As a distant relative of Jesse Helms, I certainly can't say I'll miss him.
I'm originally from North Carolina. When I mentioned to my non-white wife that Jesse Helms was dead, her laconic reply was "good!" He was racist scum and will not be missed.
you forgot about his rabid censorship
"Anyone who would pen such a hate-filled diatribe against one of our own great leaders, shows the true colors of the liberal elite: hate and more hate."
Oh, really? "In 1995…he told The New York Times that the government should spend less money on people with AIDS because they got sick as a result of 'deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct.'" Mr. Helms didn't seem to have any problem expressing his hatred for the dead, so fuck him.
Also, could you please explain how exactly thinking that Jesse Helms was a worthless bigot makes one elitist? Do you even know what that word means? Do you even care if what you say makes sense?
Jesse Helms was a liberal Democrat, right Edward?
Wrong Rall. You – and all liberals – hate America. We in the Midwest know this thoroughly, so don't try to pull a switcheroo on us. It's elitist, and won't work. Anyone who would pen such a hate-filled diatribe against one of our own great leaders, shows the true colors of the liberal elite: hate and more hate.
What's the matter Rall? The "crispy brown" description is no longer hateful enough for you?
Firstly, I love how "elitist" is the new conservative buzzword, as if they're not the ones populating the country clubs. Yes, there are elitist liberals and elitist conservatives…quit being so obvious in your choice of words, "anonymous" talk radio drone.
Secondly, and most importantly, I would like to propose a fundraiser in order to raise the funds to purchase the corpse of Jesse Helms. I have some ideas for an art project. No rush, it can be as decayed as nature wants it to be…I have more than one idea and they don't even need federal funding! I'm still going to apply, though.
Finally, let's end once and for all the conservative revisionism that paints the Democratic party as the party of slavery and segregation. It was CONSERVATIVES who were pro-slavery and anti-civil rights, regardless of the party. They bolted the Democrats for the Republicans, is all. That said, lets abolish both parties. The time has come.
"You treasonous scumbag…Jesse Helms had more America in his pinkie than you'll ever have in your entire family." – Chuckles
The same pinkie he would ram up his ass for pleasure?
Seriously, when will these "midwestern" types pick up on the fact that Helms, Reagan, and Bush are to America what Mussolini, Chiang Kai-Shek, and Anastazio Somoza were to their countries?
– Strelnikov
In the words of Jon Stewart, "Doesn't 'elite' mean 'good'?" Some of us in the Midwest know this thoroughly.
Helms was a horrible, vicious man who did as much damage as he could to anyone who was not like him–as Ted put it, most of America.
Ding, dong, the witch is dead.
When he woke up in hell, do you think he was surprised???
Nice to see the elite liberals in full force, spewing their usual hate.
I've copied the comments and forwarded them to the Politico. This will be great for the coming election. Hate-filled America-hating liberals vote for Democrats.
Fuck you, you repub douchebag. Some of us are quite aware of the tactics you've used against us for years. When it gets thrown back at you, you cry for your mommy (Reagan). Enough with the word elite. Are you completley blind to the fact that the south has yet to fully realise their part in the racial problems of the last century? You dumb fucks dragged Africans here as slaves and when they were "Freed", Helms and his "white knights" did everything they could to make sure they failed. When the empire falls, I hope we can get to a place where skin color does not matter. PS Get rid of that fucking Confederate flag!! Ya lost!!
Eightysixed at 86, more proof that the good die young.
My family goes back a long way with Jesse Helms. My parents were living in Raleigh, N.C. when he was a reporter and commentator on the evening news. He got the job from marrying the station owner's daughter.
My father used to tell me about Helms' on-air racist diatribes. At one point, he read a letter on the air from a family friend, a Korean immigrant who criticized Helms' segregationist views.
Helms deliberately mispronounced this person's name, which was Nankoom, as "Mr. Nan – COOOOOOONNNNN".
In his first campaign for public office in Raleigh, his opponent had a Greek surname. To imply that his opponent was a "furiner", Helms' ads exhorted people to "Vote for Jesse – He's One of Us!"
My father always told me how Helms' newscasts used to drive him to near acts-of-violence in rage at that man. I can relate when I watch Helms' intellectual and journalistic progeny on Fox.
But my Dad had it easy. Helms' was only on for a few minutes in the evening. Fox News is 24/7.
Keep up the great blog, Ted. Thanks for shining a light on the racists apologists for Helms.
One criticism, though – you and the other posters ignored Helms' years as an apologist and supporter for the tobacco companies. He fought like hell to oppose any kind of taxes or regulations on tobacco and smoking that would protect children and non-smokers.
He also used his influence in congress to make sure that tobacco companies got free reign to peddle their toxic products in foreign countries.
"I've copied the comments and forwarded them to the Politico. This will be great for the coming election. Hate-filled America-hating liberals vote for Democrats."
don't forget this one:
I'm going to dig up Jesse Helms, and take him to The Children's HIV Hospital so he can explain why he voted against funding Aids research. When he explains, again that "Aids comes from sodomy", I will help the children play piñata with his body. Then, his flawed DNA is
off to Proxima Centauri.