Jesuit Journeys
Fall 2005

By Bethany Paul

The 2004 trip was my second year attending the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice and protest march at Fort Benning. I went my first year solely in a desire to learn more about the teach-in and the School of the Americas, the original name for the training center at the fort the protest seeks to close.

My second year was a little different, something I didn’t realize until I was in the midst of it all. The rally, the teachin, the Mass, the vigil – all of them were just as amazing as the previous year, but the experience that really impacted me was not on the weekend agenda.

On Saturday evening, in downtown Columbus, a few of my companions and I were approached by three military personnel. That night we sat together and conversed for two hours about the purpose of the protest, the impact of the military, and the United States presence in the world. I spent most of the evening talking with one individual, whom I will call Greg.

Pieces of that conversation will remain with me forever. Greg and I discussed many issues that night. I learned that there is a misunderstanding on the part of the Fort Benning military personnel who believe the protest is against the entire base and not just the school, and that military personnel have little information about the school. We also discussed and agreed upon the importance of justice in the world.

Where we did not see eye to eye was the path in order to achieve justice. Greg believed that force was the way to right the wrongs, and there is no difference between death and imprisonment. We continued to dialogue about our beliefs in a very respectful manner. When the evening ended I knew that whether or not Greg agreed with what I had to say, at least he heard my points.

Earlier that day I had purchased a “PEACE” button at the rally and was wearing it that evening. Before we left for the night one of the other gentlemen commented on the button and I thought it only appropriate to give him this token of the night. The defining moment for my experience and my reason for attending the teach-ins occurred Sunday afternoon. After the vigil, our three military friends, including Greg, showed up at the protest to learn more about the event. They said they were “fulfilling their curiosity.” That alone gave me hope.

But I drew even more hope from the man I had given the “PEACE” button to – he was wearing it.the 2004 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice and to protest at the gates of Fort Benning? I went for Priscilio Claros, a 7-year-old boy from El Salvador, whose name was written on my white cross; for the six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and her daughter who were killed at their university residence; for the many other religious and lay people killed over the years in Central America for their work with the poor; and for the thousands of others who were tortured and killed in acts of injustice, not only in Central America, but around the world.

For it is in remembering the dead that we bring them back to life. Present.

Bethany Paul is a 2003 graduate of Saint Louis University with a bachelor’s in health information management. A former Jesuit Volunteer Corps Midwest member, currently she is a graduate student at Marquette University.

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