I do not join nor approve of the grave dancing. However I have not insulted those who did-
However-I find a certain amount of irony in the amount of hate condemning a man for the same.
I find some of these items of interest, anecdotal I am certain- but perhaps it punctures a few holes in the "Helms was evil" meme-
I also offer no defense where he was in fact-
wrong. As people often are-
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"It had been my feeling that AIDS was a disease largely spread by reckless and voluntary sexual and drug-abusing behavior, and that it would probably be confined to those in high risk populations. I was wrong."
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The truth is the truth whether people choose to accept it or not. Let me be very clear. From my earliest days I was taught to respect all people. It is just that simple. I didn’t need to shift my position because it was always on the side my parents expected me to take and modeled by their example. I never took the time to argue with the nonsense claims that I was a racist because I knew the truth and more importantly every African-American with whom I had ever enjoyed a friendship or who worked with me in any capacity knew the truth, too.
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Source cited- and will be villified and dismissed I would expect)
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Jesse and Dot Helms were the parents of three children: Jane, Nancy of Raleigh, and Charles Helms of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Charles, their third son, was a nine year old orphan with cerebral palsy when he was adopted by the Helmses.[3]They decided to adopt him after reading in a newspaper that he wanted a mother and father for Christmas.[3] They had seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.[3]
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Source
Was he
WRONG on many issues- yes. Especially on the issues of gays and AIDS- and not one of you with ANY honesty can tell me I support or approve of his stance on homosexuals. Don't even try!
However- I do not think he lives up to the level of evil- but perhaps that is because my definition is different than many of yours.
Bottom line- no defense- just other information. If this thread was purely for the joy of dancing about his death perhaps it does not belong in a forum where discussion is par for the course?