18) NC: State employee retires rather than lower flags for Helms
Raw Story
"A longtime North Carolina state employee has chosen to retire instead
of lowering flags to honor former Republican Sen. Jesse Helms. U.S.
and state flags have been flying at half-staff since Gov. Mike Easley
ordered them lowered after Helms died Friday. L.F. Eason III told his
staff at the state Standards Laboratory to ignore the directive. The
News & Observer of Raleigh reports that Eason sent workers an e-mail
saying he didn't think it was appropriate to lower the flags because
of Helms' 'doctrine of negativity, hate, and prejudice.' Eason is
calling it quits after 29 years with the Department of Agriculture
after superiors told the 51-year-old to lower the flags or retire
immediately." (07/09/08)