Don’t forget Jesse trying to make black Senator Carol Moseley-Brown cry by singing ‘Dixie’ at her in an elevator.
Truly, the man goes beyond asshole into evil. If I’d been Carol, I would have maced him.
The image of Carol Moseley-Brown macing Jesse Helms would make Baby Jesus smile.
Well, I’ll not only defend 'Sprix, I’ll raise him.
I want Jesse dead. Dead-dead-dead, long-suffering-painful dead. None of this but-I’m-sure-he’s-nice-to-the-dog bullshit. He has worked enormous evil over the course of his career, doing his best, for example, to ensure the long-suffering-painful deaths of those with HIV. My only disappointment is that assuming he survives to the end of his term, he won’t experience that kind of death while wielding the power he has so abused throughout his political life.
A gangrenous soul deserves body to match.
Once he is dead I will visit his grave - to dance on it.
Especially if she used the mace in this picture. 
Esprix, I don’t blame you at all for feeling the way you do.
It’s easy for those who have not been personally insulted by this man’s statements and actions to step back and use the pot-kettle analogy. You and I know that Helms used his power in the most despicable ways, to oppress, to discriminate, and by attemting to deny funding to the study of HIV, to kill those who he felt were unworthy of equal existence. He attacked you, and attempted to ensure the deaths of people you know and care about.
Wishing death upon him is not only natural, it might even be a healthy sign of self-preservation.
I get this daily email from Slate that briefly mentions what is in the nation’s newspapers. One part of it mentions the editorial pieces on Helms:
SK: Wishing death upon him is not only natural, it might even be a healthy sign of self-preservation.
I’d just like to add that (although I think it’s not a good practice to rejoice at the fact or prospect of anybody’s death, and have thought so ever since I seriously considered throwing a party to celebrate the death of Ayn Rand in January 1982)…where was I? Oh yes, I’d like to add that the disapproval expressed about Esprix’s comment was a little puzzling to me, in light of the orgy of torture-and-execution fantasies routinely engaged in by SDMB posters when notorious criminal cases are mentioned.
Plenty of people here (though I’m not sure any of them are the same ones who criticized Esprix) are perfectly happy to describe in detail the fatal kinds of suffering they’d like to inflict on certain criminals who’ve done evil things. If you think that’s okay, then why should it not be okay for Esprix to say something much more civilized and restrained about his indifference to the death of a man who by his lights (and mine too) has also done evil things?
True, the evils committed by Jesse Helms were not criminal offenses and they didn’t directly cause injury or death to anyone else (though I wouldn’t necessarily swear to that in the case of the SFRC stuff, perhaps). But as SK points out, many of them were pretty awful and destructive nonetheless. Do you think that desiring, or merely not minding, the death of an evildoer is appropriate only in the case of an evildoer who’s actually broken the law? How come?
Indeed. I didn’t say I wanted him to die painfully, slowly or horribly, just to die. We all do it eventually, and he’s long overdue. I just think sooner would have been better than later, considering the enormous amounts of suffering he’s caused others, all in his own twisted view of what’s “right” (for white, upper class heterosexual Americans). It is well with my pervue to believe that the world will be a better place once he’s gone. It is one thing to be intolerant and have opinions that are contrary to mine - it is entirely another when that bigotry and hatred is used to make lawful policy that affects millions.
IMHO, anyway.
Esprix
I gotta agree with Esprix, except that I wish Jesse Helms gets AIDS. I want him to suffer, to be treated like a pariah, to know firsthand the pain his hatefilled career has brought to others.
And, frankly, the idea that hating Helms is somehow too low is bullshit. Helms is the enemy. He is an evil, vicious man. Ihate to break it to you good folks, but there really are evil people in this world who cannot be compromised with.
well d’uh!
I hate the guy too. I don’t want him to get AIDS, I want him to be like Jack Chick in that parody tract-he comes back as a Catholic Hispanic lesbian or something like that.
NC. Well, there’s some interesting news from Mrs. Dole today.
Here is an introduction to freeper psychology. I would not call them “mainstream”. Not after reading the thread where they demanded that Dubya be impeached for considering the idea of allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens. Or the thread where they were ecstatic about the news that John McCain had cancer.
Unfortunately for all of us, it would appear that Jesse’s shoes are not too large for another ignorant racist Carolinian to attempt to fill.
North Carolina, have you tested the water supply lately?
I might just make this a new sig-If Jesus were to see the perversion his message has undergone in 2,000 years, He would beg to be crucified again as to be spared exposure to such hatred.
Right on.
ITR: Here is an introduction to freeper psychology. I would not call them “mainstream”.
Thanks ITR (and Guin). I stand very, very, very corrected. Not to mention appalled and nauseated. Yikes.
Here’s a great take on Helms’ announcement by columnist Jon Carroll, whose stance seems to be “We don’t get villains like Jesse Helms anymore.” Particularly interesting in Carroll’s claim (unsubstantiated, to be sure) that when Helms is playing to a foreign audience, he’s not nearly as dumb or as Southern as he is for the folks back home.
The first paragraph of this editorial in today’s Star Tribune killed me…
MC Hawking is down with Esprix:
[Hawking voice]
Yo, Jesse, you dumb-ass racist cracker motherfucker,
why the fuck won’t you just hurry up and die?
And take that punk bitch Strom Thurmond with you.
[/Hawking voice]
Oh, man, that gag never gets old.
Yea, Sofa King we’ve had the water supply checked and it’s fine. Have you pulled your head out of your butt lately to have it checked for any brain growth since you checked negative the last time. One man does not make a state.
Woah! Touchy, aren’t we? As a Virginian, I will remind you that while your fine state appears to be controlled by a hardcore minority of racists and homophobes, I have to contend with their close cousins, the creationists and thumpers.
The thing is, my state does a better job of dealing with it. Clearer heads prevail where I come from. They obviously do not in North Carolina, or we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
I’m sorry your racist, homophobic, oppressive, backwards, backy-spittin’, nouveau-red-tech, punk-ass shithole patsy ugly step-sister to the real Carolina is an embarassment to the rest of America and the free world. I really am. Hell, I’m sorry you’re part of my fucking country, and if I could saw your piece of shit state off and watch it sink into the Sargasso Sea I’d be right alongside Bugs Bunny doing it. Unfortunately, I can’t, so I’ll come right out and say, “thanks a fucking lot, voters of North Carolina,” for putting your mouth where the money is and allowing bastards like Helms to fuck up the world for everyone.
Say it’s not your fault? Good. Keep voting for what’s right in your shitty, sky-blue bastion of Hell on earth. I’ll thank you for that, too.
Reading this thread reminded me of a great exchange from the Overheard (or whatever it’s called) section at the beginning of Time magazine. This was several years ago, but I remember it clearly - not every single word perfectly, but the gist. Jesse Helms was interrogating a woman from the NEA at a Senate hearing. The following exhange occurred:
Helms: I see you have donated money to a Mr. Monnet, a known Communist.
Woman: Excuse me?
Helms: Monnet. You gave him money.
Woman: I’m sorry, Senator, I don’t know what you’re referring to.
Helms: A Mr. Monnet. M-O-N-E-T.
Woman: Oh! Monet! He was a French impressionist painter…we donated money to have his garden at Giverny reconstructed.
Oy.