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A bouquet of red and white carnations graced Alexander Kohanowich's kitchen table Wednesday.

Should the charge be dropped? Join the discussion at the Debatables blog.

It was a gift from his daughter Robin. The card read "Happy Patriot Day."

It seemed appropriate, particularly for her father, a 78-year-old man nicknamed Pop who's caught in the middle of what I call a journalistic red ball.

By now, you've heard his story. It's gone nationwide from the GTCC classroom of adjunct instructor Lynn Salsi to the cyberspace town square of syndicated conservative columnist Michelle Malkin. Her headline: "Drop the charges against Pop."

Kohanowich has retained an attorney. He's also received offers from local supporters to pay for his court costs and legal fees and is scheduled to speak to Salsi's class next week.

Pop's reaction? Pretty incredulous.

"I don't understand how it's grown into this," he said from his kitchen table Wednesday. "I was supporting the troops very quietly, and I almost was home free."

Almost. But not quite.

If you missed it, here's what happened:

On March 26, when Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama came to town, Kohanowich stood in the median across from War Memorial Auditorium holding three signs about patriotism and supporting the troops.

After standing there for an hour and 40 minutes, Greensboro police officer Lester Prescod approached Kohanowich to tell him he had to leave. Police say Kohanowich already had been told at least twice.

At the time, Kohanowich was being interviewed by Jeff Tiberii, a radio reporter from WFDD-FM (88.5). Kohanowich turned, placed his left hand on Prescod's right shoulder and intended to tell him he had gotten an OK to stand there from a motorcycle cop.

He didn't get the chance. He was flat on the ground, hands behind his back, charged with misdemeanor assault on a government official.

I wrote about Pop's arrest last week. A day later, Malkin picked up the story. So did Fox News Channel and two local TV stations. The calls and e-mails came in as steady as last week's rain.

From an attorney in northwestern Indiana. From the founder of the Patriotic Pillow Project in Chicago. From a conservative blogger in Tennessee. And from a retired police officer in Mississippi.

All the comments were the same: They couldn't believe it.

"Our tax dollars would be better spent giving our police department a critical thinking course," said Salsi, 60, the GTCC instructor and wife of a Vietnam veteran.

According to a statement released Friday, Greensboro police determined no excessive force was used during the arrest and emphasized their "professional delivery of service" in protecting people's free-speech rights.

But because of what they described as an "inordinate number of inquiries regarding the circumstances of the arrest," the department will conduct a review of the arrest. It is expected to take two weeks.

Tiberii has declined to comment. Prescod or any other police officers present during the arrest can't comment. A judge will decide Kohanowich's fate April 28 inside a Greensboro courtroom.

That is, if the charges aren't dropped first.

Seth Cohen, who is representing Kohanowich, has asked District Attorney Doug Henderson to drop the charge and the city to write a letter of apology. Cohen also wants the city to ante up and cover his client's legal expenses.

There's no talk of a lawsuit.

"He's not out to gain a sum of money to retire for the rest of his life," Cohen said. "He wants the city to stand up and take responsibility for its actions and compensate him for the trouble he was put through."

Meanwhile, Kohanowich stays close to home, with his wife Lorraine, near his bouquet of carnations. He waits for his day in court and wonders what it all means.

He has an idea.

"America," he said. "Who we are as a country. That's being asked of each and every one of us. I don't know what right I have, but look inside ourselves. Where are we going? What are we doing? This is 2008."

Contact Jeri Rowe at 373-7374 or jeri.rowe@news-record.com