We are saddened to learn of the passing of former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina. While his professional life was filled with animosity toward those different than him, his personal life appears to have been paradoxically compassionate. (Many people outside of North Carolina are not aware, for instance, that more than twenty years into their marriage, the Helmses adopted their nine-year-old son, Charles, who had cerebral palsy.)Senator Helms was one of the last politicians (to date) to explicitly appeal to bigotry and resentment without fear of reprisal. He steadfastly fought for rights of those who had power ...