Hero
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Our government – state, local, federal – should not honor racist a-holes.
L.F. Eason III gave up the only job he’d ever had rather than lower a flag to honor former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.
Eason, a 29-year veteran of the state Department of Agriculture, instructed his staff at a small Raleigh lab not to fly the U.S. or North Carolina flags at half-staff Monday, as called for in a directive to all state agencies by Gov. Mike Easley.
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.
60 Responses to “Hero”
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
Good for Eason. We need more people who stand up for what they believe. I hope that he has a decent retirement fund.
Bold move. Helms did serve the country and his state, but not all of the country, nor half of his state.
This Eason is a credit to his race.
While the news today is alive with the subject of cojones, Eason certainly showed his. Doubt I would have had the guts, myself.
If only more folks were willing to take risks like that. I hope this guy finds a new job or is able to retire. Giving up a 29-year job at a lab you helped build has got to be a tough decision to make. Very few folks go that far for their beliefs, and it seems like many of those who do are nuts. It’s good to see there are sane and decent folks who are willing to take risks and stand up for their beliefs even when it’s hard. Mr. Eason is a credit not only to his race, but to America — more folks like him and we’d be much closer to pulling ourselves out of this mess.
“Some prominent Democrat” is not the issue, Sir Snarksalot. The issue is “Jesse Helms.”
If he refused to lower the flag after the death of, say, John McCain, I’d find him shrill and churlish. Helms was a hate-filled ignoramus who never once found anything wrong with being a hate-filled ignoramus.
I’m sure when someone else does the same after some prominent Democrat passes, the media will treat such an act of protest with precisely the same reverence.
(OK, I almost typed that last sentence with a straight face.)
Know what dingus? If Robert Byrd dies, and if somewhere someone refuses to raise the flag for him because he was in the Klan, even though he has later publically denounced them and his membership? I would disagree, but respect their decision, irrespective of their race or political affiliation.
That, of course, is one thing. When Ted Kennedy dies and every College Republican organization decides to throw a “Ding-Dong the Kennedy’s Dead!” funereal blow-out bash, where the Theme of the party is Chappiquidick with a “Kopechne Corpse Costume Contest” (and let us not pretend these tasteful fucks won’t) then that will be a very different, astoundingly tasteless, and mind-blowingly stupid thing, and you can expect a different response which reflects that.
So ha-ha, turns out I’m reasonable and theres nothing you can do about it.
Just occurred to me, how many drunk-driving arrests do you suppose that Chappaquidick party is going to lead to?
Double Standards much anyone? The “O” man has flip like a fish out of water and you moonbats are too busy glad handing some clown from The Triangle (or relocated Yankees)in North Carolina. Call me when Robert Byrd Passes and I’ll show you respect.
“Projection.”
Look it up.
A hero? The man is an idiot.
Eason can feel however he wants about Jesse Helms. If he didn’t want to personally honor Helms, fine. If he wanted to dissuade others from doing the same thing, fine. If he wanted to petition Governor Easley from honoring a man he felt didn’t deserved to be honored, fine. He could have written letters to the editor, put up a big sign on his car next to the flagpole, etc. However, for him to order those under his supervision to defy a direct order from the Governor of the state is an offense that should have gotten him fired and not given the option of retirement. Whether he helped build the lab or not, he didn’t own it. It was state property and as such, wasn’t in a position to make such decisions.
If you work in the public sector, your responsibility is to discharge the duties of your occupation to the public. You’re not in it for yourself. Regardless of how anybody feels about Jesse Helms (and unfortunately for him, his about face on the AIDS epidemic in Africa came to late to do anything to his legacy), the fact of the matter is, he was elected by the people of the state of North Carolina 5 times and served for 30 years in the US Senate. That means, he represented the majority of voters in that state during that time. It wasn’t Eason’s call to make about the flag and he should be counting his blessings that he wasn’t canned.
Shorter Jay: Obey!
So Quaker, if the local postmaster didn’t like Eason and told his carriers, “You will no longer deliver mail to his address” you’d have no problem with that?
No, Jay, because tampering with the mail is a federal crime.
It wouldn’t be tampering. Letter carriers can refuse to deliver mail for a variety of reasons.
So the question still stands.
if the local postmaster didn’t like Eason and told his carriers, “You will no longer deliver mail to his address” you’d have no problem with that?
If the postmaster is prepared to pay for his decision with his job, then no, I have no problem.
It’s called “conscience” Jay. The first Quaker, George Fox (that’s him to the right of my comments) regularly got beaten, run out of town, or thrown in jail for his.
Fair enough.
“Letter carriers can refuse to deliver mail for a variety of reasons.
So the question still stands.”
Indeed;
Danger to letter carrier (Ex:Dogs)
Inaccessible mailbox
Medical restrictions
Here, see what happens when carriers do refuse..
Question answered, Wankee fan. But keep trying it to shoehorn it into your own sad belief systems.
I’m with Jay on this one. I respect the courage of his convictions that Eason showed in quitting rather than do something he felt strongly about. But he was a public employee who had been given instructions which were not illegal and he chose not to follow them. He was not right to do so.
Let me get this straight. Public employee puts his personal feelings and politics ahead of the requirements of his job. When public employee is a member of the Bush Administration, this is bad. When public employee is a registered Democrat who disses a Republican, we praise him as a “hero”.
QiB: Shorter Jay: Obey!
Longer QiB: Don’t respond to Jay’s points, just reduce them to a straw man and dismiss them.
You’re a little slow on the draw there, Sean. And clearly, you are NOT aware of all Internet traditions.
Let me get this straight. Public employee puts his personal feelings and politics ahead of the requirements of his job. When public employee is a member of the Bush Administration, this is bad. When public employee is a registered Democrat who disses a Republican, we praise him as a “hero”.
Does context matter here? Eason’s mini-insurgency was a difference of 10 feet on a flagpole (or however tall it was). In so doing he repudiated a racist and, apparently, cheerfully accepted the consequences for doing so. I’m not certain to which Bush Administration member you’re referring, but their ‘personal feelings and politics’ may have been much more objectionable to anyone on this forum.
‘Hero,’ like the words ‘tall,’ ‘fast,’ or ‘good,’ is a subjective word, dependent upon both an objective description of an activity (as you put it, ‘puts his personal feelings and politics ahead of the requirements of his job’) and whether one finds the reasoning behind the activity to be of high value.
To us, a suicide bomber is probably not heroic, but to some others, he might be. A guy that jumps on his grenade to save his buddies is someone I would describe as heroic. But both blew themselves up. Context, no?
The first Quaker, George Fox (that’s him to the right of my comments)
Always wondered who that was. I knew it wasn’t the guy on the cereal box.
The mail carrier analogy is flawed. Eason didn’t decide to shut down the lab for the day, he refused to lower the flag in honor of a hateful person. I agree with Quaker: It’s called “conscience”
Dear Quaker,
I volunteered with the a non-profit Franciscan organization a couple of years ago (though I am agnostic). Anyway, just wanted to say that they loved the Quakers – always spoke very highly of the Quakers.
Thanks, V.
Duros,
I actually have been wondering what person is in your avatar.
Eason didn’t decide to shut down the lab for the day, he refused to lower the flag in honor of a hateful person.
It’s called “conscience”
No, he refused to follow the directive of the Governor of the State of North Carolina. Flying the flag at half staff was not optional. He didn’t have the authority to ignore that directive, nor did he have the authority to order others to ignore that directive either.
Plus his ‘conscience’ made sure he retired instead of suffering the consequences of disciplinary action that might have cost him his pension. I guess ‘conscience’ comes at a price.
I’m gonna try this.
It’s our old friend Charles “Davros” Krauthammer!
<img src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/2331917916_df393b50f8_o.jpg”
One more time.
<img src=”“
Son of a…
Here.
Duros, just to let you know, the blog software will automatically convert URL text to a clickable link, so you don’t have to go through all of the HTML tags.
LOL. I thought the pic was familiar, though I don’t know where that get up is from:)
Yeah, Jay, I know. I was trying to embed the pic, but I can never remember the HTML.
Jay,
Well, I suppose I just admire a rebel with a cause. I don’t believe in following orders simply for the sake of following orders.
Peace.
I’ve had no success embedding pictures in comments either, and I thought I was following all the requirements OW originally outlined.
So, what DOES one have to do to include a photo when you might want to?
Jay, I suppose you commend the behavior of the SS officers or other Nazis that were following their democratically-elected leader’s orders. Right? They were just following orders from higher authority. They had no right to disobey orders, and would be “idiots” if they had done so. Right?
Jay, I suppose you commend the behavior of the SS officers or other Nazis that were following their democratically-elected leader’s orders. Right? They were just following orders from higher authority. They had no right to disobey orders, and would be “idiots” if they had done so. Right?
Context, baby, context. Objective description of behavior plus subjective values that were the motive for that behavior.
And before you decide that you want to disregard my post simply because I invoked Hitler, and because it’s an extreme comparison… I am not saying that Helms was as bad, or even a millionth as bad, as Hitler. I’m just trying to illustrate that sometimes orders from higher-ups deserve NOT to be followed.
I commend what Eason for what he did: Refusing to honor a bigoted bastard in the same manner that we honor good, commendable, and heroic persons that made a positive difference in Americans’ lives.
(I’d also like to note that this directive from the governor to fly the flag at half-mast calls into question his character.)
mambochicken23,
About the governor; exactly right.
This governor is in fact a Democrat unfortunately. I think it would be absolutely wonderful for his delegate status at the upcoming convention to be revoked on account of this vile act.
I’m just trying to illustrate that sometimes orders from higher-ups deserve NOT to be followed.
I understand what you’re saying, and normally I don’t disagree. The problem I have is twofold:
1. Eason wasn’t working by himself. He jeopardized those who worked directly for him by telling them to disregard a directive from the Governor.
2. He wanted his cake and eat it too. If he was such a rebel, he wouldn’t have retired and taken the easy way out. He would have accepted whatever discipline was meted out, which could have been termination.
Let’s see if this works. I am including a portrait of your average Obama supporter….hehe.
Hmm…Let’s try that again:
<img src=”http://www.xerratus.com/content/binary/head-up-ass.jpg”
Public school teacher here.
I get 2% of my last year’s salary per year of service. So after 29 years, I would get 58%, e.g..
That would be ~$24,000 p/a. for me. I assume NC isn’t wildly different
Not bad, but not the lap of luxury.
Each year his retirement was brought forward, before he planned to retire, cost him $800-900 p/a, times the number of years in retirement.
A significant sacrifice, but not a crippling one.
I’ll take an ordinary hero, though. Heroes of any kind are rare.
And disciplinary action that didn’t involve commission of a crime, most probably a felony to boot, was unlikely to cost him his pension.
“2. He wanted his cake and eat it too. If he was such a rebel, he wouldn’t have retired and taken the easy way out. He would have accepted whatever discipline was meted out, which could have been termination.”
So you are not impressed by the size of his sacrifice. What did you want him to do? Commit ritual suicide? Seppuku perhaps? Self-immolation?
This is another ‘Baby Mama’ incident. You are looking at this not based on the facts, but based on political allegiance. Had the political parties been reversed, so would your opinion.
It has nothing to do with politics CS. I don’t see his actions as honorable or heroic, but self serving.
And actually no, my opinion wouldn’t have been different. Not that you’d believe me, nor do I care.
“It has nothing to do with politics CS. I don’t see his actions as honorable or heroic, but self serving.”
In what way? How did he gain from his action?
“And actually no, my opinion wouldn’t have been different. Not that you’d believe me…”
That’s because you’ve been shown to be a liar, Jay.
The “O” man has flip like a fish out of water…”
Damn, I hate it when Obama imitates President Bush (during the 1999 primary season, he criticized McCain’s campaign finance reform bill. As president, he signed it) and McCain (the carpetbaggerreport.com documents him flip-flopping, and I am not making this up, sixty times). Heck, the iconic Reagan was probably the most vocally anti-abortion rights president ever, but, as governor of California, he signed a bill that basically legalized abortion in that state. I guess flip-flopping on an issue is just a bad thing for the Jibreel Riley’s of this world when a Republican does it (especially when that Republican flip-flops from a liberal to a conservative position, as in the Reagan example I gave. Then it shows how much that Republican has “grown”).
“A hero? The man is an idiot.”
Whatever happened to disagreeing without being disagreeable (and yes, that applies to the liberals who post, as well as conservatives like Jay)?
How did he gain from his action?
He got his 15 minutes….
That’s because you’ve been shown to be a liar, Jay.
Zzzzzzz…..
Me: “How did he gain from his action?”
Jay: “He got his 15 minutes….”
That’s it? Can you show 15 minutes of fame is of any material benefit to him? Can you show he even wanted 15 minutes of fame?
Me: “That’s because you’ve been shown to be a liar, Jay.”
Jay: “Zzzzzzz…..”
Of course you don’t even pretend to defend yourself.
Yeah, Jay. That’s a pretty lame answer, even for you.
Zython, I don’t feel the need to defend myself against somebody like CS. He’s shown himself to be nothing but a name calling flamer. So his opinion of me is worth less that a squirt of piss.
Eason doesn’t need to cash in for millions (or any material benefit for that matter) for his actions to be self-serving. People like CS can’t grasp the concept.
Go ahead. Somebody can get the last (lame) word in.
“Zython, I don’t feel the need to defend myself against somebody like CS. He’s shown himself to be nothing but a name calling flamer. So his opinion of me is worth less that a squirt of piss.”
You realize you insulted me twice in this post alone. I guess that makes you a hypocrite.
“Eason doesn’t need to cash in for millions (or any material benefit for that matter) for his actions to be self-serving. People like CS can’t grasp the concept.”
You have yet to show any evidence, anything, that suggest Eason was acting in a self-serving fashion. So instead of simply trying to insult me, you should present real evidence.
“Go ahead. Somebody can get the last (lame) word in.”
Yeah, asking for evidence is lame. We should all just believe you when you whatever you say.
Eason doesn’t need to cash in for millions (or any material benefit for that matter) for his actions to be self-serving.
So, he gave up a well-paying job so he could be a little famous? I hate to break this to you, Jay, but not everyone is as depraved as you are.
Eason doesn’t need to cash in for millions (or any material benefit for that matter) for his actions to be self-serving. People like CS can’t grasp the concept.
Absolutely pathetic Jay, even for you.
In J world, criticism is reserved for someone who refuses to honor a racist (and is willing to put his career on the line), and not for the racist.
I agree, pathetic J.
It’s called “conscience”
No, he refused to follow the directive of the Governor of the State of North Carolina. Flying the flag at half staff was not optional. He didn’t have the authority to ignore that directive, nor did he have the authority to order others to ignore that directive either.
Uh, right. That’s what “conscience” means. He didn’t have the authority to ignore the directive. He ignored it anyway. Out of laziness? No. Out of personal animosity? No.
Mr. Eason answered a higher authority–his own sense of what’s right.
(As for your quibble that he retired rather than waiting to be fired–get real. He surrendered his job. You think he’s also obliged to surrender his pension? Under that kind of reasoning, one owes one’s very existence to anyone who gives you a paycheck.)