Jesse Helms has died.....

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/04/obit.helms/index.html

Don't everyone all cry at once. :rolleyes1

[Mackey Mouse]

I think he lived to a ripe old age and it is always sad for someone's family when a loved one dies.....in spite of his political opinions.

[Contemporary_Man]

Today we lost a great man and a true Southern gentleman. Rest in peace Senator Helms.

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Being a racist and being homophobic do not make a man a gentleman or great. I do not mourn his loss.

[metalis4ever]

Being a racist and being homophobic do not make a man a gentleman or great. I do not mourn his loss.

I could not have said it better myself

[Contemporary_Man]

Being a racist and being homophobic do not make a man a gentleman or great. I do not mourn his loss.

I had the pleasure to speak with Senator Helms on a few occaisions and I can assure you he was the embodiement of a Southern gentleman.

It is difficult to understand how you can be joyful in a person's death and the pain his family is enduring. While I can find no common ground with a person such as Ted Kennedy, I will feel no pleasure in his death. I guess for many people it is easy to be open minded as long someone shares your opinions.

[rpmdfw]

I had the pleasure to speak with Senator Helms on a few occaisions and I can assure you he was the embodiement of a Southern gentleman.

It is difficult to understand how you can be joyful in a person's death and the pain his family is enduring. While I can find no common ground with a person such as Ted Kennedy, I will feel no pleasure in his death. I guess for many people it is easy to be open minded as long someone shares your opinions.

I find no joy in the man's death.

On the other hand, I find it difficult to muster any grief for a man who advocated the continued opression of people like me.

I'm sure there are those that are saddened by his death, and my heart goes out to them.

I however will watch the Muchkinland scene from the Wizard of Oz and sing along to "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead", realizing that even as her sister mourned for her, those that she subjugated danced.

[DVC~OKW~96]

I don't rejoice at anyone's death. I do however rejoice that as an end of an "era" the voice of hate and opression is lessened.

[DVCajun]

I had the pleasure to speak with Senator Helms on a few occaisions and I can assure you he was the embodiement of a Southern gentleman.


I've known quite a few "southern gentlemen" in my day. I've learned that those "gentlemen" are wonderfully polite, well spoken, good to their mamas, solicitous to the women in their life ..... and nice to YOU as long as you appear to be like them. If you're not, however, you're likely to meet them in the dark under a big oak tree. You'll know him by the large pointy white hat on his head.

I'm not saying that Senator Helms was a KKKer -- but I have to say that "southern gentlemen" as a whole give me the freaking CREEPS. :scared1:

[Viki]

Friends, nothing wrong with this discussion so far, but let's not let it get personal :hippie::hippie::hippie:

[BourbonCigarsSteak]

Deleted

[Contemporary_Man]

I've known quite a few "southern gentlemen" in my day. I've learned that those "gentlemen" are wonderfully polite, well spoken, good to their mamas, solicitous to the women in their life ..... and nice to YOU as long as you appear to be like them. If you're not, however, you're likely to meet them in the dark under a big oak tree. You'll know him by the large pointy white hat on his head.

I'm not saying that Senator Helms was a KKKer -- but I have to say that "southern gentlemen" as a whole give me the freaking CREEPS. :scared1:

There is no evidence that Senator Helms was involved in the KKK. I don't think that anyone can accuse him of hiding his views behind a "pointy white hat" or anthinge else. He was very outspoken no matter whether his opinion was popular or not.

I'm not sure to what extent you intended to to so, but I read much of this post as denegrating a culture. I do not wish to be accusatory, but I would ask you to replace "Southern gentleman" with another culture, group, or lifestyle and see if you would feel comfortable if someone posted that.

[DVCajun]

There is no evidence that Senator Helms was involved in the KKK. I don't think that anyone can accuse him of hiding his views behind a "pointy white hat" or anthinge else. He was very outspoken no matter whether his opinion was popular or not.

I'm not sure to what extent you intended to to so, but I read much of this post as denegrating a culture. I do not wish to be accusatory, but I would ask you to replace "Southern gentleman" with another culture, group, or lifestyle and see if you would feel comfortable if someone posted that.

Um. No. I'm a southern girl myself. Born and raised in Louisiana and now a resident of Raleigh, North Carolina.

And if you'll reread my post, I specifically said I wasn't accusing the senator of being involved in the KKK.

It's ironic that the senator is a prime example of what I'm talking about. As you pointed out, we all know where he stood on the issues of race and homosexuality. And that he was a "southern gentleman."

[Contemporary_Man]

Folks, I do want to let you know that I come here in peace. It is not my attention to attack any of you, your lifestlyles, or beliefs. I certainly do not wish to come to your board and stir up any trouble.

Disclosure: I respect Senator Helms, but I also support gay marriage. They should have the right be just as miserable as the rest of us…….I kid, I kid. The Wife is adorable.

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

I had the pleasure to speak with Senator Helms on a few occaisions and I can assure you he was the embodiement of a Southern gentleman.

It is difficult to understand how you can be joyful in a person's death and the pain his family is enduring. While I can find no common ground with a person such as Ted Kennedy, I will feel no pleasure in his death. I guess for many people it is easy to be open minded as long someone shares your opinions.

While I am sorry that you feel that you have lost something positive in your life, I do not mourn the loss of someone who's bigotry laden policies are still crippling this country and millions of it's citizens. This doesn't even begin to address the loss of life around the globe due to his homophobia delaying any movement on funding for the AIDS crisis. I know that at the end of his career he apologized for much of his wrong-doing, but damage had long been done and it sadly continues.

I would never accuse the man of being in any specific organized group of men that promote hate, no wait, I guess I would. Didn't he serve 30 years in the US Senate?

PS. I think Ted Kennedy is a worthless scumbag too. I have always voted for the man or woman as a person and their personal take on the political party and their aspirations for representing me. I would not have voted for Ted or Jesse.....neither of them come close to living up to my standards.

[minicoopercraig]

Here's my thoughts, however scrambled they may be.

I am sorry for his family's loss, and give them my thoughts through this hard time.

HOWEVER! I do not mourn this man's passing, through all the hatred he spouted I don't know how any member of the LGBT community would come out and say that they were sad to see him pass, not that there should be protests outside of his funeral parlor like "they", and by they I mean the fundamentalist born-agains Christians, did for Matthew Sheppard saying that he's not going to heaven because of his practices or beliefs.
I don't have enough information on this, but I still think the ancient Egyptians had it right with the afterlife, you were judged on your actions and how you treated people throughout your life, not your sexuality, how many times you were divorced, how many children you had out of wedlock, or how many abortion clinics you blew up. Whatever the case may be. You were judged on your heart at the end, if it weighed more then a feather when you came to the scales, you weren't admitted into Heaven.
I don't think his was lighter than a feather, call it a hunch.

[Joshua_me]

I don't think I can comment honestly about my feelings on the passing of Mr. Helms here in this happy, G-rated, beloved Dis board. ...But, I will try.

I've already blogged/posted my comments on this topic on more 'adult' sites, so I'll just remove everything that could be deemed inappropriate and post what's left:

"Well, how do we mourn the passing of a real son of






ing on his grave."


Thanks for reading. :laughing:

[npmommie]

PS. I think Ted Kennedy is a worthless scumbag too. I have always voted for the man or woman as a person and their personal take on the political party and their aspirations for representing me. I would not have voted for Ted or Jesse.....neither of them come close to living up to my standards.

Wow those are some pretty harsh words........Exactly what makes a man who has done so much for many people so "worthless"?

[minicoopercraig]

I'm thinking the fact that he helped deny so many LGBT people civil rights that are inherited and taken for granted by many straight people gives us the ability to say that he had no value to us. But don't take my word for it, here's some other people who read a book....oops, sorry, slipped into Lavar Burton for a second there. :)

[npmommie]

I'm thinking the fact that he helped deny so many LGBT people civil rights that are inherited and taken for granted by many straight people gives us the ability to say that he had no value to us. But don't take my word for it, here's some other people who read a book....oops, sorry, slipped into Lavar Burton for a second there. :)

are you referring to my post right before yours on kennedy?

[CBisMe]

I have to say I'm relieved. Working for an AIDS Advocate group here in NC when Helms was in the Senate I can say that he did everything he could to stir up hate and violence, and tried to hurt or shut down anyone or any operation trying to help in the crisis.
He once said we should round everyone up with AIDS and put them in "camps" to protect other people. AIDS activist here responded by floating a huge balloon shaped as a Cond*m over his house. Now, THAT was funny.
I used to hate him, then I got older and wiser and just felt sorry for him.
Peace to his family.

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Wow those are some pretty harsh words........Exactly what makes a man who has done so much for many people so "worthless"?

The incident at Chappaquiddick aka the senseless death of Mary Jo Kopechne is the starter. I think on a personal level the man is missing a few levels of humanity that should be required for public service. Unfortunately, I feel the same way about many of our politicians.

[npmommie]

The incident at Chappaquiddick aka the senseless death of Mary Jo Kopechne is the starter. I think on a personal level the man is missing a few levels of humanity that should be required for public service. Unfortunately, I feel the same way about many of our politicians.

I am sure if he could go back he would do things differently. He has had to live with that his whole life. I don't think he meant for those terrible things to happen and the way it played out. Hindsite is always 20/20........he has had an admirable career in public service and no one can say otherwise about that.
he has been a big advocate for the poor, minorities and the gay community.

[Disney_Villain]

Jesse Helm's just reward! :dance3:

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mba/lowres/mban258l.jpg

[OrlandoMike]

OK guys, I didn't like the guy any more than you did. But he is dead. He can no longer hurt or say negative things about us or our friends.

I'm gonna lock this thread.

"If you don't have anything nice to say about someone....."