Jesse Helms Death End of An Era?
Jesse Helms joined the the clique of American politicians who died on July 4. He was 86. John Adams, Jr., the second president of the United States, and Thomas Jefferson, who succeeded him, both died on the same day on Independence Day, 1826. James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, passed away on the Fourth of July 1831.
Jesse Helms, the conservative Senator from North Carolina for more than three decades died at dawn yesterday, leaving behind a mixed-bag legacy. The Republican White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said: “America lost a great public servant and true patriot today.”
Republican senate minority leader Senator Mitch McConnell, wrote in a communique that "Senator Jesse Helms was a leading voice and courageous champion for the many causes he believed in.”
The many causes he believed in did not include civil rights for minorities. "Senator No" voted against creating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday.
When he retired from Senate in 2001, David Broder wrote an article about the deceased Senator. The Washington Post reporter commented: "What really sets Jesse Helms apart is that he is the last prominent unabashed white racist politician in this country -- a title that one hopes will now be permanently retired. A few editorials and columns came close to saying that. But the squeamishness of much of the press in characterizing Helms for what he is suggests an unwillingness to confront the reality of race in our national life."
His death, one hopes, was the end of an era.
Comments
Jesse Helms was a piece of work. He didn't just oppose the holiday, he opposed the whole civil rights movement. He tried to block approval of resources to fight AIDS, saying gay people had brought it on themselves with their "disgusting" behavior. He was also a supporter of Chilean dictator Pinochet.
But he also adopted a child with cerebral palsy after he and his wife heard the child had wished for a father and mother for Christmas.
Another man who voted against the creation of the MLK holiday? Our friend John McCain.
Posted by: rebecca | July 5, 2008 12:46 PM