They talk about the calm before a storm.

Three people sat at a table near a podium in the St. Charles Room Tuesday evening. Students, faculty and members of the community filled the seats and chatted in hushed voices.

Audience members believed that they already knew most of what they had come to hear. They were wrong.

The discussion was about the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga., which teaches counter insurgency, sniper skills, interrogation and military intelligence to Latin American soldiers.

Some U.S. military training, such as that of the Navy Seals, takes place there as well.

Graduates of the school have been known to participate in and perpetuate war against the poor, have been dictators, criminals and human rights abusers.

The thousands of people gathered at Fort Benning this weekend will participate in a rally and nonviolent direct action to shut down the School of the Americas, called School of the Americas Watch.

The discussion was one of the last events of Latin America Awareness Month.

Events have included a “Martyrs’ Mass,” the discussion Tuesday, and a Peace Vigil on Thursday. Many of these events have focused on the School of the Americas.

The purpose of Tuesday’s discussion was to allow the issue of the SOA to be presented by both sides and discussed by Loyola students. This LUCAP-sponsored event is part of a Loyola tradition of SOA talks.

“It’s in line with the LUCAP principle of social justice and equality,” said junior political science major Mirya Holman, one of the organizers of the discussion.

“If you are concerned, you can petition your government; you can have a voice,” she continued.

Jeff Guhin, English senior, and Rick Yelton, music-therapy sophomore, co-chairs of LUCAP special affairs, were the main organizers of the event.

‘Not in my name’

The speakers were Jean and Tom Egan, members of Pax Christi and School of the Americas Watch, and Fernando Bautista, a Loyola student and citizen of El Salvador.

Guhin opened the discussion with a plea to those assembled to “keep comments and questions respectful, to contribute to a discussion rather than a debate.”

Jean Egan spoke first, describing SOA Watch techniques, which include vigils, fasts, demonstrations and using the media for publicity.

Jean Egan and her husband are opposed to the SOA “teaching torture techniques with our tax dollars.”

Tom Egan said that as a teacher, he “objects to the word ‘school;’ school is supposed to make people into compassionate, caring souls.”

He said he is very happy with the increase in the presence of young people at the Fort Benning rally each year.

“They came to say ‘NO,’ he said. “I feel intensely against war making and killing . . . in my name…[Because of] my faith, my profession – I object to a school that has a mission to kill. . . . Not in my name,” he said.

The group before them nodded in agreement as the elder pair each addressed the audience.

Then Fernando Bautista stepped to the podium. He fiddled with the microphone for a minute, pulling it off its perch to hold in his hand.

“This is very difficult for me,” he began, hesitating over his choice of words. “I lived this for 12 years. My life was consumed by this story.”

Bautista was a child in El Salvador during the 1989 coup. He was six years old, two blocks away, eating pizza, when the communists attacked his city.

He knew the Jesuits who were murdered, the same Jesuits who were mourned earlier in the week at the Martyrs Mass. Bautista said he feels that the SOA Watch doesn’t have its story straight.

“SOA’s influence was beneficial in that it helped keep communist influence out and helped keep people, like me, alive.”

Unlike the Egans, Bautista isn’t so strongly against the SOA.

He knows the SOA needs reform. Mostly, however, Bautista is critical of the methods and approach SOA Watch uses.

Bautista said he believes that while SOA Watch claims to promote peace, it actually feeds the people’s hatred by “manipulating history,” leading to violence.

Bautista’s voice wavered as he spoke. “Me having lived through that…it’s difficult to live through the war, but it’s more difficult to live in through the post-war period. . . .I don’t feel it’s right for. . .our feelings and emotions to be manipulated.”

More than two sides

The audience responded to the speakers with an hour-long questions-and-comments session, which brought up some heated issues. Some students felt it was difficult to see the discussion as having only two sides. Political science senior Jackson Stephens shared his opinion.

“At the same time as I pray for peace, I also have a great love for my family…I am glad there are people trained at Fort Benning who can protect them efficiently.”

When asked what El Salvador would be like without the SOA, the Egans responded by saying, “It’s an example of the U.S. exporting its own violent, knee-jerk reaction to solving problems.”

The Egans are fervently against any solutions involving violence. One example they gave is that the SOA is proud of the fact that it has graduated six presidents – yet not one of them was elected democratically.

Tom Egan defended his faith and ability to forgive.

“I don’t think we have to have war, I don’t think we have to kill people, not even tyrants…It is all too common to reach for violence.”

Bautista speaks of his family and friends. He is angry at the way SOA Watch pursues its aims.

“Not at the expense of people’s emotional stability, especially by bringing up things that aren’t true and aren’t proven.” He says it’s too painful for him to hear stories that embody real life suffering he experienced.

The room was silent while the speakers presented their opinions. Students said that they were surprised to hear such a passionate contradiction to the usual horrible image of SOA.

After hearing both very strong sides, Vanessa Alfano, freshman Spanish major said, “I’m just really confused now.”

Still, as to the SOA she feels that, “some people chose to protect and some people use it the wrong way.”

“Every year we have to deal with this.”

Bautista’s eyes flashed while Jean Egan read a quote from the only surviving victim of a slaughter, in which six SOA graduates were implicated. Bautista returned to the podium when she finished.

“This is the story of Fernando Bautista. I’m not reading off of anything… this is not my history,” he stated simply. “This is my present.”

Rick Yelton

Fernando Bautista

The Rev. Si Hendry addresses the crowd at Wednesday night’s debate about the School of the Americas, a U.S.-run military school in Georgia.