With job security on the minds of so many Americans these days, the story of L.F. Eason caught our eye. Eason is a North Carolina state employee who retired last week rather than follow orders from Gov. Mike Easley to lower flags in honor of former Republican Sen. Jesse Helms. Perspective spoke with Eason, 51, last week by telephone from his home, where he has been spending a lot of time lately. Here’s his take on the Helms affair.
Q: What’s your beef with Jesse Helms?
A: I was in high school when Helms was first elected. I thought it was a fluke, and then he gets elected for 30 years. It was just incredible to me to hear this man, time after time after time, have this bigoted, racist propaganda, and people still elect him. It’s really sad. I think Jesse came along at a time when we could have gone so much more progressive. I never, ever could tolerate the man.
Q: But you spent nearly 30 years at the Department of Agriculture. Why retire over this?
A: I absolutely could not do anything to glorify Jesse Helms. When I heard that he had died [July 4], I told my wife that this might be my retirement, because I was not going to lower the flags. My wife pointed out that these are not [my] flags. But I was director [of a state laboratory], so it was my statement if I was putting the flags at half-staff.
Q: What kind of reaction have you gotten from people?
A: Looking at the comments on a [local news] Web site, the suggestions I run for president are keeping up with the death threats, so I feel pretty good. Most of it has been positive.
Q: And your wife?
A: She is standing behind me on it. But I have been counting knives to make sure she isn’t standing behind me with a big butcher knife or something.
Q: Do you regret retiring?
A: I honestly at one point was hoping that they would offer me the position back. I’m definitely going to miss it. But I would do the same thing … oh, well, I might have done it differently. I might have done something less public that would have let me get by.
Q: So, what’s next for you?
A: I probably will do some consulting, after I get the “Honey, do” list down a little bit. She’s been talking about how many projects we’ve got going, so I think I’m going to have to finish up some of those before I go off anyplace.
