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paphlady
Guest
Or Ho Chi Minh, Castro, Saddam Hussein, Churchill, Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, Clinton, Bush, etc. No matter which side of the fence you're on, you'll find people on the other side.
Death of an American hero -- Jesse Helms
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Or Ho Chi Minh, Castro, Saddam Hussein, Churchill, Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, Clinton, Bush, etc. No matter which side of the fence you're on, you'll find people on the other side.
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Frederick
Guest
Such a nice man...
I think the obituary in today's Guardian sums it up nicely : "it is hard even now to think of him with charity."
F.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/04/usa
"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. From his earliest years, Helms's attitudes recalled those of an earlier southern bigot, Theodore Bilbo of Mississippi, who so outraged his Senate colleagues, that they eventually refused even to let him take his seat.
There was never a comparable risk for Helms, who maintained an old-world courtesy in his personal contacts. But that was only on the surface. He became one of the most powerful and baleful influences on American foreign policy, repeatedly preventing his country paying its UN contributions, voting against virtually all arms control measures, opposing international aid programmes as "pouring money down foreign rat holes", and avidly supporting military juntas in Latin America and minority white regimes in Southern Africa.
In domestic politics he denounced the 1964 Civil Rights Act as "the single most dangerous piece of legislation ever introduced in the Congress", voted against a supreme court justice because she was "likely to uphold the homosexual agenda", acted for years as spokesman for the large tobacco companies, was reprimanded by the justice department and the federal election commission for electoral malpractice, and compiled a dismal personal record as a slum landlord.
The irony was that he was often seen as a relative moderate in his home state of North Carolina. His views sprang directly from his background as the son of the police chief in the small town of Monroe. Even before the Depression, life there was a constant struggle. It produced generations of deeply conservative poor whites, steeped in jingoistic patriotism and fundamentalist religion, who regarded the surrounding black population as barely part of the human race."
I think the obituary in today's Guardian sums it up nicely : "it is hard even now to think of him with charity."
F.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/04/usa
"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. From his earliest years, Helms's attitudes recalled those of an earlier southern bigot, Theodore Bilbo of Mississippi, who so outraged his Senate colleagues, that they eventually refused even to let him take his seat.
There was never a comparable risk for Helms, who maintained an old-world courtesy in his personal contacts. But that was only on the surface. He became one of the most powerful and baleful influences on American foreign policy, repeatedly preventing his country paying its UN contributions, voting against virtually all arms control measures, opposing international aid programmes as "pouring money down foreign rat holes", and avidly supporting military juntas in Latin America and minority white regimes in Southern Africa.
In domestic politics he denounced the 1964 Civil Rights Act as "the single most dangerous piece of legislation ever introduced in the Congress", voted against a supreme court justice because she was "likely to uphold the homosexual agenda", acted for years as spokesman for the large tobacco companies, was reprimanded by the justice department and the federal election commission for electoral malpractice, and compiled a dismal personal record as a slum landlord.
The irony was that he was often seen as a relative moderate in his home state of North Carolina. His views sprang directly from his background as the son of the police chief in the small town of Monroe. Even before the Depression, life there was a constant struggle. It produced generations of deeply conservative poor whites, steeped in jingoistic patriotism and fundamentalist religion, who regarded the surrounding black population as barely part of the human race."
aquacorps
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It was a joke. I did meet him in the 80's while attending grad school in North Carolina. Nice enough guy, but I could not figure out why he kept getting elected till a friend's dad pointed out it was all about big tobacco. So from that perspective he served his state well. I can't wait to see the Colbert report. Rusty
does that mean that this forum is only for generally liberal orchid growers?
likespaphs
some call me brian
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Still I feel better knowing the original post was in jest.
though I generally despise tobacco, (except for use in creating great insecticides or to be sold as flowering annuals), tobacco interests, tobacco companies, smoke etc. and all like that, if I were living in a state that had large employers that were tobacco companies then I would strongly hope that my elected officials were backing the legal industries involved. after all, that is why an elected official is elected, to protect and promote their regions' interest to the general assembly of other elected officials. now, a 'perfect' representative (that has never nor will ever exist) would recognize the danger and destructiveness of tobacco, and look long and hard for alternatives to the said industry and ways to ease the bad out and ease in the good, new industry. example is I think in virginia or one of the states where tobacco used to be grown, many farmers were now switching to other income producing crops. don't know if helms ever did the second part though it isn't 'required' of an official to do so. even though I am conservative (not republican; independent), there were very many parts of mr. helms' makeup that I found to be very disturbing. but then again what politician if looked at very closely won't fail under the public eye in some form or another?
SlipperFan
Addicted
I think we are all liberal orchid growers -- that's why we have so many.
oke:
I think we are all liberal orchid growers -- that's why we have so many.
ah, in that case the description for most of us here should be 'ultra left-wing orchid purchasers!' :wink:(stage whisper) meaning 'buying tons of plants' with great avidity
SlipperFan
Addicted
:rollhappy:
No matter what your beliefs about Senator Helms were at least we can openly express them on this forum. I know another forum where you were censured or totally banned if you didn't believe as the administrator did. As it was said earlier "Thanks for freedom of speech" and "Thanks to Slippertalk for allowing open discussion." :clap::clap::clap::clap:
(stage whisper) meaning 'buying tons of plants' with great avidity
some of us are even die-hard party-liners in that they only buy paph species or besseae hybrids...
NYEric
Well-Known Member
Damn commonists! :viking:
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This has been a really interesting thread. I love you guys. :smitten:
The thanks should really go to you all!
The thanks should really go to you all!
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Okay, I have a little more to say.
This IS why the forum was started. It really is the heart of the matter, we may not always agree but we always seem to get along, no matter the matter at hand.
And I like what Dot said.
This IS why the forum was started. It really is the heart of the matter, we may not always agree but we always seem to get along, no matter the matter at hand.
And I like what Dot said.
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Bolero
Guest
Being from Australia I haven't heard of this guy at all.
Me goes off to look up this guy and all he stood for.......;-)
Me goes off to look up this guy and all he stood for.......;-)
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Bolero
Guest
Ok.........an interesting character.
I will leave my opinion now for another time. I love political discussions of course, I get excited by them!
I will leave my opinion now for another time. I love political discussions of course, I get excited by them!
NYEric
Well-Known Member
Senator Helms has the distinction of behind the driving force behind having all references to homosexuality removed from government funded AIDS awareness educational literature. Promoting ignorance is therefore one of his great achievements.
