Walk to End the Wars: Coming to a Town Near You?

Friends,

I received this from list member Anne Herman.  She writes:

I have attached an article about someone who is

walking across the country to end war.  He would like

to be in contact with people along the way.  Would

there be folks along his route who would be willing to

be his contacts?  His trip information is posted on

the website mentioned in the article.  Then should

contact him directly by phone or e-mail. 

               Thanks, Anne

Please read the attached article, visit the website, and check out the towns listed on his route. 

Would you be willing to host him somewhere along the way, or set up a speaking engagement?

This kind of an itinerant speaker is a great reason for you to get your local folks together and get them excited about doing something!

~Matt Guynn
On Earth Peace




WALK TO END THE WARS
http://www.wtetw.com/

How strongly do you feel about this war and about policies that promise you a greater sense of security in exchange for your civil rights? Strongly enough to sell your home and nearly everything you own and embark on a three thousand mile journey – on foot – in the hope that our nation's leadership will finally hear your voice and take you seriously? That's precisely what one man has done – and he is now almost eight hundred miles into his trek from San Diego to Washington D.C. carrying a petition to Congress and the President asking for an immediate end to the wars and the restoration of the balance of powers between the branches of our government.


"I still have faith that one person can make a difference, and I am putting that faith to the test," says Bill McDannell, Vietnam era veteran, former United Methodist pastor and grandfather.


But he knows he cannot end the war all by himself. "That's why I'm walking," he says. "I'm hoping people who hear about what I'm doing will think, 'If that ol' geezer can walk clear across the country, maybe I can do something too.'"


Even so, if you happen to see him walking along the streets and highways – and thousands already have – you might think he's just a man out for a pleasant stroll. He wears no signs, carries no banners, and neither belongs to, nor has funding or logistic support from any group or organization. Through the early part of his journey he has relied on assistance from people who have heard about what he is doing. He has spent many nights in the homes of strangers sympathetic to his cause. Sometimes he has stayed at an inexpensive hotel along the way. And when all else fails, he has slept under the stars in the sleeping bag he carries in his backpack. Somewhere in Texas, his wife, Jonna O'Dell (also a former United Methodist pastor), will catch up to him in the 23 year-old camper they purchased when they sold their home to finance his walk, and she and their two dogs will serve as support crew for the balance of his journey. But for now, he is completely on his own.


McDannell calls his effort the Walk to End the Wars and maintains a website at www.WTETW.com which features his petition, the rationale behind it, and offers those who are so inclined the opportunity to sign the petition online. As he is able to acquire internet time along the way, he updates the site with a day-to-day journal of his thoughts and experiences as well as detailed descriptions of his route and progress. He invites others to join him and walk with him if they like and often stops to talk with individuals or groups interested in listening to what he has to say.


He welcomes the opportunity to speak to anyone who wants to hear his story. McDannell can be reached directly at (619) 792-5292 – the number of the cell phone he carries with him as he walks.


Will he make a difference? That's a question McDannell will tell you he will not be able to answer until he reaches Washington D.C. But he is putting his time, his effort, his health, his strength, his fortune and his life on the line to find out.


Van Horn, TX
Abilene, TX
Fort Worth, TX
Emporia, KS
Osage City, KS
Ottawa, KS
Harrisonville, MO
Holden, MO
Sedalia, MO
Boonville, MO
Fayette, MO
Centralia, MO
Mexico, MO
Louisiana, MO
Pittsfield, IL
Havana, IL
Heyworth, IL
Rantoul, IL
Watseka, IL
Monticello, IN
Markle, IN
Decatur, IN
Ottawa, OH
Findlay, OH
Willard, OH
Ashland, OH
Millersburg, OH
Carrollton, OH
Cadiz, OH
Wheeling, WV
Washington, PA
Uniontown, PA
Frostburg, MD
Fort Ashby, WV
Romney, WV
Winchester, VA
Paris, VA
Middleburg, VA
Gilberts Corner, VA
Chantilly, VA
Merrifield, VA
Washington, DC



http://www.wtetw.com/