To many, the name Col. Oliver North is simply a history lesson, already dulled by time. However, some UW-Madison students and Madison community members have a harder time forgetting his controversial background.
Approximately 100 protesters, mostly community members, gathered outside the Madison Club, 5 E. Wilson St., Tuesday night in response to a dinner organized by the Wisconsin Manufacturer's Commerce Association. They beat drums, chanted and picketed with signs like \Gun runners not welcome"" and ""Ollie North go home."" Approximately the same size gathered Wednesday at 11 a.m. outside Monona Terrace, 1 John Nolan Dr., and entered the WMC reception area before security stopped them.
""Most people my age don't know who Ollie North is,"" said Laura Nelson, a UW-Madison sophomore who attended Tuesday night's protest.
North, whose involvement in Iran-Contra and Nicaragua resulted in three felony charges that were later overturned, was invited by WMC to be the keynote speaker for the second annual Madison Business Day Wednesday. The event draws business executives to Madison and was designed to increase communication between businesses and legislators.
Michael Schuler, senior minister at First Unitarian Church, which hosted a forum about the WMC and North Sunday, said WMC's decision to choose North over other qualified speakers was arrogant.
""[North] is a person that represents ... the worst aspects of American and corporate life,"" he said.
Some protesters' frustration extended beyond North to WMC itself.
Mike Quieto, a teaching assistant in UW-Madison's English department, believes the WMC's Business Day event is simply a way for ""public officials to be auctioned off,"" in reference to how the event's business sponsors were allowed to sit near the legislator of their choice.
At one point Tuesday, several dinner attendees had their picture taken with the crowd in the background.
""It's 2004, let's move on!"" said one of the men who was in the picture.
Wednesday, protesters spilled into the reception area from the outside, chanting, yelling and mocking North with masks and a fake bag of money.
""[Protests happen] in lots of places. Free speech goes in both directions. But this is not free speech-this is free yelling,"" said John Fund, columnist and former member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board after being splattered with coffee thrown from the crowd.
As people moved to the banquet hall, the protesters dispersed. North walked on stage to a standing ovation and his relatively short speech revolved around five issues that he feels will determine ""where we go in the new millennium:"" globalization, loss of U.S. jobs, environmentalism, ""investigation mania"" and terrorism. He frequently related his points to his experiences in the military, specifically, the Middle East.
""The Iraqi people love us. The Iraqi people admire us. The Iraqi people are going to have democracy,"" North said in regarding plans to rebuild Iraq.
He also fielded questions regarding privacy in post-Sept. 11 America, terrorism and why he stands so close to the military officers he interviews for ""War Stories.""
Most attendees were pleased to see North speak at the event.
WMC's director of public relations James Pugh defended their choice of speaker, saying North is interesting and entertaining.
""It's exciting that an organization like [WMC] can draw a national speaker like Oliver North,"" said state Rep. J.A. Hines, R-Oxford.
Yet, J. Gordon Myers, a vice president of a Madison-based business, said, ""I was surprised by [WMC's] decision to invite Oliver North. I would have wanted to understand that decision-making process.""
