Concerned citizens of Southwest Missouri gathered outside John Q. Hammons Convention Center to express their discontent with the direction of the Nation as Vice President Dick Cheney, his wife, and their daughter Lynne paid a visit to speak to Joplin Republicans. Among those assembled in protest were social workers, Kerry supporters, Democratic volunteers, union members, unemployed workers, and teachers. Two lone Republicans also expressed their views behind the Cheney protestors who were lined up along the thoroughfare in front of the center.

Adolfo Castillo, third vice chair of the Hispanic Republicans of Missouri was the first Republican supporter to make his presence known. When he began to yell pro-Bush slogans, the protestors countered with chants of their own. Castillo yelled "four more years" to which the protestors responded, "three more months."

As one of the protestors, I felt it proper to welcome Castillo instead of merely heckling unfriendly comments from afar. We had a friendly conversation, and for a moment amidst the political tension we were just Americans with the right to express our individual opinions rather than fist-clenched, opposing party members.

Despite attempts by the Joplin Globe to paint the protest as a one-sided taunting session where protestors were "rowdy" and at times "threw themselves into a frenzy," the protest was mostly about real issues. Over 60 citizens took part, arriving at different times.

There were many messages being displayed by the protestors on signs bearing no sticks. Some protestors chose to highlight their displeasure over American jobs being sent overseas. One individual held a sign that briefly told his story, "My job went to India." Another sought to highlight Cheney's pre-Iraq war claims about Iraq having, "reconstituted nuclear weapons," which Cheney has since explained away by saying he "misspoke."

Someone asked Republicans leaving the event, "How much did your seat cost?" The assumption was that those who were invited were substantial Republican Party donors.

Whatever the message conveyed, the protest achieved the desired result. Our voices were heard without undue police interference, arrest, and in the spirit of nonviolence.

Each sign had its own personal message for Vice President Cheney. Not being invited inside to the Town Hall Meeting, we had to deliver our messages from a distance. To the credit of the Vice President and his wife, they did wave as they passed by. Party politics aside, perhaps, they knew that what was on our placards was truthful.

Editor's note: The author's website can be found here.

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