"Averting an International Incident" by Marie Mitchell
—getting the big picture
A journalist visiting a soviet country gets on the wrong side of the law from behind her camera.
After 24 years as News Director of public radio station WEKU in Richmond, Kentucky, Marie Mitchell switched to teaching at Eastern Kentucky University. She’s written a column for The Richmond Register since 2007, collaborates on short stories and novels with her husband, Mason Smith, and other EKU professors (under the penname Quinn MacHollister) and meddles in the lives of her four fascinating children.
Despite the Baku debacle, Marie still enjoys traveling abroad and hosting international students at home. Her family is relieved that she has caused no further incidents overseas.
Author’s Talk
Marie Mitchell
This trip to the Soviet Union was part of the Friendship Force International program, co-founded by President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s. It was designed to improve intercultural relationships among participating countries and people—everyone from politicians to average citizens.
Our visit, during the Cold War, was meant to support the organization’s goal of “arms that embrace rather than arms that destroy.” So, the camera debacle with the motorcycle cop was especially disturbing, given that our mission was to make friends, not cause trouble.
In truth, I was the least of the officer’s worries. At every stop we made, from Moscow to Tbilisi, black marketers offered our group money for literally the clothes off our backs, and the shoes off our feet—all American name brand merchandise that was coveted by Soviet youth who would pay a small fortune for such items.
Breaking up that illegal ring would probably have been more promotion-worthy than detaining a small-town journalist who was innocently capturing memories on her camera.
Over the years I have tried to make amends for my alleged transgression by hosting numerous exchange students in our home. My family has welcomed students from Japan, China, Germany and South Korea, most of whom we are still in touch with.
We did decline a request to let a Soviet General stay with us for a while to practice his English. It wasn’t because of this 35-year-old misunderstanding. We were more concerned that our hectic lifestyle would drive a much more disciplined person crazy. And we didn’t want to risk another close call in inciting an international incident.
