The hearing brought veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam who zealously argued both for and against the plaque. Those who had fought to defeat communism were offended by the plaque's communist-looking symbols: the clenched fist and the star enveloping the Earth. One opponent of the plaque, wearing a decorated military hat, shouted, "The only good Commie is a dead one!"
Fifty years younger than most of those who testified and veteran of no war, I presented the last testimony of the day's five-hour debate. I told the committee that Franco was not a "good Catholic monarch," but rather a fascist who tried to homogenize Spain by brutally suppressing regional cultures and languages.
Before the hearing, Cohen had told me, "This is the last battle of the Spanish Civil War, and I think Franco will win again." His prediction was correct; the committee voted unanimously against the plaque. This time fascism won on American soil.
Claudia Gregoire '01 is a social studies concentrator in Winthrop House.