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22 NOV 04: ACROSS THE FENCE
At least 20 opponents of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation were arrested Sunday, for climbing a fence onto Fort Benning. Those people could go to prison - where perhaps they'll share the same cellblock with Ron Artest, and teach him about non-violent protest.
The S.O.A. Watch web site claims 16,000 protesters gathered for a march down Benning Road. How loud was their protest? I could hear the chanting at noon, from the area of the Buena Vista Road Wal-Mart store -- more than three miles away. If these people marched against Wal-Mart, the crowd might be larger and more receptive.
Columbus Police estimated the S.O.A. Watch crowd at 11,000, while the protesters say 16,000. NOW do you see why we needed metal detectors on Benning Road? They could have doubled as attendance counters.
One college-age protester from Pennsylvania admitted she hadn't studied every detail about WHINSEC, but argued "10,000 people can't be wrong." Oh yes, they can. Take about half the crowd at an Alabama-Auburn football game.
Another protester said the "will of the people" was being heard outside Fort Benning's gates. You know, they could have a point here. If the manager of Coach's Corner can persuade enough customers to show up on Benning Road next weekend....
Some people and businesses along Benning Road and Victory Drive took advantage of the S.O.A. Watch protest to make some fast money. They charged $10 to park a car, and $20 for a bus -- proving again what they say inside Benning on Memorial Day: the price of freedom is not free.
(And protesters actually were willing to pay that ten-dollar parking fee! If the Riverdragons charged this much at South Commons, the small crowds might disappear completely.)
Other people along Benning Road sold food, drinks and T-shirts to the SOA Watch crowd. And who knows how many protesters plan to sell autographs of Martin Sheen and Susan Sarandon on eBay this week....
Mayor Bob Poydasheff was unimpressed by the S.O.A. Watch crowd. He says protesters have an "abysmal lack of knowledge." C'mon, Mayor - make some news, and call them blithering idiots.
Mayor Poydasheff says the protest outside the Fort Benning gate was "philosophically inconsistent" with what's happening in Latin America. Apparently he didn't watch the weekend news -- where Chilean government security guards pushed around a few U.S. Secret Service agents.
(Which reminds me -- Instant Message to incoming School Board member Joseph Roberson: Did you house any demonstrators in your church building this year, as you have in years past? Oh, never mind. You still haven't returned my request for an interview from June.)
The Georgia State Patrol had more than 100 officers on duty, monitoring the S.O.A. Watch protest. It even watched the demonstration from overhead - thus giving some college students bright ideas about hang-gliding over the Fort Benning fence next year.
But all in all, the S.O.A. Watch protest this year seemed to be calm and peaceful. After all, 20 arrests out of 16,000 protesters isn't much. And when not one Muslim terrorist tries to infiltrate a mostly-Catholic crowd, maybe there isn't much to worry about.
After the protest ended Sunday night, Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia came to Columbus. He spoke at a Thanksgiving dinner for Third Brigade soldiers at First Baptist Church. How many troops dined on turkey, and wished they were going TO Turkey?
Senator Saxby Chambliss noted U.S. forces fight overseas so that S.O.A. Watch protesters are free to demonstrate outside Fort Benning. Well, as long as the protesters don't sharpen the ends of those crosses they leave at the fence.....
THE BIG BLOG QUESTION about WGSY-FM "Sunny 100" ended Sunday, and 78 percent of you say that radio station should NOT play holiday music before Thanksgiving (7-2). Bad sadly, I doubt this will change anything - since only about ten percent of Columbus residents listen to that station now.
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