> Senator Helm's wife, Dot; their three children; and seven grandchildren are
> in my thoughts and prayers as they honor his legendary life and
> extraordinary legacy."
One of my favorite facts about Jesse Helms is that he and his wife Dot were notorious slumlords, who owned decrepit properties (e.g. ones without any heat) in some of the poorest neighborhoods in Raleigh. I've heard they even had different property management companies to service his white and black tenants.
My wife and I used to live in Jesse Helms's neighborhood. We'd often walk by his house hoping to see and heckle him. Never had any luck. It looks like the Helmses recently moved. The (surprisingly modest) house is being renovated. I drove by today to see if anyone had erected a makeshift memorial in Jesse's honor. Sure enough, someone's placed a tiny American flag next to the steps leading up to his old front walk. I was kind of expecting an impromptu Klan rally -- at least some flowers. The cheap little flag is kinda a diss for an American statesman of his stature. I take that as a good sign -- not only for N.C., but for the country generally. I suspect only a few years ago the obituaries would have been a lot more favorable to Sen Helms. No more, it seems.
-WD