State employee won't lower flags for Helms

I don’t feel he should have refused to have the flags flown at half mast. The Governor had ordered them for the passing of a NC senator. He as an employee of the state had a duty. He chose not to and was replaced. But I don’t feel it was one of those moments or his place to take a moral stand or make a statement. I didn’t feel anyone’s life, dignity or rights were at stake. But he’s not alone doctors, lawyers, and pharmacist are just a few examples of professions where people may or may not have ethical opposition to what they do, but they HAVE to serve the patient/client/customer. The pharmacist HAS to fulfill the doctor’s prescription of contraceptives, the lawyer HAS to represent the guilty as well as the innocent. The doctor has to follow the best medical path for his patient. In my opinion jesse was a bigoted racist jerk. Don’t be proud of him. Don’t be proud that he was unwavering and stubborn in his so called principals. What he stood for was morally wrong. Basic human rights, dignity and freedoms for all people are not judgment calls, are not debatable matters of principals, and are not a matter of being “Politically correct” what is wrong today was wrong back then and don’t kid yourself many people were wronged. Being voiceless and powerless against that white supremacist political machine must have been unbearable. The fear of reprisals from the ignorant that would use violence against you if they heard your voice is really hard to over come. That’s why he kept getting reelected. Hate is power and he knew how to hate. One last thing. Maybe it should have been put on the ballot in November for the people to decide to lower the flags to half mast. Let the people of the state decide.

I think that Mr. Eason did the right thing. I would not have lowered my flag either were I home. I am living in Japan now and here too the problem of forced government mandates interferes with civil rights. Here, teachers get fired if they don't sing the national anthem at school events but it is up to the principle of the school to sing or not so for example you could teach at school A and not have to sing but if you are at school B, you had better sing if the principle says so. Thank god I am a foreigner here, I don't know the words anyway.

My hat is off to you Eason for standing up for civil rights. It should be our American right to lower the flag or not & it should be for people who've done something right for this country. But since you worked for the State they made it mandatory to lower the flag for Helms-you were an employee & you HAVE to do it. It's wrong of the State also to give you that type of ultimatum. 29yrs. of loyal service to be treated this way. Makes me ashamed of our state to do that to you. Enjoy you retirement at such a young age.