School Of Americas Protest

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 2/3/06 at 10:29pm

Hey everyone. A graduate from my high school and friend, Donte Smith, was arrested a few weeks ago in a protest against the School of Americas. Here is a story that explains what happened:

http://www.thehoya.com/news/020306/news1.cfm

And here is a slide show of Donte's speech before entering court:

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/multimedia/ledger-enquirer/KRT_packages/archive/special_packages/flash/soa_trial_day/


And here is Donte's testimony:

http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1255

I apologize in advance for the bombardment of links but I just felt this needed to be heard.


Updated On: 2/4/06 at 10:29 PM

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 2/4/06 at 12:28am

Why don't you tell us more about it for the people who are normally adverse/too lazy to follow links? (I'm guilty of that.)

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 2/4/06 at 12:38am

What do you want to know?

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/4/06 at 1:37am

you know...you do the crime, you do the time. I'm ex-Army, and ex-MP, and the MP School is at Ft. Benning.... I can't feel sorry for this guy.

[etoile]

Posted: 2/4/06 at 2:54am

I'm less than impressed with your buddy. There are many legal and far more effective ways to protest. Of course those legal options are usually used by those that are sincerely interested in affecting a change. Grandstanding is use by those who want center stage...for themself.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 1:30pm

Here is a better article about it:

http://www.houstonpress.com/Issues/2006-02-16/news/downing.html

And by the way, I do pretty much agree with you guys. I do support and respect Donte but climbing the fence was not really the smartest of actions, especially since it was a military base. If it were not for the fact that this happens every year, he probably would have had a strong possibility of being shot.

And it also probably didn't help that he held that huge demonstration in front of the courtroom. In fact, that's probably why he got three months instead of just probation.

Either way, he is a really nice and really smart guy. I'm sure he can get through this.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 1:51pm

Elphaba and etoile:
Civil disobedience on the order of the protests at the School of the Americas is a longstanding and proud tradition.
Sometimes the laws need to be broken in order to enact change.
Many people of faith and good concience protest there and are arrested, for most it is a matter of deep personal conviction and while you may disagree, should not be taken lightly.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 1:58pm

I live in Columbus, and SOA weekend is one of my favorite times of year. I will say, though - they have training seminars all weekend. You know what will and won't get you arrested, and if you get arrested it is because you made a personal choice to go to jail.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 2:01pm

Which I am saying is for most who make it a choice that is based in principled dissent.

(I am from Columbus, GA Wonderwaiter!)

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 2:11pm

Yeah - you mentioned Phenix City in an earlier post!

I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of the people who participate in the protests, but especially the ones who make the choice to go to jail and trial. They've been doing the trials for the last few weeks, so we've been swamped with news people and lawyers downtown.

[Jess1483]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 7:13pm

I went to this protest a few years ago. I was only 17, and I don't think my parents would have enjoyed coming to get me (I'm from Montana) if I were arrested, so I didn't, as the motto goes, "cross the line." The tradition was that there was simply a property line and then if you crossed it, they'd arrest you. Now you have to physically get around it. I'm still not sure I'd cross the line, but I truly admire those who do. They're not grandstanding (at least most of them), they're willing to spend time in jail in order to bring awareness to an issue which needs it more than you'd think.
Like WonderWaiter said, you have a lot of training things, and they ask that anyone who will be at the protest go to one. If you plan on crossing the line, you have to go to a couple additional ones as well.
It was a very powerful experience for me, and an issue which really needs more attention. I'd be happy to answer questions if you want more information on the "school."

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 8:30pm

er, they protest once a year??????

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 10:40pm

Elphaba, you really don't know about this?
It is a pretty big thing.
Yes there is a large organized protest of the school of the Americas every year.

The school is a training group for foriegn soldiers, many of the graduates have gone on to be terrible tyrants and dictators in their home countries.
This is very unacceptable to a great number of people, so every year there is a large, organized, peaceful protest. Some of the participants "cross the line" as Jess said to engage in a form of Civil Disobedience, they are showing they are commited enough to justice to be willing to face the jail time. Pastors, Nuns and other religious leaders are often the ones who make this choice.

Updated On: 2/18/06 at 10:40 PM