NewsBusters readers are likely aware of my frequent appeal for civility in our comments sections due to my unwavering belief that despite political differences, when the sun sets, we're all Americans.
Such reverence should be crucial on the day someone that has tirelessly served this nation for thirty years passes away.
Apparently devoid of such human decency, the folks in the Netroots, within minutes of Friday's announcement concerning the death of Jesse Helms, began publishing virulent and vulgar epithets directed at the former senator, with some actually voicing a desire to dance on his grave.
Here are but a few examples, beginning with some truly disgusting diaries posted at Daily Kos (readers are warned that the following contains possibly offensive graphic and vulgar content, h/t LGF):
Jesse Helms, you rat bastard, burn in hell:
Please dear God, let there really be a hell. Because if there really IS a hell then Jesse Helms is already consumed by it's lowest depths. He's wailing for eternity with his blood brothers; Adolf, Mao, Stalin and the rest of the worst of the subset of human beings who have crossed from mere mortal to eternal evil. Satanic. Jesse joins his kin, Strom Thurmond, Bull Connor and a host of other vicious racist f***ks who have taken it upon themselves to very nearly ruin the core principle that this country was founded upon: equality.
Please Excuse Me While I Dance Upon His Grave:Jesse Helms is dead...The man lived far too long and did far too much damage...If my atheistic prayers are answered, Jesse Helms won't be spending eternity where he expected to spend it.
Jesse Helms Dead - How to Memorialize His Legacy:
Jesse passed into nothingness this morning. I plan to memorialism [sic] his death by drinking beer, smoking ribs, making potato salad and settling in for an afternoon of brainless TV watching after doing a couple of chores.
A few chuckles and chortles during that period might be coming, but that's about it.
Wow. Readers should take note of some of the timestamps on these posts, for they literally came minutes after the announcement of Helms's death.
But Daily Kos wasn't the only venue of vitriol, for the following was posted at Firedoglake:
Jesse Helms: Bigot, Racist, HomophobeSo, don't let the Independence Day paeans fool you. Jesse Helms was a bigot, a racist, a homophobe -- and a media charlatan. America would be a much worse place if he'd had his way on his many signature issues. Our nation's birthday is brighter for him not in it.
And this from TBogg:
Hell gets a little more crowdedLight a cross for Jesse Helms who is finished. Fertig. Verfallen. Verlumpt. Verblunget. Verkack. [...]
Since we are supposed to say something nice about the dead I'll just say that I feel sorry for his family and understand the grief that they must feel, fully aware that Jesse is in hell today... most likely getting [disgustingly vulgar visual deleted] by Roy Cohn.
Or how about: "Jesse Helms is dead. God Bless America."
And all this on the anniversary of the nation's declared independence from England.
Are people who write this kind of stuff on the very day a fellow American dies really Americans?
Those needing a dose of sanity concerning this issue are advised to read John Fund's marvelous piece in today's Wall Street Journal.
*****Update: NBer DaBird pointed out in the comments section that readers shouldn't miss how the news of Helms's death was greeted at DU (consider the aforementioned vulgar content warning still in effect!).
*****Update II: I forgot about my old buddy Thers at Whiskey Fire who, as tough as it may seem, not only stooped to a new low in defaming Helms, but did so with pride (serious vulgarity alert!).
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
Comments Policy
Of course we can't forget
July 5, 2008 - 13:13 ET by DaBirdOf course we can't forget about our "civil" friends over at DU:
*His soul died the day before he was physically born. As a life-long North Carolinian, I have no qualms whatsoever in stating that he was evil personified and the world would have been better off if he'd never been born.
*I thought he was already dead. Oh well. Good riddance. The world is a better place without him.
*Well, I for one am happy I'm not in the south. Enjoy feeding the worms and blowflies, Jesse!
These are the rather tame ones.
The unwashed left once again shows its true colors!
July 5, 2008 - 13:50 ET by jefflebowskiRemember, the ones making these vile statements are the ones in their Che Guevara t-shirts protesting every value that made our country great. They will be the first to run and hide if defending our country within its borders becomes necessary. They are not men, they are sniveling cowards and truly show their pathetic lack of decency.
They did the same when Ronald Reagan died.
Jeff Lebowski
www.angrywhitedude.c...
true colors shining through:)
July 5, 2008 - 15:13 ET by TruthMongerthese are the people (using that term loosely) who urge us to "celebrate diversity" and claim that "mean people suck" and that "hate is not a family value"
meanwhile, conservatives are the people who actually practice it
This 4th of July I'm damn proud NOT TO BE LEFT WING
What's with all these
July 5, 2008 - 13:46 ET by lotrWhat's with all these references to Eternity, Hell, Evil, etc.? Since when did the radicial Left "get religion"? Appealing to their new-found spiritual powers of discernment, I submit the following:
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.
-- Prov. 17:4
Always Interesting
July 5, 2008 - 15:00 ET by Copperhead RidgeLefties never acknowledge an afterlife until it pleases them in some way.
They always belly-ache the most about paying taxes -- real estate or income.
In a Sunday School discussion one morning a group of lefties accosted me for my support of the death penalty. They labeled me as everything but a son of man. The questioned my Christianity, which isn't difficult because I'm a pretty shaky Christian.
Some months later a man perped a heinous crime near where I live. The libs in my Sunday School class said things like, "I don't like the death penalty, but that man should be executed." They also said that he deserves to die.
Wow! They aren't really opposed to the death penalty. They want to be the ones to decide who lives and who dies and want to base the sentence on how the crime makes them feel.
That is dangerous.
Of course, I'm a Southerner, so I believe in the prescription of "he needed killin!" I just don't twist my beliefs into a pretzel
Its always a shock to hear
July 5, 2008 - 13:58 ET by Ryan Mc.Its always a shock to hear the left. I think it interesting that the Sen. is called a racist literally dozens of times and no one provides any examples or challenges the assumption. If I posted some extreme comment about someone on the left here I am fairly certain that I would either be challenged or I'd have backed up my assertion. Even the "more moderate" posts said to wait until he was in the ground before talking about spitting on his corpse. Thanks for the restraint. The one thing missing from the entire post is any facts or any analysis. It was one long explicative.
I love the poll asked what Jesse Helms was. The "Rat Bastard" option got many votes. I don't expect I'll see a poll question on NB asking if someone on the left is a "Rat Bastard". That's one of the reasons I'm here and they are there. That and the whole belief structure thing.
Noel...
July 5, 2008 - 14:12 ET by AgentAmericanAre we shocked that our compassionate friends on the left are behaving in this manner?
We remember the sympathy and classy conduct that we when Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, and I believe most of us did. My brother succumbed to a malignant tumor 20 years ago.
Jesse Helms was not one of my favorite conservatives (I'm a Reagan Conservative with a taste for Pink Floyd). But for a large number of leftists to conduct themselves in an immature and utterly stupid manner is a sobering cross-section of their voter base.
Picture this: one of your dear relatives has just died and the family is at the wake comforting each other and reflecting on the life and times of the person in mourning. Then, someone who didn't like him or her during their lifetime, barges in and begins screaming "burn in hell" and begins spray painting vile illegible crap on the casket. People are outraged, but not shocked in particular. I wouldn't care for it at all, obviously.
Ignorant, childish, and frightening.
These people must be opposed intensely and crushed. We have to fight back and save our nation from these imbeciles.
Drill ANWAR
I do consider this very
July 5, 2008 - 14:07 ET by Cureboy675I do consider this very vulgar. I don't enjoy anybody taking delight or making light of somebody's suffering or somebody's death. No matter how much they might be disliked for their political views.
Then again, the 6/27 Newsbusted show did make light of the fact that "Ted Kennedy is out of commission". So I realize there is a fine line.
But, still, I personally would never do it.
We are at war!
July 5, 2008 - 14:15 ET by liberal_bug_zapperNoel, the Libs who you quote realize this. We are in an ideological war for the soul of the country. The Libs you cite as being vitriolic are our enemies... they are as far from what it means to be an American as you can get without living in Cuba or China and being a member of the Communist party... while I suspect many of these goons are members of the socialist party or communist party here in the US.
Jessie Helms also realized we are at war, and that there is no compromise with these people.... we either defeat them... or they defeat us... because their idea of compromise is that we give up our values.
War lost it's civility long ago... and I suspect it never had it to begin with. War is bloody, and in a war, you have casualties... and one of those unfortunate casualties is civility. I refuse to treat my enemy with respect or civility... I will gladly dance on each and every one of their graves as they drop of the face of this Earth. Does that mean I am uncivil? No, that means I accept that they are my enemy and deserve nothing less. I don't believe in fairness... I believe in winning.
____________________________________________________
"A society that puts equality...ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom." ~ Milton Friedman
we're all bigots
July 5, 2008 - 14:33 ET by WesenI heard the news and the reporters description of Jesse's life. If that was the real story he was a despicable bigot and so (she) said are all Republicans. It was one of the most blatant smears I've heard in some time.
It is and has been a
July 5, 2008 - 14:55 ET by bigtimerIt is and has been a disgrace to the left side of the aisle the pure hatred they spew...what lives these low-lifes must live.
You should of heard the callers this morning from the left on the Washington Journal...
Very sick people in this country...they are the enemy within.
Pathetic, ungrateful, selfish little creatures...all of them.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
These People Want To Run America
July 5, 2008 - 15:15 ET by rammingspeedThis is the mindset of a typical liberal, and their willing accomplices in the Democratic party. Liberals will bring this kind of hatred with them when they get power back, and it will immediately translate punishing those people whom they hate. (We all know who that will be.)
They are beyond simply being childish, they are wicked and the most mean-spirited people in the country.
Hardly a disease unique to liberals
July 5, 2008 - 16:06 ET by Agrarian-DecentralistI agree that the blog comments concerning Sen. Helms are mean-spirited. But I would also observe---as someone who visits websites at both ends of the political spectrum----that all kinds of people comment, making it very easy to cherry-pick a selection that fits your premise. Although I think it is true that less profanity is used at conservative sites, I've certainly seen plenty of mean-spirited comments at such sites, including this one.
Its a matter of degree. I
July 5, 2008 - 19:37 ET by Ryan Mc.Its a matter of degree. I get tired of this "everyone does it arguement." Of course there are those of us on the right who sometimes make comments that are uncivil but compare the Kennedy story here to the Helms story there. There were many many posts saying they sympathized with Kennedy and his family. I don't know of anyone who talked of wanting him to die to spit on his face in his grave, or the site creating a poll blaming him for millions of dead people. Its not the same and I resent you saying so.
Ryan
July 5, 2008 - 20:46 ET by Noel SheppardRyan,
FYI: A-D never responds. He's a drive-byer. Don't even bother. ns
You are right. The only
July 5, 2008 - 20:41 ET by Cureboy675You are right. The only thing this really proves is that every political affiliation has a few supporters that are just plain cruel and vicious. In a matter of minutes, I was able to find the following comments about Ted Kennedy's brain tumor:
"good riddance"
"one liberal down"
"Lets just hope he dies a slow and painful death"
"the sooner he dies, the better"
"happy days are hear again" (sic)
But don't get me wrong. I'm absolutely not condoning people celebrating the death of Jesse Helms. Because it is just plain mean. It shows an unimaginable lack of class and respect and it tells an awful lot about yourself when you take pleasure in somebody else's suffering.
But I won't act like its only liberals that are capable of such viciousness, because that doesn't seem to be the case.
That being said, I whole-heartedly agree that nearly all the people I have come across on this Newsbusters site were raised better than that and they have much better hearts and aren't capable of that.
What do you expect? It is a
July 5, 2008 - 16:10 ET by liberal_bug_zapperWhat do you expect? It is a war. Whenever ideologies so diametrically opposed clash, you get a war. So far, it's just a war of words.
____________________________________________________
"A society that puts equality...ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom." ~ Milton Friedman
These people will get what
July 5, 2008 - 15:28 ET by dlwoltmannThese people will get what they deserve. Just not in this life.
dlw.... Amen to
July 5, 2008 - 16:18 ET by bigtimerdlw....
Amen to that.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Jesse Helms hero?
July 5, 2008 - 17:20 ET by Clear thinkerYou bet!
Jesse is one of the reasons I moved to N.C.
People like Jesse come around every now and then, and show others what it means to be a leader. For me, this is the second time I will be grieving for Jesse. The first time was when he had to leave politics.
45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm
I can only compare
July 5, 2008 - 17:44 ET by LCT688I can only compare the comments of sad, hate twisted individuals like this and the conciliatory comments that were made here by myself and others at the anouncement of Teddy Kennedy's brain tumor. That's all that need be said.
"A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master and deserves one."
Alexander Hamilton
I don't agree with trashing
July 5, 2008 - 17:53 ET by balboaI don't agree with trashing someone when they die, but to many Helms represented the worst kind of conservative: old and stubbornly racist, a throwback. So they're a little reticent to celebrate his accomplishments.
boa... NOBODY asked them
July 5, 2008 - 18:03 ET by bigtimerboa...
NOBODY asked them to celebrate...nobody asked them to do anything...everybody should show some respect.
Including you...I know what you are implying with your word here..it doesn't take a rocket-scientist to decipher what you posted...in what you think was just oh so cute by half.
Btw...Many say he was one of the best conservatives with back-bone the Senate ever had.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
You're reading too much into
July 5, 2008 - 18:06 ET by balboaYou're reading too much into my posts by more than half, which are not trying to be "cute by half."
boa... No I
July 5, 2008 - 18:10 ET by bigtimerboa...
No I wasn't.
...and you know it.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Good grief...whatever,
July 5, 2008 - 18:12 ET by balboaGood grief...whatever, you're always right.
boa...lol... Now that's
July 5, 2008 - 18:16 ET by bigtimerboa...lol...
Now that's more like it....
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
I keep hearing this thing
July 5, 2008 - 20:38 ET by lotrI keep hearing this thing about him being racist. Can anybody back these accusations up with concrete examples, please?
Well, he worked for a
July 5, 2008 - 21:02 ET by balboaWell, he worked for a campaign that said "White people, wake up before it is too late. Do you want Negroes working beside you, your wife and your daughters, in your mills and factories? Frank Graham favors mingling of the races." That seems...rough.
balboa
July 5, 2008 - 21:26 ET by Noel Sheppardbalboa,
Cutting and pasting from Americablog now, balboa? Nice!
That was 1950! 23 years before he entered the Senate. Think things were a bit different then? Care to demonstrate some of Helms's racism AFTER HE BECAME AN ELECTED OFFICIAL and AFTER THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACTS?
How truly disappointing. ns
Noel, Never been to
July 5, 2008 - 21:37 ET by balboaNoel,
Never been to Americablog. Sorry. I was just providing something for lotr. He asked.
It's all-over anyway
July 5, 2008 - 21:51 ET by sarcasmoWikipedia, the hated resource, has both that old quote and some more-recent material. History's history.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
I'm sure that will all be
July 5, 2008 - 21:57 ET by balboaI'm sure that will all be pooh-poohed as liberal hogwash that you learn at a place such as the University of Negroes and Communists.
But that White Hands commercial was a winner!
bal
July 5, 2008 - 23:20 ET by Noel Sheppardbal,
But back to the point: should this be discussed on the day he died? Just answer the question without equivocating: yes or no?
This guy served our nation for 30 years. Is he deserving of any respect the day he dies: yes or no? ns
It's relative, Noel
July 5, 2008 - 23:37 ET by Cool ArrowThere is a continuum beginning with the death of an innocent baby that stretches all the way to Hitler, Mussolini, and S. Hussein.
I'd say we shouldn't be disrespecting him immediately after Jesse's death. But maybe you'd better close down NB for the day when Robert Byrd kicks it. Plenty of "hypocrisy" fodder for the left when that happens.
LYDSEXICS UNTIE
CA
July 5, 2008 - 23:45 ET by Noel SheppardCA,
Not if I'm here to stop it. I don't care what people think about Sen. Byrd. He's served our nation for many decades, and is deserving of respect.
I expect I'll receive a lot of support from my fellow NBers and MRCers when the time comes. ns
Understood
July 5, 2008 - 23:53 ET by Cool ArrowAnd I didn't say it would come from me.
You might remember ie was me who was the first to say "Remember we are not DKOS" the day Teddy Kennedy's tumor was reported.
LYDSEXICS UNTIE
CA
July 6, 2008 - 00:23 ET by Noel SheppardCool, Cool. :-) ns
double
July 6, 2008 - 13:49 ET by balboadouble
Noel, yes he's deserving of
July 6, 2008 - 13:48 ET by balboaNoel, yes he's deserving of respect the day he dies. I've never argued against that.
b
July 6, 2008 - 13:56 ET by Noel Sheppardb,
Okay. So, regardless of what folks think of him, decorum dictates a respectful mourning period, correct?
Now, let's take this a step further: regardless of what you or anybody else thinks about this man, and irrespective of whether or not your opinions are valid or erroneous, he was elected five times, and served our nation for 30 years. Isn't that also deserving of respect from his fellow citizens?
For instance, please find for me celebratory articles posted at major conservative websites the day Sen. Kennedy went into the hospital. I'll wait for the links. ns
Noel, mourning period,
July 6, 2008 - 14:08 ET by balboaNoel, mourning period, yes.
Respect only goes so far for some. People might find it hard to listen to people label Helms a great patriot when they consider his controversies to preclude him from such status.
Again, I'm not defending the vile statements.
Respect only goes so far for some
July 6, 2008 - 14:19 ET by Noel Sheppard...and therein lies the problem. This is a floating bar for liberals.
Let me give you an example to prove my point: the day is going to come when Jimmy Carter dies. However, I guarantee when that happens, you won't see disrespectful articles at major conservative websites.
Now, bear in mind that conservatives believe Carter to be responsible for the Iranian revolution, and, therefore, the beginning of Islamic extremism. Furthermore, his disgusting positions on "Palestine," as well as his disgraceful anti-Bush comments, make him a virtual pariah to my ilk.
And yet, he will be treated with utmost respect and courtesy at major conservative websites when he dies, and until after his funeral. Only at that point will negative epitaphs be penned by my fellow conservative writers.
Why do you think that is? ns
When Carter dies, there will
July 6, 2008 - 14:40 ET by balboaWhen Carter dies, there will inevitably be someone on a website that says what a great man he is. Will it be wrong when someone responds to disagree with that POV?
Conservatives, in general, have held respect very high. For a long time they've been the established voice of decorum. Liberals, in general, because of their radical history in the '60s where they railed against authority, view respect as something not given because of someone's stature.
Just checking, do you mean
July 6, 2008 - 14:33 ET by Cureboy675Just checking, do you mean something besides the Michael Savage tirade where he played his cute little prepared mix tape of people saying things like "Let me pick your brain" and Schwarzenegger saying repeatedly "Its not a tumor"?
Followed by a song by The **DEAD** Kennedys as a "tribute" to Ted Kennedy. And then, of course, redefining chutzpah by going through all that effort to try and be funny and then saying "This is not funny".
Or are we just looking for websites only as opposed to radio shows that claim to have 10 million listeners a week?
CB
July 6, 2008 - 14:38 ET by Noel SheppardCB,
I don't care what Savage said. This thread is about written opinions -- or hadn't you noticed? ns
No problem. Just making
July 6, 2008 - 14:40 ET by Cureboy675No problem. Just making sure. So mocking Jesse Helms on radio the day he died would have been perfectly acceptable? Its just in writing that we have a problem with?
CB
July 6, 2008 - 15:32 ET by Noel SheppardCB,
No, that wouldn't be okay. But this thread is about written material. If you want to start a forum discussing radio decorum when a politician dies or takes ill, please go right ahead. ns
Once again it all comes back
July 6, 2008 - 22:24 ET by Ryan Mc.Once again it all comes back to a matter of degree. There will always be people on both side who take personal attacks too far and are disrespectful. I think the point that the conservatives are making here is that by and large (not exclusively) conservatives play nice and liberals are very vicious in their public remarks about conservatives. In fact many times the name calling by the left replaces debate rather than emphasis or exclamation to a point well made. I would once again point to the Kennedy post here and the Helms post on Kos.
Uh-huh. Yeah. As a
July 7, 2008 - 09:55 ET by Cureboy675Uh-huh. Yeah. As a Democrat who comes to this site. I can't begin to tell you the number of times I state an opinion (without being confrontational towards anybody) and end up being referred to as a "troll", "scum", "Communist", "idiotic", "brain-dead" and my all time favorite "anti-American". On this site, mind you.
Not that I'm complaining. If I couldn't handle a little name-calling, I would have thrown in the towel years ago. I usually snicker, make a smart-ass retort and move on.
But hypocrisy does annoy me. So don't play that "conservatives play nice" flute, please.
I usually snicker, make a
July 7, 2008 - 13:05 ET by lotrI usually snicker, make a smart-ass retort and move on.
That's because you are still alive. You will note that the original complaint on this blog is that your fellow ideologues do the same post-mortum, before rigor mortis has even set in. While I would personally refrain from name calling, even with a living sentient being like yourself, sometimes an antagonist has it coming to him. And I'm sure if I were to go to the KOS site and make a well-reasoned conservative comment, I wouldn't merely be called a "troll," but a "f-ing troll."
i would wager that most of
July 5, 2008 - 18:13 ET by mister josephi would wager that most of the ones making such hateful remarks are people who were barely in kindergarten when he ran for his final term. the Democratic party is largely a 'youth' organization now; these kids are spouting off their hatred without ever really being old enough to know Jesse Helms' track record,and what he did and did not say.
these kids are all simply regurgitating junk put in their minds without even knowing any better. i'd be angry, but i feel for them probably more than i should...
Favorite Jesse Helms interview...
July 5, 2008 - 19:19 ET by Clear thinkerA good friend of mine interviewed Jesse back in 2005 and It's still one of my favorite interviews with Jesse. It's a little long, but a great read. God Bless you Jesse!
-------------------------------------
April 11, 2005
Interview with Sen. Jesse Helms
Judson Cox
An Interview with Jesse Helms United States Senator, retired
By Judson Cox
Editor in Chief of The North Carolina Conservative
NCC:
Senator Helms, thank you for granting this interview. The North Carolina Conservative is a newspaper devoted to fostering conservative, Christian values and politics in our state. Given your background in media and politics, The North Carolina Conservative considers you a hero and a role model.
Helms:
Thank you for your generous profile in the March issue of your publication. It still surprises me when I find something in any North Carolina newspaper that isn’t mad at me about something.
As you may know, I’ve just completed my memoir for Random House. Many of the questions you’ve asked are discussed at length in there. But you do not have the space to publish a book, so I will keep my responses for your paper brief.
NCC:
Describe the state of North Carolina politics when you worked in the media.
I worked in the media from the late 30’s through the early 70’s. Politics in general became more liberal both nationally and within the state as the years passed.
NCC:
What led you to become a Republican?
Helms:
I became a Republican when a very wise young lady asked me how I could remain a Democrat when I didn’t agree with what they stood for and did agree with what the Republicans supported. I changed my registration when I realized that I had no good answer to her honest question.
NCC:
How influential were the Congressional Club and the Young Republicans in your election, and in transforming North Carolina politics?
Helms:
There was no Congressional Club for my first campaign. There was no organized state group of Young Republicans, but there was a dedicated core of young people who volunteered to do anything my campaign needed. They were indispensable. In subsequent years the groups you named had important roles in educating people about the real issues in Washington and Raleigh, and within the Democratic Party. That knowledge brought people into the GOP.
NCC:
What led North Carolina to change from a solidly Democratic state, to a Republican leaning state? Has North Carolina’s political transformation been a social phenomenon, or a movement led by visionaries such as yourself, President Reagan and Sen. Thurmond?
Helms:
North Carolina has not really changed its politics. This has been a conservative leaning state for generations. It was the Democratic Party that changed and in effect drove the conservative voters away.
NCC:
How can Republicans win at the state level?
Helms:
The big secret to winning elections is to get more votes than your opponent. My friend Representative Robin Hayes is a good example to study. His district was drawn to favor Democrats, but Robin decided he’d go directly to voters and let them know he shared their concerns and wanted to work hard for them. Then, when they elected him the first time he proved he was a man of his word. So, even though they redrew his district to make it even harder for a Republican to win, Robin continues to be reelected. He wins because he’s honest and he works hard as a campaigner and as a Representative.
NCC:
What are the greatest challenges facing North Carolina?
Helms:
We have to be a state where business is welcome and jobs are created. We have to demand value for what is spent and we need to continue to resist a lottery. Such schemes take money from people who can least afford to spend it to support an unneeded bureaucracy that eats money people thought they were providing for education.
NCC:
What are the greatest challenges facing our nation?
Helms:
The challenge is always before us. Whenever we lose sight of the principles that mattered to our founders we run into trouble.
NCC:
What is America’s role in the world?
Helms:
America must be the moral leader. It is not enough to have power. Power must be used to protect freedom and give all people hope for the opportunity to see the fruit of their own labor. We must stand against tyrants and on the side of growing democracies.
NCC:
Should America remain a member of the United Nations, and why?
Helms:
It may surprise people to know that I advocate the reform of the United Nations, not its abolishment. If such an organization did not already exist nations of good will would move to create it. The interests of the United States are better served by demanding reform and seeing that reform takes place than by removing our influence from the UN.
NCC:
How has being a North Carolinian affected your personal and political values and beliefs?
Helms:
My values and beliefs were imparted to me by loving parents, committed teachers, demanding mentors and wise elders. All of the people who helped mold me as a child and as a young person happened to live in North Carolina. I hope, and in fact I know, that they didn’t just represent what is best about North Carolina. They represented what is best about America.
NCC:
Who was the most colorful North Carolina political figure you ever encountered, and why?
Helms:
This is an area where North Carolina does excel. I have known more colorful North Carolina political figures than I have colorless ones.
NCC:
How has your faith in God affected your personal and political values and beliefs?
Helms:
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. That is why I fought against government funding of disgusting images that people dared to define as art. That is why I fought against abortion and that is why if I were still in the Senate I would be doing everything I could to defend the sanctity of marriage.
NCC:
Has conservatism become the dominant philosophy in America, and if so, why?
Helms:
It has become more acceptable to describe yourself as a conservative, but not everyone who uses that term about themselves really is truly conservative. I’m not comfortable with all the categories people want to sort themselves into to explain how they can be a conservative and support liberal ideas. Conservatism is a hard choice for a society that has become accustomed to big government and big entitlements promoted by liberals.
NCC:
What is your vision for the future of our state and our nation?
Helms:
My vision of the future would be a state and a nation where we were united in our desire to stand firm on our foundations. I want our young people to believe as we did that there is no goal too high to reach if they are willing to work. I want our government to encourage and protect freedom as well as our traditions of faith and family.
NCC:
What can we do, as individuals and as conservative North Carolinians to make your vision for the future a reality?
Helms:
We can live our own lives in a way that does not bring reproach on the principles we claim to support. We can commit ourselves to care for our neighbors in need instead of expecting the government to do it. We can protect our own marriages and train our own children so skeptics can see that we are sincere in what we believe. Then, we can advocate for what we believe and support those who share our values when they seek office. What I am suggesting is hard work and it can be slow work, but the rewards are well worth it.
NCC:
Again Sen. Helms, thank you for your time, your leadership and your service.
I will miss this man!
45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm
CT
July 5, 2008 - 19:26 ET by Noel SheppardCT,
I know Judson. I wrote a couple of pieces for his paper when it first got started. How's he doing? ns
Noel... Yeah, I knew you
July 5, 2008 - 19:39 ET by Clear thinkerNoel...
Yeah, I knew you knew him, I just never brought it up.
I have not talked to him in over a year now, but I do know the paper went kaput. Nothing wrong with the paper, and in fact, it was the best political based paper in the State of N.C. The problem was, he refused to run it like a business. Instead of actively looking for advertisers to help pay the bills, he stuck to the belief that the advertisers would come to him. Anyway, he poured an awful lot of his own money into it and it finally broke him (not financially, but I think it messed with his convictions).
From what I understand, he's now trying to pave the way for an entry into politics here in N.C. I hope he pulls it off, he's a Conservatives, Conservative!
BTW... I have alot of the first copies of the paper and some of which you are in.
45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm
Gee, Noel, now I feel the need to have my computer fumigated.
July 5, 2008 - 19:48 ET by R D HelmNot to mention scrubbed, steam-cleaned, pressure-washed, bleached and disinfected. Twice.
As I was perusing DU (something I do not recommend), I ran across a deleted comment. Given the content of what remains, it must have been really, really bad.
Couldn't help but notice this:
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It appears their rules are rather losely enforced. :-)
The truth is insensitive. - Neal Boortz
3. Civility: Treat other
July 6, 2008 - 09:16 ET by AgentAmerican3.
Civility: Treat other members with respect. Do not post personal
attacks against other members of this discussion forum.
Amendment to rule 3: Except if they are racist homophobe neocon coming into our community and getting their pot shots.
FTFY.
Drill ANWAR
Not nearly as bad but in the same vein.......
July 5, 2008 - 20:30 ET by Prester John.....yesterday Pres Bush is at Monticello and is swearing in 80 or naturalized citzens from 30 countries and of course a couple of Code Pink whackos disrupt the proceedings. No need for them to honor what for many of the our new citizens is the most important day of their lives. No they couldn't do that but rather had to cause a scene and be dragged away by the police and Secret Service officers. Bush as usual is gracious and says that isn't it great that we have free speech in America.
Meanwhile, in today's Saturday radio message Bush talks about welcoming our latest citizens while in the Dem response Sen Dick Turban, rather than also welcoming our latest citizens or perhaps speaking about Independence Day, talks about how evil Bush is while he snivels about some supposed cuts (which there never are of course) in Medicare and GI benefits.
What a bunch of classless worms the Leftists and the Democrats are.
Unable to debate ideas,
July 6, 2008 - 06:17 ET by SlicksterUnable to debate ideas, unwilling to honestly enter into a discussion with an opponent, liberals can only attack the dead.
A word for such people...
July 6, 2008 - 09:11 ET by AgentAmericanC-o-w-a-r-d-s
Only fitting Mr. Helms is now with the Choir Invisible...a worthy oppoent for the leftist loudmouth without any intelligence.
Drill ANWAR
Typical Leftist Attitude
July 6, 2008 - 08:11 ET by packmanThese disgusting and depraved remarks regarding a man who was a great patriot and who refused to be moved by what the lefties thought, should be no surprise.
I have observed that those who lean largely left, when they cannot win you over with their logic (most of which can be refuted by simple truth), will ultimately turn to personal degradation and attacks.
And I find it utterly incomprehensible that these ungodly non-God-fearing Atheistic types would actually condescend to pray? Just who is it that they hope would hear their curses? And why do they seem to think they are immune from these supposed "prayers" boomeranging back onto them? What goes around comes around.
=====================
Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap,we should soon want bread... ~Thomas Jefferson
Helms Death and Respect from the Libs
July 6, 2008 - 11:45 ET by GoodieNoel, waiting for Ted "Che" Rall to put on his panties and get his pen for another inspiring 2nd grade rated cartoon....
Should include this one for being a classy obit
July 7, 2008 - 10:51 ET by BusOwnerhttp://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Jesse_Helms_Just_a_Dead_Southern_Bigot_5841.html