Carolina Peace - Peace Activities Heat Up

Peace Activities Heat Up

Written by Administrator

Sunday, 21 August 2005

The group that met at Fort Jackson August 13.

By Wade Fulmer,
Military Families Speak Out

On Saturday, August 20, 2005, between 11am and 1pm, a peaceful vigil was held near Ft. Jackson, SC, in support of our soldiers, military families, and all families who are victims of the war in Iraq. This was not the first vigil held at this same site. Nine people attended this quiet vigil. American flags were in hand and signs reflected support for the troops. They read: "Bring Them Home Now", "End the Occupation", and "Military Families Speak Out".

We'd been here before; the location is known to be the legal area for the vigil, which is under the jurisdiction of the Columbia Police Department.

Just after noon, one of the fort security personnel drove from the fort gate into the vigil area. He pulled up next to the curb beside our group. I walked up to the car. The fort policeman immediately stated that we needed to "move farther down the road". I said we were in the same location as previous vigils, which location is under the jurisdiction of the City of Columbia, and that we had notified the City of this vigil as well. He then said that the City of Columbia does not run Ft. Jackson.

I repeated that we are in a location of City jurisdiction, the same site as during previous vigils, and that we have the right to be here. I informed him that at our first vigil there, last November, we spoke with fort police at that time and they confirmed the line of City jurisdiction, and they stated that as long as we did not cross that line there was no problem.

I asked this officer if we were causing a problem. He said no, we were not causing any problem. I told him that I understood that he was following orders to approach us, to have us move down the road, and asked if they were going to arrest anyone. He said they didn't want to arrest anyone. I asked him to return to whomever sent him, inform them that we have the right to peacefully vigil at the location where we were, where we had vigiled before, the same location which is under the jurisdiction of the Columbia police.

I asked that if he should choose to arrest someone, that he arrest me, a bronze star Vietnam War Veteran, attending a peaceful vigil for the lives of our Iraqnam soldiers and their families. The officer drove away and did not return.

So, what was the problem? To have moved "farther down the road" would have been across the overpass, out of sight of the gate, at a less safe location, ... AND out of sight of the traffic which was approaching the gate to the fort from the interstate. Just before noon, the heavy traffic into the fort had backed up, and was stop and go as each car had to stop at the gate. The problem was that the public entering the base for a fort event was passing by the vigil and could see the peaceful vigilers' signs. The intimidation by fort police was committed because the public could see the vigil and our signs -- and our American flags.

The fort police did intimidate and did attempt to deny participants their right to vigil. Though the fort police did not succeed in their crossing of the jurisdiction of the City and in denying the statements of citizen conscience, the intent was clear -- to deny peaceful dissent, to at will deny future vigils whenever convenient, and, too, to hold back the growing tide of public opinion and disgust against the maiming, death, and mental harms of this war.

We have the right to vigil and the right of dissent. We have the duty to stand for our soldiers -- for the democracy of truth that they and their families, too, are denied -- yet they suffer and die and redeploy. Remain alert and active to return the lives of our in-harm's-way soldiers and families.

Live conscience, caring patriotism, and vigilant activism. Our right to hear, see, and voice truth must survive and revive to Bring Them Home Now -- that they never again die for the lie.

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