CAPE DELEGATE HEARD NO BOOING AT CONVENTION

I was honored to be elected as a delegate from our 8th Congressional District to the Democratic National Convention in August in Los Angeles. It was a wonderful experience. I appreciate the coverage of the convention by the Southeast Missourian, especially the work done by Mark Bliss and Marc Powers.

I especially enjoyed seeing and hearing the many political speakers, journalists, TV and movie celebrities and everyday people who endured sadness in their lives or who had performed heroically when it became necessary.

We delegates and alternates were treated royally why, I don't know. We were entertained at movie-studio parties and at breakfasts, lunches and brunches. Many of us were interviewed frequently before and while we were in Los Angeles, sometimes even while speakers like President Clinton were talking. I was even interviewed by phone as the balloons were falling following Vice President Gore's speech.

Most people know that the Missouri delegation was given the most favored location on the main floor of Staple Center, right behind Tennessee and in the middle of everything.

While there, my husband and I devoured newspapers and magazines and watched as much TV coverage as we had time, causing us to question some subsequent articles in the Southeast Missourian.

Surprisingly, a week after the convention ended, I read the column on the Aug. 24 Opinion page with the headline, "Booing of Eagle Scouts is inexcusable behavior." The column said this was a response to the booing of Eagle Scouts by delegates at the convention. What? I was a delegate sitting on the main floor in the middle of everything, and I heard no booing. I double-checked the entire convention schedule on the Internet, and I know I was in the hall at 5 p.m. on both Monday and Tuesday evenings at the time of the presentation of colors by Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. I heard no booing and certainly did not take part in booing, which I've been asked about. I did hear a little stirring as the Scouts were immediately followed on the speaker's platform on Monday by Dylan McDermott and on Tuesday by Hector Elizando and Pat Morito. There was occasional chattering when celebrities walked on stage or walked past some of us.

I kept the Aug. 24 column and checked to see where it came from, as I was unaware of such a story coming from the wire services. It was unclear. The column pertained to comments by members of "the American Freedom Center of Houston, a not-for-profit public-policy research and educational center dedicated to educating the public regarding the principles upon which America was founded: freedom, democracy, limited government, individual liberty, free enterprise and low taxation."

That column was followed by Peter Kinder's Sept. 3 column with statements such as, "Hot on the heels of delegates' infamous booing of the Boy Scout color guard while presenting Old Glory at the Democratic National Convention" and "The booing by Democratic delegates in L.A. is just the leading edge of a full-blown war against the Scouts." Another comment of Mr. Kinder's was, "Perhaps, though, with the booing incident at the Democratic convention, we caught a glimpse of where the party's hearts are. Seems those delegates just have the courage of Barney Frank's convictions."

After reading those columns and seeing several comments in Speak Out where some said there were considering voting Democratic but changed their minds when they found out Democrats were booing the Boy Scouts at the Democratic convention, I decided to check and see if this thinking was about the same convention I attended.

I called several other delegates. I called the state Democratic office. I called the national Democratic office. I asked what they could tell me about the booing of the Scouts. Everyone said, "What are you talking about?" There was no booing they were aware of. The state and national offices asked me to fax copies of the American Freedom Center column. One person said, "You must be talking about the incident that took place at the Republican National Convention."

Please be sure that no one instructed the Democratic delegates to boo the Boy Scouts. If there was some booing by some in the huge convention center, it certainly was not widespread and didn't appear to be heard by the Missouri delegation. Additionally, the national committee was unaware of it.

I hope this puts to rest the concerns of some of you. Thanks for reading. P.S. The convention was really fun.

Shirley A. Patterson of Cape Girardeau is active in Democratic politics and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.