Getting season tickets for the Norfolk Forum is almost like trying to get season tickets for your favorite sports team: you have to wait for somebody to die first. As the result, I don’t have any. But Tuesday afternoon, I got a phone call from a client who had tickets but couldn’t go. It was the first night of this season and the speaker was Colin Powell. I had another meeting but I jumped at the chance to hear him speak.
The first thing that you have to do is get there early since seating at Chrysler Hall is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 7pm and the event starts at 8:15. Getting there, I managed to get a seat on the second row. People claimed their seats and then mingled a bit. I talked to a few people about – surprise! – politics, including yesterday’s Webb/Allen debate. Interesting conversations, to say the least 😉
Promptly at 8:15, the announcer walked out and read a brief biography of former Secretary of State Powell. The general then walked gingerly to the podium. From where I sat, I could see a boot on his foot. As it turned out, the general had torn his Achilles tendon, and sat on a stool for most of his speech.
I’ve only seen Powell on TV, so I was unprepared for the man who appeared this evening. He was so charming, alternating between being serious and being playful. He spoke for about an hour on a variety of topics, from retirement:
I believe in living life by looking thru the front windshield rather than the rear view mirror.
to Iraq:
Every course has a finish line.
Anecdotes about conversations he had with his wife (who gave him a list of things to do since he is now retired, which is how he tore his Achilles) and the Japanese prime minister (who loved baseball and Elvis Presley) had the audience laughing. His stand on torture, which he shares with John McCain and John Warner, had the audience applauding.
At the end, he took several questions. The very last one was about who he was supporting in the Senate race. Ever the politician, he joked about how he planned to watch the debates, read up on the candidates (he did say he knows both men), and be prepared to make an informed decision when he steps into the voting booth in November, just like the rest of us. He ended by saying, “I am a Republican.”
I was quite impressed with him, regardless of his party. At 69, I doubt if he will ever run for office, which I think is a shame. I do hope he will continue to participate in the process and lend his voice to the important topics of the day.
UPDATE: The Pilot coverage of the event is here.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Vivian,
From the Black Commentator: http://www.blackcommentator.com/117/117_cover_haiti.html
“History will record that the first Black U.S. Secretary of State personally engineered the theft of the national sovereignty of Haiti, the world’s first Black republic and the second nation in the western hemisphere to free itself from European rule. Such is Colin Powell’s horrific legacy – an historic shame and blight on the collective honor of Black America.”
Congresswoman Maxine Waters, a close personal friend to the deposed Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide, had this to say,
“History will record that this crisis is a direct result of the failed policies of the United States, France and Canada, which worked with the Group of 184, the former members of the Haitian Army and known thugs to carry out last February’s coup d’etat. While I am certain that you would be the last to agree, I believe that the only way to stabilize Haiti is to do so with the return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the democratically-elected President of Haiti, until the end of his term in office, with a restoration of assistance for the rebuilding of Haiti’s infrastructure and, at the end of his term, assistance for free and fair elections.
”I remain deeply disappointed by the lack of leadership from the international community, including the United States, France, Canada and the United Nations peacekeeping forces. While international officials claim to be committed to democracy in Haiti, they have made no serious effort to disarm the thugs and killers who were involved in the coup d’etat or to demand that the interim government respect the human rights of the Haitian people.”
The overthrow of the democratically elected government of Haiti occurred in February of 2004. Did anybody ask about it? Did anybody demand that he apologize for the terror he unleashed on innocent and impoverished black folk?
Regardless of Powell’s current differences with the Administration do not excuse the war crimes currently being committed by this government or his complicity in them. They also do not excuse his conduct regarding Haiti.
He is a war criminal just like his protege Condi.
Your Haitia summary is good. Yes Colin Powell is guilty…However, it is the “exeptional” person who isn’t…..Thanks heavens for Maxine Waters…she has fought hard for the interests of the people of Haiti.
What I have a difficult time understanding is whether Americans are so ethnocentric an/or just so badly informed of how America traditionally bullies other countries in order that corporations can continue to profit off of human beings. Our record of supporting democratically elected governments is truly horrendous. We will support coups of elected, popular leaders and help instal dictatorships that favor our corporations….
Central America and much of South America are uniting against CAFTA, NAFTA, Corporations, and the United States Agenda for the special interests of corporations. They (the people) refuse to be exploited anymore. The citizens down there have lived FREE TRADE and reject it. They want FAIR TRADE.
Amazing…Fair Trade is probably THE solution to our immigration difficulties. Our policies create that mass of folks desparate to make a living crossing our borders….
So we have people and Fair Trade versus corporations and Free Trade. Hopefully, the people of the United States will wake up and stop our government from coercing free trade down the throats of people who are tired of corporations ruling their lives….
We need to elect people who believe in Fair Trade, social justice, and equity. Then, maybe our military will stop being abused advancing corporate agendas with the people footing the bills.
It’s not surprising that Thelma “tra la la” Drake and George “dude ranch” Allen support Free Trade. I’m pleased that my current Rep. Bobby Scott and my future Senator Jim Webb support Fair Trade.
Mosquito,
I fully support the gist of your comments. I would like to underscore one thing, though. Colin Powell, as Vivian has suggested, is a charming and polished man. However, his charm does not and will not cover the multitude of sins committed against the defenseless people of Iraq and Haiti that he aided and abetted.
Interesting information, both of you. Let me be clear: I don’t know if Powell is electable. One of my concerns when his name was being floated around was that we really don’t know him & where he stands on a number of issues. Any run for office would require we get that info. And I think part of the reason he hasn’t run is that he may be unable to withstand the scrutiny.