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21 NOV 04: LOVE 'EM OR HATE 'EM
"Welcome SOA Watch Peacemakers," read the banner hanging outside the Columbus Trade Center Friday afternoon. So who put up that sign? Mike Gaymon with the Chamber of Commerce - or some motel manager?
At least 9,000 people gathered outside Fort Benning Saturday, for the start of "S.O.A. Watch" protest weekend. The crowd today may even be larger - and I must say I've never heard so many Columbus residents openly hope for rain on a Sunday in my life.
(Why do all these residents want a rainy Sunday? Do they think the rain finally will give some of the protesters a shower?)
Columbus Police Chief Rick Boren noted the crowd of protesters was peaceful Saturday. Today might be different, as some of them dare to "cross the line" onto Fort Benning property. As long as Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers doesn't show up, things should be fine....
Many of the protesters have been given pink cards, with instructions on their legal rights and how to conduct themselves. Who came up with this brilliant idea - opening the door for critics to call them "pinkos?"
For some colleges, SOA Watch weekend apparently is a field trip. I noticed a bus downtown Friday from St. Mary's College of Minnesota. What do you think the school nickname is - the "Peace Eagles?"
SOA Watch promised several celebrities would show up for the protest this year, including TV star Martin Sheen. He can afford to do this, because his character on "The West Wing" is about to leave office due to term limits.
(I walked in the Historic District Saturday morning, saw three Georgia State Patrol cars heading east on 7th Street - and couldn't help wondering which one carried the Hollywood star inside.)
A Jesuit priest from New Mexico told WXTX "News at Ten" even with a name change, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation still teaches the "same values." Considering President Bush just won re-election, this must mean graduates promote Christian love across Latin America - and they never admit any mistakes.
On the other hand, WHINSEC Commandant Gilberto Perez says the fears expressed by SOA Watch are overstated. He explained the armies in Latin America are much smaller now than in past years. For instance, Colombian drug cartels bought out much of that military....
WHINSEC opened its doors Saturday for SOA Watch protesters who wanted to take a tour - and some of them looked around the complex. Amazingly, not one of them staged a sit-in. Why, no one even brought in a giant puppet.
But one protester who toured WHINSEC came out and told WRBL, "They're pretty set in their ways and we're pretty set in our ways." We truly hope the SOA Watch protest outside Fort Benning isn't giving local Democrats and Republicans any ideas.
The alternative to SOA Watch had its biggest crowd ever Saturday -- the "God Bless Fort Benning" event outside the Columbus Civic Center. One report indicated it had more people than SOA Watch. We can guess which event had more soldiers present....
WRBL reported more than 15,000 people attended God Bless Fort Benning. Considering fewer than 1,000 showed up last year, this is truly remarkable. And considering last year's event was on a Sunday, it may show how many people are worn out by local church services.
Some people showed up with wireless phones at God Bless Fort Benning, and gave them to soldiers for calling their families. Many of those troops may he heading for Iraq in the coming year - a place with about as few cell phone towers as Stewart County.
(Nextel had its own wireless phone tent at God Bless Fort Benning. I can't help wondering if Nextel Cup rules applied here - and any soldier saying a curse word was penalized 25 minutes of time.)
An estimated 400 motorcyclists showed up at God Bless Fort Benning as well. Was that one of them I saw on Milgen Road Saturday afternoon - carrying a giant British flag? You're supposed to do that around here for college football teams, not national rugby squads.
The guest celebrity at God Bless Fort Benning was Lee Greenwood. He's famous for the song "God Bless the U.S.A." - and a stack of old country songs only trivia buffs would remember....
(A pet peeve of mine during my years at CNN Center was how many journalists called Lee Greenwood's song "Proud To Be an American" - and NOT the proper title "God Bless the U.S.A." Yes, that place DID have plenty of agnostic Northeastern liberals.)
The sight of so many people at God Bless Fort Benning was more than founder Miriam Tidwell could take. She cried openly during an interview with WRBL -- and deep down, she may have wondered why all those people didn't show up at the café she used to run.
Now let's check some non-military topics from the weekend:
+ The church I attend displayed a large amount of donated food in front of the lectern. It's going first to needy members, then to a Columbus food bank. Don't worry - the food is safe to eat, and no one probably thought to add any gospel tracts.
+ Auburn beat Alabama 21-13 to win the Iron Bowl and remain undefeated. Maybe Governor Bob Riley should forget about Auburn's accreditation for a few days, and lobby all the voters in the college football polls.
+ Troy University won its final home game of the season, mashing Middle Tennessee. The visitors seemed to lose their momentum in the second half, after the quarterback asked officials to quiet down Troy's "Sound of the South" band. That player probably paid more attention to the band than most Troy students do.
+ Instant Message to retired Columbus firefighter Louis Robinson: Congratulations on turning 100 this weekend! So how low was the public safety pay when you retired?
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