Permission, permission, permission

I thought we were thru with Mississippi - it was near dark by the time we left Columbus and headed west for Arkansas. Passing thru Starkville, we notice on the other side of the freeway floodlights shining over the bleachers and field with a “Mississippi State” sign and quickly made a u-turn to head toward them. We found the stadium empty but the parking lot near another building full - so off we headed to park the truck in a conspicuous location.

We approached the building hoping it was a student center and found it was an immense, modern, state-of-the-art gym! Even though it was after 9:00, a steady trickle of students were coming and going.

We grabbed our codePINK materials and voter reg cards and began asking students if they were registered to vote. Lots of students were already registered, some were registered in their home states, but way too many were not registered and never had register. We registered folks until we ran outta cards! It was awesome. We handed out lots of codePINK info as well.

As we were registering voters and handing out info, a young male police officer approached and asked if we were soliciting anything. We said “Hell yes, george bush's removal from office!'

He laughed and said he would sure join us in that!

When we'd registered about three quarters of our forms, a young white football type fellow stomped by, his face a stormy mess. About twenty feet down the sidewalk before he entered the building he turned back and shouted "Do you have a decal to park on this campus?"

I looked around and then innocently questioned him "Are you talking to me?"

He impatiently repeated his question. I asked him which car was he talking about as I gestured vaguely to a line of cares. “I see lots of cars without decals. Which one are you talking about?”

Then he changed his question to: "Do you have permission to set foot on this campus?"

I asked him to please come join us so we can have a conversation without yelling across sidewalk. He huffed something like “Hell no” and then threatened to call the police and report us as he disappeared inside the double glass doors.

 We continued registering voters. When we ran out of forms, I went inside to borrow a stapler. Here in Mississippi, the voter reg forms had to be zeroxed in the clerk's office! Then you have to figure out which county a person resides in; AND you have to have a STAMP to mail the card in - after you've written a return address on it as well the county courthouse address.

I approached the security desk and asked for a stapler, which they gladly gave me. As I was stapling, I heard a voice booming behind me: "Do you have permission to park that truck on this campus?" I turned to see another police officer – this one older, white with about an eight month belly hanging over his belt – approaching me.

"Which truck could that be?" I enquired.

Then he asked me if I had the dean of students approval to solicit on campus. I told him I was not soliciting anything - I was registering voters. He told me I needed the dean's permission. I asked him since when did anyone need permission to register voters anywhere in this democracy? He ignored me and said I had to move my truck and leave the campus unless the dean of students has given me permission to be there. I asked him “Are you 100% sure I need the deans permission to register voters in a democracy?”

Into his prolonged silence I asked him “Why are you really here?”

I told him we had already spoken with another police officer who didn't have a problem. He said he had a problem with me parking my truck where I did. I told him there were other trucks also parked there and did he have a problem with those trucks. He claimed he didn't see any other trucks to which I responded, hands on hips, head slightly tilted “Interesting.”

 By this time, the young people behind the desk were laughing out loud and several other students, both Black and white, had come closer. I told this police officer “I know what this is about: it is about the message painted on my truck urging us to get rid of bush and his regime.”

I told him if I had the young republicans painted on my truck he would have never approached me. But I was leaving anyway - I was finished.

We left – content. As we got to the truck, someone (probably the young white football-type) printed a sign that said "I see your plates are from California - why don't you go back there?" Ha!

But MOST of the students were so happy to see us, took lots of info, and pledged to vote against bush and get their friends and classmates to join them!