“A Crusade of the 21st Century”: Conference in Louisiana

by William Drake

On March 8, Tradition, Family and Property — Louisiana hosted a regional one-day conferences in Lafayette Louisiana. The event was held in the historic Grand Coteau House Ballroom in Grand Coteau, La.

Since this year marks the 100 year anniversary of the birth of Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, the conference started with a talk about this Catholic leader. Given by American TFP member Norman Fulkerson, the talk outlined the brilliant career which was opening up for Prof. de Oliveira in his early public life and the subsequent sufferings he endured after publishing the book, In Defense of Catholic Action. He would later overcome great odds in founding the Brazilian Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property. Through the inspiration of his masterwork, Revolution and Counter Revolution, sister associations sprang up all over the world.

The second meeting, “What Does it Mean to be a Militant Catholic 90 years After Fatima?” was given by American TFP member Michael Drake. It was an explanation of the revolution of the sixties defined as the Fourth Revolution by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. He explained how in this stage of the Revolutionary process, evil advances not by combating opponents but by “blurring distinctions.” It was an anarchic revolution, Mr. Drake illustrated, and it is carried out by people “that protest but do not like to fight. They like to break rules but assume no authority.” This Revolution, he continued, does not “advance by fighting; it advances by decay, inertia and torpor.”

The solution for those facing this Revolution is to force its partisans to define themselves. Secondly, one must be a human role model that is full of courage and fortitude. Lastly, Mr. Drake reminded the audience, a counter-revolutionary must have integrity.

Participants then got a chance to stretch their legs as they casually walked up the street for a sumptuous lunch buffet at Catahoula’s Restaurant. It was a pleasant walk on a beautiful spring day which provided time to discuss the morning talks. The combination of delicious Southern cuisine and warm sunny day would normally spell disaster for anyone trying to stay awake for the afternoon sessions.

However, this was not the case as American TFP member Cesar Franco kept the interest of the audience with a talk titled: “Protests that Target Public Opinion — a Case Study.”

Mr. Franco gave a detailed description of his participation in a TFP Student Action campaign in support of American troops who train foreign soldiers in counter terrorism at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) at Fort Benning, Georgia. Each year, leftist protestors gather at this location to vilify the troops’ efforts.

His talk included two PowerPoint presentations along with several amusing videos where one leftist admits on camera that he favors such things as suicide bombers in order to reach desired objectives. Mr. Franco also told of numerous repercussions from the campaign and the one-page statement of the American TFP, “To SOA Watch Protesters: Be Consistent! To the Military: Be Proud!,” published in the local newspaper on the day of the protest.

One newspaper vendor, he explained, increased his sales by displaying the American TFP’s ad to the leftist passers by who grabbed copies. His talk drew applause from Louisianans who showed a great appreciation for the efforts of TFP Student Action.

The day’s activities ended with a final lecture by Mr. Fulkerson on the Epic Spirit, a talk which dealt with the dangers counter-revolutionaries face today and how to combat the tendency to forget the difference between a revolutionary and a counter-revolutionary.