Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times About 300 people turned out for a peace rally that began at the federal courthouse and ended at Cole Park on Saturday. Human rights activist Frances 'Sissy' Farenthold was one of four speakers at the event. Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times A Ready Reserve ship loaded with military supplies leaves the Port of Corpus Christi on Saturday as about 300 protesters against a possible war with Iraq gather at the federal courthouse on Shoreline Boulevard for a peace march. George Tuley/Caller-Times Servicemen just off duty at the Port of Corpus Christi walked across Shoreline Boulevard between the Lawrence Street T-Head and the L-Head as the peace demonstrators arrived on Saturday. After hearing marchers' words of concern, one of the soldiers raised his arm in a peace salute. RELATED STORIES Full text of Blair speech: "I want to solve the Iraq issue via the United Nations" RELATED LINKS Your opinion: What do you think of the anti-war protests? Thousands protest war at Austin U.S. peace rallies draw tens of thousands Millions worldwide rally against Iraq war Iraq gloats over global peace rallies NATO debates compromise over Iraq crisis U.S., Britain reworking Iraq resolution Interactive: Powell's case to the U.N. In Caller.com/war: Talk of War: The Coastal Bend prepares for war

'Drop Bush, not bombs'

Protesters scold the possible Iraq war; few supporters turn out

By Matthew Sturdevant, Caller-Times
February 16, 2003

Leaning against a palm tree in a replica of his leather bomber jacket from World War II, Dewey Brown held a sign that read "WWII combat vet against war with Iraq" to show his solidarity with about 300 people at a peace rally on Saturday.

Brown knows war.

The B-17 bomber he flew from England to Germany in 1943 was shot down, he said. Six people in his crew of 10 were captured by the Germans and forced into prison camps. Brown said he escaped to France where he hitchhiked, walked and crept onto trains until he could sneak into Spain and finally the United States where he trained young bombers. That was a war worth fighting, he said, because the United States was allied in a just cause.

The potential war with Iraq, Brown said, is not the same.

"I'm not a pacifist, but there's really no reason for it this time," said Brown, now an 82-year-old insurance broker. "We're losing our friends and allies. We're agitating the Muslim world, and at this pace, the risk of not going to war is small compared to what we could lose if we did."

After marching from the federal courthouse to Cole Park with other war protestors, Brown listened to former Texas legislator and international human rights activist Frances "Sissy" Farenthold, who stood alone on the concrete stage at Cole Park and scolded the actions of President Bush for war posturing against Iraq.

'Against international law'

"It's not a pre-emptive strike, it's preventive war, and that is against international law," Farenthold said.

The crowd cheered and waved anti-war signs to show slogans like "no blood for oil," "go solar not ballistic" and "drop Bush, not bombs."

The group Patriots for America organized the march and rally. The other speakers at Cole Park were the Rev. David Owen of Unitarian Universalist Church, the Rev. David Stringer of All Saints Episcopal Church, and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi history professor Anthony Quiroz.

The group met just before 4 p.m. at the federal courthouse on Shoreline Boulevard, where at least two U.S. marshals and a few Corpus Christi police officers cordoned off the steps of the building.

After a few words by several people promoting patriotism and peace, the hundreds of people started strolling across Shoreline Boulevard to the seawall and walked 2 miles to Cole Park.

Vicki Rochelle and Judy Loverde walked down the sidewalk in matching Patriots for America T-shirts with star-spangled peace signs over their hearts. Rochelle had dressed her toy-sized dog, Picco, in a visor with a peace sign emblazoned overtop.

"I'm not against anything, I'm for peace," Loverde said. Her perspective on military involvement in the Middle East is that the global community doesn't know much about foreign cultures, and that ignorance has fueled the current situation.

"If we could learn more about each other it would help all of us," she said.

City police and crossing guards made the march a smooth-flowing walk down to the grassy park where laughing gulls and inquisitive children were the only sounds interrupting the four speakers.

'Kurds couldn't be wrong'

At the top of the hill, however, cars were honking and drivers were giving thumbs-up to a half dozen pro-war protesters.

Daniel Parker held a sign that read "30,000 Kurds couldn't be wrong," referencing a minority group of people in Iraq who have been victims of wholesale killings by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The other side of Parker's sign read "The U.N. is U.S.eless."

Parker explained that the commentary about the United Nations being futile is because they haven't backed the United States yet in a potential war with Iraq.

"We are here because this is a just war," Parker said, looking at the anti-war protestors. "We need to show that this group is on the fringe."

Judy Thurman agreed. She said, "I came because I am pro-war. Saddam Hussein has biological weapons. He's going to use those weapons on us, or sell them to someone else. President Bush said this morning, 'Thank God we live in America because we can protest, and in Iraq they can't.' "

Baudelio Ramirez has a different view. He was among the anti-war demonstrators, but his views are similar to Brown's because Ramirez is also a veteran. He is a veteran of the Korean War who served in an anti-aircraft division of the Army. After that, he said he worked for 42 years for a local oil refinery.

The mission for the war in Iraq is clear, he said. It's about oil, and the Bush administration's ties to big oil corporations.

"I think that's got a lot to do with it," Ramirez said. "Look at Korea. They said they've got the weapons, why aren't we going to war with them? It's the oil."

Contact Matthew Sturdevant at 886-3778 or sturdevantm@caller.com

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