Oh Jesse

Last night I had the joy (more like there was nothing else on TV) of coming across a documentary on Jesse Helms.  So, I decided to watch the program.  After viewing the program I was not very amused by our former NC senator and his conservative mindset.   Most of us who grew up in North Carolina and who are my age range can probably remember his name and the fact he was a hardcore conservative.  The only memories of Jesse I have were the ones left in my mind by the conversations with my grandparents.  

My grandmother would have hit me with a belt if she heard what I am about to say about Jesse.  He was a racist, arrogant, and down right southern bred red neck who stayed in office entirely to long.  Anyone my parents or grandparents age would remember him as vice president and commentator of WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC before becoming senator in 1973.  Over the years he made himself very clear that he was a white man who supported segregation and on several occasions called Martin Luther King Jr. a "communist".  I didn't mention the fact that his racist baptist minister friend Jerry Falwell was one of his biggest advocates.  I hate to tell all the Liberty students that their former President and Pastor of Liberty University was a racist son of a bitch(students probably already knew the fact Jerry was racist).  I hope Jerry had fun explaining to God why he couldn't "love one another".  I am completely appalled that a pronounced Christian minister would ever ally themselves with someone like Jesse Helms.  Thank you Jesus for Catholics and Presbyterians to balance the status quo.   Once upon a time before I really knew what the term conservative really meant I used to call myself one.  Thank God I don't consider myself a conservative anymore.

Times have changed since the days of Jesse Helms.  You can still see his influence today with our current senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr.  Unfortunately, with two republican senators in office and a democratic governor in office in NC I don't see how anyone's political agenda's get met.  I guess its good to have both parties(or more non labeled parties).  There are still reminders of the old south everywhere you go.  Some southerners forgot the civil war was over in 1865 so why the hell are we still talking about it today.   One day I hope we can say goodbye to the unpleasant memories of the old south and move forward to a more productive way of thinking and that is The World According to Thad.