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Published: 2008-07-09 16:45:11
Updated: 2008-07-09 16:45:11

Posted: July 9, 2008

State worker retires after refusing to honor Jesse Helms

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Raleigh, N.C. — A state worker who worked 29 years for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture decided this week to retire instead of lowering a flag to honor the late former Sen. Jesse Helms.

L.F. Eason III, 51, told his laboratory staff not to fly the U.S. flag or North Carolina flag at half-staff, despite a call from Gov. Mike Easley to do so.

When Eason's supervisor confronted him about the decision, he said he would rather retire, Brian Long, a spokesman with the Department of Agriculture, said.

Eason could still face some type of disciplinary action, Long said, but the nature of the action was never determined because he voluntarily said he was going to retire.

Eason told The News & Observer of Raleigh that he did not think it was appropriate to remember Helms because of his opposition to civil rights legislation and the national Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Copyright 2011 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Latest Comments
Just look at the news headlines and tell me that Jesse was wrong.
Click to view my profile oldschoolrules
July 10, 2008 9:31 p.m.
bye-bye, and enjoy your retirement. You worked for the State and were given an official directive. Fortunately under our system you have a right to disagree, but you are also obliged to follow direct orders.
Click to view my profile Eduardo1
July 10, 2008 9:27 p.m.
If we all would put down our morals and ideologies on how others should live and just say...I love you...this would be a much better world in which we live in. There are too many mean spirited people in this world. We can all learn from Jesse. His views, principals, etc separates people. Look how it is causing us on here to hate eachother. Jesse is dead but his mean spirit lives on. Let's all get along please people. I dont want our kids growing up hating someone because of the color of someones skin, who he or she goes to bed with or because someone doesn't come from America. Sheesh
Click to view my profile iamforjustice
July 10, 2008 8:21 p.m.
Jesse Helms was not a racist. Period.

Calling conservatives racists is a cover used by someone when they cannot effectively counter someone's ideas. When liberals cannot refute conservative ideas, they resort to calling conservatives racists.
daMoFo
July 10, 2008 7:40 p.m.
MomOf3: Don't confuse your OPINION of what values ought to be, with undisputed moral imperatives. It's been my experience that those most in favor of forcing their alleged "values" down everybody else's throats are often the hypocrites most in transgression of these. Here, indulge yourself with Congressman Westmoreland and his 10 commandments:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1562658289653706925
Sumo Vita
July 10, 2008 7:08 p.m.
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