A principled stand against racism
READERS OF SocialistWorker.org will be happy to learn of the principled stand against the bigoted career of Jesse Helms made by a white 51-year-old N.C. state employee. As the Charlotte Observer wrote, "L.F. Eason III gave up the only job he'd ever had rather than lower a flag this week to honor former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms."
A 29-year veteran of the Raleigh Standards Laboratory, which oversees measurements for the N.C. Department of Agriculture, Eason retired rather than follow an order from superiors to honor Helms by lowering the flag outside the lab.
According to the Observer, "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."
According to the same article, Eason said, "I designed and built that lab...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."
Kudos to you, Mr. Eason, for having the courage to challenge the hypocritical praise Helms has received from state officials following his death. If there were any justice in this world, you'd have your job back, and the state of North Carolina would be honoring you for your courageous act.
Ben Lassiter, Greensboro, N.C.
