When minister and radio talk show host Rev. Chuck Baldwin, of Pensacola,
Florida, learned that Chinese military and civilian officials would be
touring the Pensacola Naval Air Station as guests of the U.S. Department
of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration — he wondered if others
were as outraged as he was. And if they were, what could be done about
it.
“Can you believe this,” he exclaimed to his noonday audience, reading
from a brief announcement that had appeared the day before in the
Pensacola News Journal. “We’re showing our military installations to the
Chinese military.”
It was true. A delegation of 10 Chinese civilian and military aviation
authorities, accompanied by three Federal Aviation Administration
members and a U.S. Air Force colonel, was scheduled to tour the naval
air station July 24, to observe air traffic control operations and
training procedures. According to Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon, the
Chinese and American militaries have agreed to many future exchanges of
military officers and observations of military operations.
No sooner had Rev. Baldwin made his announcement, than — in his words
to WorldNetDaily — “My phones lit up and I got calls all that day
asking what can we do? This isn’t right.”
That was on Wednesday, July 22. The delegation was scheduled to arrive
the following day at 5:30 p.m. at the Pensacola Regional Airport. They
had completed a similar tour of the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
So many calls came in that Rev. Baldwin decided that maybe a little
welcoming party was in order. “Let’s be there when they arrive,” he
suggested. He also explained that he’d take care of the signs — folks
could just show up.
Rev. Baldwin repeated his announcement Thursday. Those two broadcasts
were the only advance publicity for the demonstration.
By 5:00 p.m. July 23, there were about 70 people on hand — but the
number more than doubled within half an hour, to over 150 demonstrators,
waving American flags and picket signs. They were from all walks of
life: business executives, housewives, working people, children,
seniors. And veterans of every conflict of the past 50 years — World
War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm.
They lined both sides of the roadway into the airport: their signs
exhorting observers to “Remember Tiananmen Square”; “Chinese Military,
Go Home”; and “Freedom’s Not for Sale.”
Naval Air Station officials, surprised by the turnout, transported the
delegation from the airport through a side entrance — “to protect our
visitors from any embarrassment,” as public affairs spokesman Harry
White put it.
But perhaps they weren’t quick enough. According to Rev. Baldwin, some
of the protesters were tipped off that Defense Department officials
might try to slip their charges away, and went to the exit with their
signs.
“So they (the Chinese) probably saw some, but the vast majority of the
demonstrators were not in view,” he said.
Nonetheless, Rev. Baldwin views the demonstration as a success:
“Incredibly so — It really raised the consciousness of the community —
and the response from the public was overwhelmingly positive,” he said.
“We had just one day to adjust our schedules,” he explained. “It was in
the middle of the work week. For us to have 150 people that would take
off work and fight their way through the reconstruction that’s being
done at the airport in order to be there — that’s an incredible figure.
It’s awesome.”
“It shows,” he continued, “that there are still a host of God-fearing,
patriotic Americans — and if you give them the information and you
clarify the issues, they will respond.”
One of those who responded and helped make the demonstration a success
was Jeannine Cox, a “forty-something” Pensacola resident, who heard Rev.
Baldwin’s Wednesday broadcast.
“He made the announcement — ‘Hey, people, we’ve got Chinese military
coming to Pensacola’ — that was all it took. A bunch of us started
making phone calls,” said Cox, recalling the event for WorldNetDaily.
Cox noted that the media was excluded from any contact with the Chinese
visitors. Local television crews arrived at the airport, but were not
allowed near the delegation — nor were they allowed near them at the
Naval Air Station next day.
“The news people weren’t allowed in to interview them or to take
pictures,” she said, asking rhetorically, “Why all the cover-up? Why the
blackout?”
The demonstration at the airport was deemed such a success that Cox and
her friends decided to show up with signs at the Naval Air Station next
day.
Some 30 people were on hand as early as 6:00 a.m. and stayed three
hours. Then, elated by the response they received from the public, they
returned to the airport at 2:00 and waited three hours for the
delegation to return so they could wave it on its way.
“We did three protests within 24 hours,” she said. “We had a great
time.”
But Cox also said that some people were afraid to join the protest for
fear of being arrested.
“I’m not afraid — If you’re not going to stand up now while you can,
what are you going to do later when you can’t?” she asked.
Don’t miss ‘Reagan’
Jerry Newcombe