New Bush neighbor picks place for peace
Posted on 03/10/2003 6:38:35 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
New Bush neighbor picks place for peace
Crawford residents say he chose wrong town for anti-war effort
03/10/2003
CRAWFORD, Texas - The anti-war effort has traveled to President Bush's doorstep.
A Dallas-area man recently purchased a home in Crawford, which he plans to transform into a haven for peace pursuits and a convenient location from which to launch protests against a war with Iraq.
"It has a lot to do with Bush being near," said John Wolf, the activist who purchased the home. "But the area really needs an interfaith center and a spiritual presence."
Residents of the tiny town are already outraged.
| Also Online | ||||||||||||||||
|
The city's mayor agreed.
"We're not going to let them turn our town into a three-ring circus," said Crawford Mayor Robert Campbell. "If they want to protest, let them go to Washington. I know what they want, but I don't think they're going to get it."
The house sits at the edge of downtown Crawford and is one the first homes visible after entering the city and passing the large billboard that reads "Home of President George W. Bush." It had been used as a rental property by an absentee landlord, who sold it through a real estate agent for $54,000.
The small white home with aluminum siding is catty-corner to the Coffee Station, the city's popular restaurant, and a few yards from Crawford City Hall.
"I can wave at the police chief from the back porch," said Mr. Wolf, who hopes to entice a nun to take up residence in the house.
In Washington, deputy White House press secretary Scott McClellan said he wasn't familiar with the peace house backers' plan, "but like other groups and individuals in America, they have a right to express their opinions. That's a foundation of American democracy."
"If the people of Iraq try to speak out," he said, "they have their tongues cut out by the brutal regime."
Peace house supporters said the center would be used for more than protesting war, although they hoped it would influence Mr. Bush's position on a conflict with Iraq.
MONA REEDER / DMN John Wolf (left) and girlfriend Michele Sandlin plan to turn a Crawford, Texas, home into a center for peace pursuits. |
"We need a spiritual center in Crawford that's for peace and justice," said state Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth. "I hope it causes some soul searching with the president."
Mr. Burnam is also director of the Dallas Peace Center.
War protesters have called on Mr. Bush to abandon plans to topple Saddam Hussein. And, they believe, developing a peace center in Crawford will help their cause.
Mr. Wolf, a contractor who lives on a farm near Rockwall, said operating the house would be a collaboration of area peace activists, including members of the Dallas Peace Center.
Sitting on three lots, it has enough space for a planned independent media center, prayer center and a lavish peace garden.
"We're in the infant stages right now," Mr. Wolf said. "But we hope to get it all done."
On Saturday, Crawford residents moved about without knowing the plans of their new neighbors.
Tourists gathered at the Coffee Station and various souvenir shops.
Signs on nearly every Crawford building, including City Hall, read: "We Support Our Troops."
"I really don't want that type of place here," said 44-year-old Crawford resident Lonnie Self.
Mr. Self, who shoes horses for a living, said the city is firmly behind Mr. Bush.
"They are not going to get a good reception," he said.
Outside a shop called the Yellow Rose of Texas, a tourist complained the peace house would create conflict.
"They have a right to be here," said David Speed, a 54-year-old teacher from Ranger, 95 miles northwest of Crawford. "But they should really stay home."
Some Crawford residents feared large protests or an influx of peace advocates would turn the city into a battleground.
And they also were concerned about the safety of peace house residents.
"Freedom of speech is important, but this is crazy," said Debbie Ingram, 45, ringing up sales on the Coffee Station's cash register while standing beside a life-size cutout of the president. "Don't they know Bush lives 7 ½ miles away from here? He's doesn't live in Crawford."
Ms. Ingram said she and her fellow Crawford residents are generally friendly. Still, she doubted that the community would warm up to the peace house, even if it included a nun.
"She should be careful," Ms. Ingram said out of concern for the planned occupant. "Something could happen to the house."
Mayor Campbell said the town has confronted other challenges to civic tranquillity since Mr. Bush moved to the area.
"We have ordinances in place because of that prospect," he said. "We're tired of these folks who want to use our town for massive demonstrations. We want to live our lives."
Peace advocates offer an opposing view, saying it's important to bring the debate about Iraq to Mr. Bush's back yard.
They said the peace house's other objectives are also important.
"It will be available to international visitors and [to] give things a different perspective," said Mr. Burnam. "It would be disingenuous to say the location wasn't picked because of Bush, but we need a spiritual center."
E-mail gjeffers@dallasnews.com
Oh please...I was making a joke and would never agree to senseless violence...
Now, that being said, if this hippy goes in, creates a sense of violence because of his hatred of W. Bush, then its the Texans right to make his life a living hell within the bounds of law.
Sounds like a good ole' Texas threat to me... Fair warning if you ask me.
Nonsense. That is a friendly warning.
When they get a good ol' Texas Threat it will be clear as a bell.
Texans aren't big on subtlety or ambiguity. Or peace freaks.
SO9
Shame on you. A "real conservative" would not use a varmint gun: he'd drop napalm.
;-)
I see some of the the sarcasm-challenged freepers have shown up.
Hey there newbie, I'm a Republican, and I'm a conservative.
I am willing to bet that you are neither.
Typical liberal arrogance. Like the buckle of the Bible Belt needs to become "spiritual." Give me a break--I bet there's more regular church goers in Crawford than in any New England town 3 times the size....
If you want to buy a residential house on my street to live in it, that is fine. If, on the other hand, you want to buy a residential house on my street so you can open up a communal gathering place for a bunch of unbathed, loud, obnoxious protestors who simply want to cause disturbances (that they will claim is simply their freedom of expression) while they crap and urinate on my front lawn, then in that case you and I will have some problems.
"Now that there has been fair warning, mybe John Ashcroft will storm the house and burn it down.
And of course, we all have precedent from Mr. Ashcroft that would point to that actually even being an option.
Of course we don't...but it doesn't seem that you are going to be one to let facts get in the way of a good smear.
(last I checked, Texas doesn't do zoning... other forms of legal community control are used. I'm sure they will be in this case as well.)
They arent "spiritual"...they are just close minded "Jesus freaks". < /sarcasm>
I want to buy the house next to yours an set it up as a half-way home for sexual deviants and drug addicts.
Will that be OK with you?
I promise that your kids will be fine.
Cross my heart.
I sure hope not.
Zoning Laws are one of the most evil intrusions onto the concept of private property ever developed.
SO9
At any rate, the purchase of property by this clown does not give him carte blanche to simply trash the local neighborhood by using the property any way he wishes to do so. The existing homeowners also have rights, as he is likely soon to discover.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
