Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Jesse Helms Was a Racist

by BooMan
Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:23:19 PM EST

The Washington Post decided to re-publish a piece David Broder wrote in August 2001 on the occasion of Jesse Helm's retirement announcement. David Broder, more than any other Big Foot reporter in the country, can find reasons to excuse the behavior of almost any Republican. So, it's saying something that he came out so strongly against Jesse Helms. Broder attacked the 'pussyfooting' of his press friends who refused to call Helms what he was:

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.

And Broder didn't mince words:

What is unique about Helms -- and from my viewpoint, unforgivable -- is his willingness to pick at the scab of the great wound of American history, the legacy of slavery and segregation, and to inflame racial resentment against African Americans...
...To the best of my knowledge, Helms has never done what the late George Wallace did well before his death -- recant and apologize for his use of racial issues. And that use was blatant.

And Helms' record on gay and lesbian rights was even worse than his record on race. But unlike the issue of race in America, Bono was able to convince Helms that the scope of the AIDS problem in Africa was so tremendous that something had to be done about it. Even so, it appeared that Helms could only be convinced to care about AIDS when it become indisputable that it was affecting a wider community than just gays, blacks, and drug addicts.

"It had been my feeling that AIDS was a disease largely spread by reckless and voluntary sexual and drug-abusing behavior, and that it would probably be confined to those in high-risk populations," Mr. Helms said. "I was wrong."

That might be the most insensitive apology on record. But it goes further than any apology he ever gave for his racism. For that, there never was any apology whatsoever.

Jesse Helms Was a Racist | 22 comments (22 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (4.00 / 2)

Living in Raleigh, where he died and where the funeral is going to be held, I feel like I have to take a shower. Flags at half-staff, glowing memorials on TV and live coverage of his service tomorrow. Good fucking riddance.

by Second Nature (denn1214 at gmail) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:36:56 PM EST

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 1)

glowing memorials in Raleigh? Ugh.

by BooMan on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:38:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 1)

The dissenting opinions consists of people talking about his fiery loyalty to his constituents and leaving the obvious racism alone. Apparently he was a commentator on WRAL TV for many years and many people just remember a nice southern gentleman....gag.

by Second Nature (denn1214 at gmail) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:57:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (4.00 / 1)

broder stopped way short of the guardian, uk, which had a scathing obit on ol' jesse, starting with this:

Senator Jesse Helms, member of the US Senate's foreign relations committee for two decades and its chairman from 1995 to 2001, has died at the age of 86. To echo this newspaper's memorable comment on the death of William Randolph Hearst, it is hard even now to think of him with charity.
:::
What is beyond question is the malign impact of Helms's innovation on all subsequent American politics. He inaugurated the age of massive back-door political donations, now euphemistically known as "soft money".
:::
It had also bankrolled the rise of the religious right and its effective takeover of the Republican party. That in turn polarised the entire American electorate, as the results in 2000 so dramatically demonstrated.
:::
Helms's principal skill, in fact, was obstruction, which he employed ruthlessly once he assumed chairmanship of the foreign relations committee in 1995...

it doesn't get any kinder.

the rude one has an interesting riff on jesse posted today: Jesse Helms in Heaven (A Fantasia)...the usual caveats apply.

l'm glad he's gone, regardless of where anyone thinks he went.

the revolution will not be televised...

by dada on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:47:29 PM EST

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

He was a racist, a vile and unrepentent one.

I lived in NC from 1975-1983, so I saw his vileness from the standpoint of a voter.

Plus I saw his supporters. His supporters said they liked him because "you always knew where he stood" and "he was a genuine guy." What they REALLY meant is that they liked him because he was a racist and they were racists too, and it was important that the racists in NC be represented.

NC is not a deep southern state. Some parts of NC are pretty decent. But, not a lot. Must of the state is small towns, filled with people for whom racism is just part of life, and they supported Jesse because when he said racist things, it was not unsettling but to them it was just common sense.

by dataguy on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:27:27 PM EST

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

Things are changing fast, even in North Carolina. Even in Virginia. Even in Mississippi.

by BooMan on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:30:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

It's due to universities and high-tech communities. I lived in (SURPRISE) Chapel Hill. Of all my professors (10-14), 1 was from NC, and the rest were Jews from New York or California. The reason I note about the jews is because 1) there are no jews in NC outside of Charlotte and Chapel Hill and Raleigh and 2) the guy who founded my lab was a notorious anti-semite who left Chicago partially due to jews there. We grad students used to find this quite amusing, and considered that he would probably be appalled by the lab when I went there.

Virginia is changing due to Washington. Federal workers bring the north into the south, and that is a good thing.

Mississippi I cannot account for.

I think that FL is gonna surprise a LOT of people this election. One reason: Felon re-enfranchisment. This was changed by Crist (one reason I respect this guy a little) who made it much easier for felons to regain the franchise. Possibly 1 million people will vote this year who did not vote in 2004.

by dataguy on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:36:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

The bluing of NC, etc. will have to come through the cities and tourist destinations that require tolerance and give locals opportunity to buck racist common wisdom for their own experience. This is why I do hold out hope for NC and VA which have plenty of both. Mississippi is another country all-together. Unless A LOT has changed there recently, I wouldn't hold out too much hope. "It's about suppression".

Declaring the bottom is the only way back up..

by anarchronarchist (mincers (-at-) hotmail (-dot-) com) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:40:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

Remember, that Obama only needs approximately 20% of the white vote to carry Mississippi. Unfortunately, that is six or seven percent more than Kerry could muster. But Kerry was pre-Katrina, pre-Bush's second term. And Kerry didn't campaign or invest any money in Mississippi.

by BooMan on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:47:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

They'll just find a way to use the racist institutions of the state to manipulate the outcome, as usual. From Sherrifs to judges, there is no need to give the marching orders, just an understand of what 'needs to be done'.

Declaring the bottom is the only way back up..

by anarchronarchist (mincers (-at-) hotmail (-dot-) com) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 03:39:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

I'll grant you NC and VA, but they're not changing very quickly in Mississippi. We're hoping to get 20% of the white vote, compared with 15% four years ago, and to enjoy a huge jump in turnout from black folks.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to you country.

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:53:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

True.

But John Kerry isn't black. Mississippi remains extremely culturally conservative, which is as much or more of an obstacle to winning the state than Obama's race. In fact, Obama's race is what makes the state competitive.

by BooMan on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:58:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

Agreed. And I actually think Obama will be slightly more appealing to whites in Mississippi than Kerry was because of his stronger cultural connections, despite being a little more liberal than Kerry. I just mean that we're not seeing the kind of change-on-warp-speed there that we're seeing in the more developed parts of the region.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to you country.

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 03:02:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

...adding, I think Virginia is far enough along in its liberalization for us to win it this year. I'm less sure about North Carolina and Georgia.

Ask me eight years from now, when the Millennials are nearly all eligible to vote (assuming the trends we see with them continue), and I think Mississippi will be where North Carolina -- maybe even Virginia -- is now, but with a larger black population.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to you country.

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 03:07:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

His supporters said they liked him because "you always knew where he stood" and "he was a genuine guy."

This smiling Wisconsin b*tch said the same thing about hater Glenn Beck recently--about how much she liked him because he was a fire breather and because he really told it like it was.

I just looked at her. Both of us were at a goodbye party for retiring college employees. Suddenly she realized just exactly what she was saying in front of someone who knew what he was and what she was by listening to him.

When she figured that out, without my having said anything else, she looked very uncomfortable. She bowed her head. And got up and left with her co-worker who just happened to be black, but who seemed to possess less consciousness than I did about the conversation that just took place.

I hope she stays uncomfortable.

An untypical Negro

http://thisblksistaspage.wordpress.com

by blksista (gab1954@gmail.com) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 03:30:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

People should be VERY ashamed of (none / 0)

saying such crap in front of people.

It's nauseating.

I think that the AUTHENTICITY TEST is the least valuable and stupidest test around for value. I don't give a FLYING FUCK that Adolf Hitler was a genuine anti-semite and Jew hater. His authenticity is not the point. The point is that, whether fake or true, he hated jews and acted on that.

Why is authenticity such a good thing?

by dataguy on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 03:47:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: People should be VERY ashamed of (4.00 / 1)

True, but I prefer my racists out in the open. I am glad that people who think that b.s. do say it. The worst of the bunch are the people who think it, or only say it in front of people they 'think' are on the same level.

My little brother is black, I am not. I can't keep track of how many times people have said things to me that are racist that they would never say in front of my little bro (Helps that he is HUGE, and would break them into tiny little pieces).

"Some men see things as they are and say why - I dream things that never were and say why not." George Bernard Shaw.

by benjamink on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 03:55:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

Rick Perlstein:

Then there is this masterpiece, from the Associated Press on March 29, 1973:

Hose down streakers, Helms says
WASHINGTON, March 29--Sen. Jesse Helms has seriously suggeste that college streakers be herded naked into football stadiums, hosed down with cold water from time to time, and held in that state overnight.
In a column which Helms sent this week to North Caolina newspapers, he said the streaking fad was 'far more serious than youthful frivolity' and was cause for concern about the country's future.
"In my judgment college authorities ought to take all the naked students into custody and herd them into a football stadium under guard and then require them to spend the night naked unti their mothers come and request their release.
"It might be useful to hose down the streakers with cold water every 15 or 20 minutes."
Maybe that's where John Yoo got the idea.

by BooMan on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 02:56:44 PM EST

Helms was a racist? (none / 0)

He's still a racist.

AG

Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.-Mae West

by Arthur Gilroy (arthurgilroy<at>earthlink.net) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 03:31:22 PM EST

Helms IS.. (none / 0)

Let's pray that he doesn't keep a hand in the game post mortem.

Declaring the bottom is the only way back up..

by anarchronarchist (mincers (-at-) hotmail (-dot-) com) on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 03:44:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 0)

The sad thing about Helms was that he was just a symbol of the past, of American style racism. It still took a majority of voters to keep him in office until only recently to keep that past alive.

by shergald on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 05:14:56 PM EST

Re: Jesse Helms Was a Racist (none / 1)

What goes unnoted about the Helms era in North Carolina is how many transplanted non-Southerners voted for him just because of the (R) after his name. And how many of them started adopting the excuses of the natives for their vote.

And it was the suburbs around the New South cities of Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Raleigh that gave him his majority even though the rural areas were justly thought of as his base.

The two most despicable acts of his term in office was getting Ronald Reagan to denounce the then-successful school busing plan in Charlotte. And the infamous white hands-pink slip commercial in the campaign against Harvey Gantt.

50 states, 210 media market, 435 Congressional Districts, 3080 counties, 192,480 precincts

by TarheelDem on Mon Jul 7th, 2008 at 05:31:18 PM EST

Jesse Helms Was a Racist | 22 comments (22 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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