Chamblee54

PG was happily wasting the fourth in his neighborhood chatroom when the word came in about “Jesse”. At first, PG thought they meant a resident of Portland, who used to live here, and was affectionately known as “HO”. Further comments used the name Helms, and PG went to CNN.Com to investigate. There was a black and white picture of Jesse Helms in the corner reserved for portraits of the recently deceased.
PG prefers not to trash talk the current inductees into the afterlife. There are plenty to do that for him, and some do a better job. The passing of Mr. H does bring back memories of a September morning in 1990.
Jesse Helms was scheduled to speak at a conference at the First Baptist Church. The conference was some kind of Protect the Family nonsense. The First Baptist Church was a huge thing with columns on Peachtree Street in Midtown. PG had attended this church as a child.
ACT UP decided to have a greeting for Mr. Helms. PG was working a mile south of the church, and took MARTA to have a look. The rally was a small, festive affair. A stage was set up to one side. Atone point a man with a guitar sang a Van Morrison song, “Domino”.
There was a line of people carrying signs. Many were in costume. A local art college was offended by Mr. Helms, and showed up in force. There was a young man of Asian descent, wearing a t shirt. The shirt had the slogan ” Homo Eroticism Lives in My Soul”
PG did not carry a sign, or wear a costume, other than his everyday workwear. He was content to wander around the crowd, greeting people he knew. A van came down from Short Mountain, and PG visited before going back to work.
Jesse Helms did not show up. The First Baptist Church was sold to a developer and demolished in 1999.