Friday, July 4, 2008

Dead On The Fourth Of July: Jesse Helms (1921-2008)

If God is in heaven, and we will all stand before him as traditional faith holds, I'll have plenty of sins of my own to answer for.

But I definitely wouldn't want to swap shoes with the former North Carolina Republican senator, who passed away on Independence Day. Perhaps it's a sin in itself to reflect poorly upon the dead. But I wouldn't want to have to answer for the legacy of racism and chauvinism that Mr. Helms would have to.

Here's the Associated Press obit. Some of you may be amused over a former GOP congressman's comparison of Helms to Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both of whom died on July 4, 1826. -- MJ

5 comments:

Unknown said...

"Perhaps it's a sin in itself to reflect poorly upon the dead."

If the reflection is truth, how can it be sinful?

Manifesto Joe said...

Well, you know, I did say perhaps. I think I'll be more worried about some of the shit I did as a younger man than about any ugly thoughts I've had about Helms.

Marc McDonald said...

I recall a comment made by Helms in 1994:
"Mr. Clinton better watch out if he comes down here. He'd better have a bodyguard."

Making violent threats against the President of the United States is supposed to be a crime---it damn sure would be if it were you or me.

(And no, I don't think the claim that "it was a joke" would make much impression on the Secret Service---an organization not known for its sense of humor).

Cranky Daze said...

I wouldn't worry too much about being called to account by God for disapproving of a narrow-minded bigot, Joe. People seem to always seem to feel an obligation to find something nice to say about the dead, even when they've been awful in life. There's something about the death of another person that makes us feel uneasy.

One of the things I remember best that was said about that televangelist who died a couple of years ago...can't keep those fellows straight...Falwell? Swaggart?...whomever...but it was said by a blogger, who opined: "Well, at least he's biodegradable." And so is Jesse Helms.

Manifesto Joe said...

Beautifully put, Cranky.