Column for Nov. 1, 2007

Local patriots, local dissenters

I wanted to share some of my experiences this past weekend. As you will recall, I commented about an anti-war/anti-torture taxi march and rally that was scheduled for this past Saturday, and sponsored by NC Stop Torture Now. I decided that I did indeed wish to attend and observe. I had a plan and I stuck to it. My plan was to talk to people on both sides of the issue that showed up. I say both sides since I knew that there was coming a sizable counter protest from The Gathering of Eagles and Rolling Thunder.

I had a digital voice recorder and a microphone that works surprisingly well for the whopping four dollars I paid for it. I have microphones that cost a hundred times that amount, but this one is fine for the application. I decided to record audio clips of the protesters, the protesters protesting the protesters, and the whole ambiance that is little old Smithfield under siege. I actually got some great interviews, speeches, confrontations, background noises, and commentary recorded for use on my internet talk show. I wanted to be like a segment reporter at National Public Radio, but I am sure that many of you realize that I am usually incapable of such restraint. That leads me to a few things I wanted to bring out for public review.

One fantastic thing I witnessed at the rally is that passion is not dead in the hearts of many Americans. Whether I personally agreed with them or not, I was glad to see that so many people were willing to express their convictions openly. There are so many apathetic individuals in this nation, many of which are willing to be obsequious. Hundreds of people were unashamed of their convictions and to take a stand for what they believed to be right. For this very reason, even if I vehemently disagree with someone, I am willing to give someone the courtesy of a civil discourse if they are willing to reciprocate. Obviously, I have no problem with being expressive of my beliefs, and admire those who have the same "Moxie". For those who don't know, Moxie is a New England expression for spiritedness. Moxie is a regional, strong tasting cream soda that has been around for over 130 years. The expression is derived from the early marketing claims that the beverage gave one "spunk".

One thing that I do not do is question the love of country by those who protest Aero Contractors, George Bush, the Iraq war, or allegations of torturous acts, regardless of how misguided or ill informed many of them may be. What I do have a problem with is the automatic assumptions that any activity performed by the CIA is evil, all Bush administration members are liars, and that all interrogations are torturous. I heard one very nice and sincere lady discuss having a memorial for all those who died of torturous acts committed by our government, but when asked about numbers, she could only name one known case of such a death. One. I heard venomous rantings by highly educated individuals that just defy logic, in my opinion. I heard people defending the Communist Party and blaming George Bush for far more than he is capable of doing. I am no Bush defender, as many of you already know. On the other hand, I heard protesters referred to as scumbags, losers, and various other terms I can not publish here.

Another thing that I witnessed was the continued love of country and support for our military by the local citizenry here. The Gathering of Eagles was stationed along Market Street in front of the county courthouse. They were waving flags and holding signs that said to honk if you support the troops. For several hours there was non stop horn blowing and tooting in downtown Smithfield.

There is so much to share but so little space in which to write. There are plenty more details of sheer humorous ingenuity, passion, personal heroism, sacrifice, and soul searching that I would love to relay, but alas, print space is finite. I have recorded much of these for posterity in as fair a means as I can muster at present. Anyone wishing an audio copy, just contact me.

It is good to see that the proper exercise of freedom of speech, the right of assembly, and passion of commitment have not perished in this nation.