Perhaps one of the most overlooked news items this year has been the action of late by our own Senator Jesse Helms. Helms has decided to make it a personal mission to see that $500 million dollars goes to the U.S. Agency for International Development’s programs to fight HIV and AIDS. While this is very commendable, I question the motives behind what our “beloved” Senator is doing.Helms does not have the kind of track record that would suggest that he would do something like this. In 30 years of being a senator, Helms has stood in the way of anything that could possibly be considered progressive. His record ranges from voting to allow prayer in schools to voting against an expansion of hate crime laws in this country.

Essentially, becoming the torchbearer for the AIDS cause in this country seems rather out of character. The reason Helms has suddenly championed this cause is one that not only allows him to stay conservative, but will also result in something that almost everyone sees as worthwhile.

By fighting this disease, Helms has shrewdly allowed himself to be remembered in one good way. I do not disbelieve him completely when he says how concerned he is about the disease, but I do believe that there is a disingenuous streak running through him on this issue.

Perhaps our senator has realized that not everything he has done has been particularly popular. While in North Carolina and in other southern states, Helms may be considered a hero of the “people,” the truth is that Helms is for the most part widely unpopular. As well he should be.

In his years in the Senate, Helms has voted anti-woman, anti-civil liberties, and anti-environment. He has voted against spending money to stop global warming, he has voted to eliminate free trade, to make abortion illegal again, and he opposed federal funds for healthcare. He has voted for vouchers, the death penalty, increased military spending, and to bring church and state together. He has an honorary doctorate from Bob Jones University, which is nothing but a hotbed of fanaticism and intolerance.

In fact, Senator Helms has stated on record that he believes that homosexuals are the main reason that AIDS continues to be spread throughout this country. The following Helms quote was made during a speech in the Senate: “I’ve never heard once in this chamber anybody say to the homosexuals, ‘stop what you’re doing.’ If they would stop what they’re doing there would not be one additional case of AIDS in the United State.”

Here is another quote from the “enlightened” senator about AIDS and gay people. “We’ve got to have some common sense about a disease transmitted by people deliberately engaging in unnatural acts.” In the past, Helms opposed approval of the Ryan White CARE act, which funds AIDS research.

The fact of the matter is that Jesse Helms has made his entire career by standing in the way of progress. If he had his way, he would be building a bridge back to the 20th century. Jesse Helms is not about progress; Jesse Helms is about serving Jesse Helms’ best interests. What can Jesse Helms do to make Jesse Helms look the best?

I respect Helms for the way he represents his constituents. If he didn’t, he would not have been re-elected so many times. This is almost the only thing I respect about him. I blame the people of North Carolina more than I blame Helms. It boggles my mind that rational people could vote for this man who is so obviously self-serving and intolerant of all people not believing what he believes. So what does that say about North Carolinians? I’m not even going there.