After a fair amount of reflection, finally resolved by my belief that
this war is wrong and that as individuals we are complicit if we do not
speak out, I decided to join over 100 other people near the entrance
gate at Whiteman Air Force Base, home of the B-2 bomber, in Knob Noster,
Missouri for a sunny Sunday afternoon of educational picketing. This
not to protest against anyone in military service, but to protest dubya's
crappy little war.
Saddam is a thug, that's for sure, but my questions of boy George: "Got
Osama?" and "Bin forgotten?" Junior wants this war to distract everyone
from his string of domestic, civil liberty, and national security failures.
That morning I spoke on the phone with my dad, the 25 year Air Force
veteran, telling him that I was going to the peace rally. He approved
but wanted me to stay out of trouble. Which I did and do - I'm too
old
to do anything else.
I always take a camera to these events - still and video cameras make
those who might want to start or escalate any confrontation think twice
about doing so. I had contacted a friend early on the morning of
the
rally to ask if he wanted a ride to the event. He called back a little
while later and we made plans to arrive shortly before the scheduled
2:00 p.m. starting time. He brought his digital still camera.
We didn't know what to expect as far as turnout. As we drove in we
saw
a few cars parked on the opposite side of the road and about two dozen
people milling about with signs. The bumper stickers on the parked
cars confirmed that we were at the correct location.
We said hello to the rally organizers and took our place in line holding
up our signs. Our ranks continued to grow throughout the event.
First surreal experience - An Air Force spokesperson came out and read
a
statement notifying us that we could not enter the base or we would be
arrested
[we were on the public right of way]. Like anyone would want to do
so. While he
was reading the statement an Air Policeman was videotaping him reading
the statement.
I crowded in with newspaper reporters and television cameras, taking pictures
with a
35 mm camera, rapidly using up a roll of film on them reading the statement
and
videotaping the statement being read.
Second surreal experience - A rally organizer asking the Air Force spokesperson
if we could have access to restroom facilities. The answer was "No".
Third surreal experience - There were two individuals across the road,
in civilian clothes,
walking opposite the line of people, videotaping every person who attended
the rally.
Of course, we made sure that we photographed them videotaping us.
We did get one
license plate before that individual drove away.
It must have freaked them out to see so many "normal" people in addition
to the usual
assortment of protester types. Those who attended the rally were
not necessarily in
complete agreement on anything else but this: junior is illegitimate, and
his war is folly.
There were plenty of grandmothers, some kids who were obviously college
students,
musicians [guitar and voice, quite good, really], a few families with very
young children
[this always makes me uncomfortable...], and my personal favorite from
Columbia, Missouri -
the "radical cheerleaders", who had some biting, witty and sarcastic cheers.
"Who'll let the bombs drop? Bush, Bush, Bush"
Fourth surreal experience - Two Air Policemen rousting a TV reporter who
was trying to set up a long shot of the rally from the unfenced base golf
course
["our tax dollars at work"] across the road. She then moved the camera
off the rise,
about fifteen feet closer into the right of way to finish filming.
Meanwhile, Sunday
afternoon golfers continued to play through.
The speakers included: Dr. Yolanda Huet-Vaughn: a Kansas City physician,
(Huet-Vaughn was among 2500 individuals within the U.S. military who for
reasons of conscience, refused to participate in the 1991 Persian Gulf
War.
She served eight months of a three-year prison sentence at Ft. Leavenworth),
Jacquelyn Chagnon, of Warrensburg (an international development specialist
who
has worked in Laos and Viet Nam since 1968, spoke on the impact of a possible
war upon Iraq and the post-war consequences for Iraqis. She is a former
co-field
director for seven years in Laos and Vietnam for the American Friends Service
Committee
[Quakers]), and Tom Sager of Rolla (who has traveled to Iraq three times
on humanitarian
missions, the last two with a Veterans for Peace delegation rebuilding
water purification plants).
The biographical information on these individuals came from the rally press
release.
The speakers and musicians used a portable sound system on the back of
a
pick up truck [As one speaker got carried away, I turned to another friend
and said,
"What he lacks in coherence he sure makes up for in passion"].
Some individuals exiting the base gunned their engines as the drove past
the rally in attempts
to drown out the speakers. Most notably, two motorcyclists riding
in tandem probably violated
an excessive noise and display of speed ordinance on the books somewhere.
There was a reporter/photographer from the Warrensburg paper, a reporter
from the Warrensburg alternative/weekly, and reporters from Columbia and
Springfield television stations. It's 80 miles to Columbia, over
100 miles to Springfield.
The Kansas City stations are 50 miles away. No Kansas City television stations
covered the event.
People traveled from Kansas City, Carthage, Columbia,
Jefferson City, Rolla, and
Warrensburg to participate. I carried my "No W" Bartcop.com sign.
I also brought my
"Visit Alaska Before It's Too Late" sign. Someone brought a giant "dubya"
stilt puppet.
My favorite sign at the rally: "In the name of God, stop killing, in the
name of God."
Though I did know a few of the people attending the rally, it was interesting
to observe
and participate in the introductions and the inevitable "why I'm here and
how I got here" stories.
I met a local couple who were farmers - they were Church of the Brethren.
Another
young lady just stated, "Newman Center." There were quite a few veterans.
I was surprised that the "regular" Warrensburg paper ran an extensive article
along with
color photos on the rally (front page, above the fold) later in the week.
A highlight of the event: A Green Party member in attendance was handing
out literature. My friend said to him, after refusing the literature,
"I only have one question for you. What the F*** was the Green Party
doing running against Paul Wellstone in Minnesota?" The Green guy
mumbled something unintelligible and walked away..