Yesterday (Sunday, April 13), the Peacewalk in downtown Oklahoma City became a little less peaceful. In fact, briefly, it was a little scary.

The unique thing about this protest has been its silence. A group of people, who have numbered close to 300, walk silently around two or three blocks surrounding the profound witness of the Murrah Building Memorial. Since the official beginning of the war, there has been a complementary group of people waiting for us, who have also remained silent. The primary means of communication between the two groups have been our placards. Theirs call us “Traitors.” While some of our signs say uncomplimentary things about the commander-in-chief, or the reasons for the war, most of our signs simply ask for peace.

I have been impressed by the silence of the opposing group. I have assumed a sort of mutual respect at work; so long as we do not shout invective at them, they will not shout at us. Neither group has intimated physical violence. Again, I have assumed that our group has modeled a behavior which has influenced the other group.

It seems remarkable that at least one TV camera has been present each week. The past several weeks, the scene has been primarily been of people’s feet — silently walking. Compared to the norm, hardly seems newsworthy.

Well, there was a verbal confrontation yesterday which finally gave a local station — only Channel 4 was present — a story. A marine came in uniform to walk with us. There was a least one military veteran in the opposing group who was offended by this.

Lt. Cliff Powell was dressed in a khaki short-sleeve shirt with many bright colored ribbons above his left pocket. He wore dress slacks, blue with a red stripe. He maintained an appropriately stoic marine bearing throughout the walk.

Normally, our group starts walking from the Episcopal Diocesan Center at 9th and Robinson. The pro-war group clusters around a pick-up truck about two blocks south, beside the First Methodist Church. That’s the way it’s been — between 150-300 peaceful walkers and around 10 or 15 sitters. They have never moved from that spot. Until yesterday.

There was some commotion as we passed their pickup truck yesterday, but I couldn’t hear it as it was some distance behind me. We turned west on 4th street. As has happened every week, visitors to the Memorial came out to watch as we walked past. Again, we turned south on Harvey and walked past the fence where people have placed mementos and signs since the time of the bombing. We turned east on 6th street, then back south on Robinson.

There, at the corner of 9th and Robinson, waited the pro-war people with their placards. This concerned me for two reasons: first, because it was a change from the norm; secondly, I was concerned because the group was waiting near our “home turf.” I became increasingly nervous as the walkers came closer to the sitters. This may be partly because I was among those carrying the Peace group’s banner, and was therefore “on the front line.”

I became increasing nervous when I noticed that one of their group was standing on a low wall at the southwest corner of the Diocesan Center. Just as Lt. Powell came in view, this person started shouting, to the effect that the lieutenant was a disgrace to his uniform. The specific phrase I can recall was that it was disgraceful to wear a uniform for political reasons.

I wonder. Whether the conflict in Iraq is justified or not, aren’t the military personnel wearing a uniform for political reasons?

In any case, Lt. Powell maintained his military mien. I did not hear all of the shouters’ invective, but I am aware that he turned his back on the lieutenant in a mock-military fashion. As our group returned to the east side of the Center, we applauded Lt. Powell.

After the main speakers, Lt. Powell gave a brief speech. He had served in the Marine Reserve from 1989-1996, during which time he was stationed in Oklahoma City. He had seen active duty during Gulf War I. While in service, he became influenced by his sergeant, who was disillusioned with what he perceived to be America’s true motivations for going to war. Upon retirement, this sergeant wrote a book detailing those motivations – bananas, minerals, and oil – in other words, America’s business interests.

I did watch the report on Channel Four last night. It was well-balanced. The pro-war shouter was consistent in his view, in that he claimed he would ask a member of his group who appeared in uniform to change into chivies. Lt. Powell maintained his military bearing on camera, and stated that his motivation was to make the point that this silent protest was as patriotic as those who serve in active duty.

As at least one sign in the pro-war group reminds us, those people believe they are fighting to preserve our right to speak in opposition to our government, and the wars our government would enter into.