Today is the day that Marshall Thompson of A Soldiers Peace begins his 500 mile walk across Utah. Thompson is the former Army Journalist who spent a year in Iraq. His message:
Bring the Troops Home
The goal is to walk from the Utah/Idaho border to the Utah/Arizona border in 26 days, that’s one day for every 100 soldiers who have died in Iraq. The trip will cover almost 500 miles and I’ll have to average about 20 miles a day.
Walking, in and of itself, is worthless. In the end, it’s just a stunt to raise awareness of a problem and encourage rational people to make a change. I might also shed a few unwanted pounds, but you won’t hear me complaining about that.
I chose to walk Utah in particular for two main reasons. One, it’s my home state and it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. If, for some crazy reason, you’ve got to walk 500 miles, it would be nice to do it in the natural wonder of Utah. And two, Utah is often called “the reddest state in the nation.” It seems to be a stronghold for those who advocate simply staying the course. I hope the walk will soften hearts and open minds to the idea of a responsible and timely withdrawal of troops. Plus I’d like the politicians to realize that even in good old Utah, people are demanding change.
I don’t know if the walk will get the troops home. If nothing else, however, I’ll know that I did everything I could to save the lives of my brothers and sisters in Iraq.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 