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When a superior ordered the lab to follow the directive, Eason decided to retire rather than pay tribute to Helms. After several hours’ delay, one of Eason’s employees hung the flags at half-staff. The brouhaha began late Sunday night, when Eason e-mailed eight of his employees in the state standards lab, which calibrates measuring equipment used on things as widely varied as gasoline and hamburgers. “Regardless of any executive proclamation, I do not want the flags at the North Carolina Standards Laboratory flown at half staff to honor Jesse Helms any time this week,” Eason wrote just after midnight, according to e-mail messages released in response to a public records request.
He told his staff that he did not think it was appropriate to honor Helms because of his “doctrine of negativity, hate, and prejudice” and his opposition to civil rights bills and the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. In a string of e-mail messages with his superiors, Eason was told he could either lower the flags or retire effective immediately.Though he’s only 51, Eason chose to retire, although he pleaded several times to be allowed to stay at the lab. Eason, who had worked for the Agriculture Department since graduating from college, was paid $65,235 a year as the laboratory manager. “I designed and built that lab,” he said. “Even though technically the bricks and mortar belong to the state of North Carolina, I feel very strongly that everything that comes out of there is my responsibility.” Monday was sunny. And Eason was out of a job.
A small gesture for sure, but the man has guts.
I have mixed feelings on this. Helms was an asshat, but I was taught to salute the officer, not the man. Helms was a blotch on the record books, but he did hold the office and should be recognized.
#1–smartalix==just why do you call yourself smart? The man was an asshat. He should be recognized as an asshat holding office. I assume the “rule” followed was half flag for the death of any home state senator? Has nothing to do with the quality of the asshat. Just giving people rituals to give a fake sense of meaning.
Along those lines, Eason is such an idiot, I’d rerun every test possible that came out of that lab. He committed – – -seppuku— or hari kari–over a symbollic or meaningless ritual? Hah! What a dolt.
He should have resigned over the mismanagement of the state wide food testing program. I wonder what his other life plans were at the time? Somethings missing.
This wasn’t courage on the part of Eason, but stupidity! I’d say Jessie Helms got the last laugh.
#3. No you see, Jesse is dead, this guy is alive and retired. He who laughs last and all that.
Another reason why I wouldn’t have made it in the military, Alix. I can’t honor a racist and a bigot. The man used his office and political power to impede equal opportunity for all Americans throughout his career in office.
Let’s face it. If Helms was in the military and carried out the policies he fought for – he would have been kicked out long before the end of his political career.
Seems liberals are so tolerant of others.
The man is dead. Regardless of what you feel about his politics, he gave a significant portion of his life to public service. And, he was elected in free and fair elections.
#4 McCullough
Yeah, but how cool is it to be able to get someone to quit their job from the grave.
Helms may have had some views that aren’t pc in modern-day America, but he certainly wasn’t racist or a bigot, he was a decent senator and should be rightfully honored as such. Am glad this moron retired and I say good riddance. Now, we move on to more important stories, like Iran or gas or whatever else is used to occupy our measly existence.
He didn’t even hit the rule of 85 (if they have it)… drastic cut in retirement.
#6–Dr K. How come everyone adopting the honorific of “Dr” is a total dip wad?
You think Jesse provided public service or rather used the federal government to extract wealth and power? Is that service in your mind? I guess he provided husband services to that black woman he raped? Yes, a servant of the people.
#11 bobbo
“Dr K. How come everyone adopting the honorific of “Dr” is a total dip wad”
I see you are still performing with an IQ the same as your age.
#12–Doctor D==it wasn’t accurate, but I just couldn’t resist. You should do some peer review with your cohort. He caused it.
# 13 bobbo
🙂
29 Years? I wonder if he refused to lower the flag for any dead Democratic segregationalists that held office. Lord knows there were a ton in the south.
#6 & #9
Can you smell the Republican hypocrisy? You people feel like you’re entitled to say all sorts of derogatory & discriminatory comments at anyone anytime but God forbids if you get on the recieving end.
And this is why I stand on my ground that Conservative radio is well off because hate sells.
This is very simple. He forgot he worked there. At work you take orders. Other people set policy. He got fired for insubordination.
At his house he could and maybe should have kept the flag up because he gets to make that call even if he had to buy a flag to run up. I truly doubt if his bosses would have said jack.
This is the point. You make political statements on your time using your resources. Not the states.
Good to see someone put their ideals before work. Helms was a POS who would have had African Americans as second class citizens to this day if he could have.
#2 and #17 got it right.
Does anyone believe Jesse Helms cares what this guy thinks? Does anyone believe his quitting his job is going to make any difference at all?
It’s ok to do something as drastic as this if he has a plan to follow it up with something meaningful, but… All he has done is put himself in the unemployment line.
Are any of us going to remember his name in a couple of weeks?
Idiot.
Yeah for employees taking a stand. He was willing to quit over it and that was his own choice. This world would be a shitty place if no one ever stood up for their beliefs. There shouldn’t be such a strong pro-culture of people compromising their own value and belief systems because of money.
I am fine with him being fired. I am fine with him having the guts to go find him another job that is more in line with his beliefs. Good for him.
Money isn’t everything.
#15 – “29 Years? I wonder if he refused to lower the flag for any dead Democratic segregationalists that held office. Lord knows there were a ton in the south.”
Speaking or writing about that subject has been forbidden by the lib thought police. Please turn yourself in to the nearest PC reeducation camp.
It should be said Jesse Helms truly served his NC constituents. If anyone in the state needed something and his office could assist, a phone call was sufficient to get their attention. That dedication to the people was what kept him in office. And have no illusions, the other reason many voters pulled the lever for Helms was because he believed every word he said… and they shared his opinion. I may not have agreed with much of anything he espoused, but I never doubted his commitment to the words he spoke.
Flying the flag at half staff is a mark of respect for the office. I’d wager 98% of the people who walk past the pole even notice whether it’s up, down – on the rise or descending… or somewhere in the middle.
#22–bh28630==Jesse Helms was an unapologetic racist for most of his political career. If he somehow help the black people of NC, then there certainly was discord between what he said and did and passed laws to do and what he did in public?
Course if he was a lying hypocrite, he would have been a better man than he was===or do you think only white people count for representational purposes?
Reminds me of a SC poll I heard say the school there were very good until they were forced to educate the blacks, then everything went downhill. Imagine being a black paying taxes in SC and expecting a decent education? I think NC is pretty close to SC? Just a few letters away?
“I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary notices I have read with pleasure.”
Clarence S. Darrow (1857-1938)
He did nothing for public service he did everything to service his own ego. 12 years in the Marine Corps convinced me that honoring the office is for fools. Then again the MC taught that respect was earned not given.
#23 bobbo
Don’t sugar coat it bobbo… tell us what you really think.
Can we expect the same glowing eulogy when the heart of the Democrat Party and KKK Grand Dragon Robert Byrd(D-WV) snuffs it?
Dodd–it wrankles me to see the sheep like behavior of too many people.
Honor the office?==sheep.
Politicians provide public service?==sheep.
You’ll be hard pressed to find me saying anything good about anyone in power. Power thru religion, money, or politics. They are all in the main, masquerading scum. The good in this world comes mostly from people of no consequence, our family, friends, and occasional stranger.
Saying Obama is better than McSame is hardly showing any party loyalty. Just the least bad.
I just heard Congress had a 9% approval rating. Yet the incumbents will be returned on average 98% of the time===sheep.
There are *oceans* of hatred in this country.
Still. Sadly.
Politically, some will never grow up.
Rather than being fired, the man should have been given a medal.
The Civil War is still over kids; the south is still the loser.
As a resident of NC and a state employee, I support Eason’s decision. I can’t imagine “honoring” a politician who has remarks in the Congressional record that include the word “nigger.”
I don’t imagine I’d handle the situation the same way. I’d probably say, “if you want it lowered, you do it yourself.”
I hope Eason filed a grievance.
What guts he retired? You still need to show respect.
#1: And Hitler was the leader of a major world country. Should there be a Hitler day? Not to honor the man, but the office?
Please… Helms should only get the respect he deserved based on his deeds.