Prisoners Of Conscience
The Run - Letting The Prisoners Know

 
   My next course of action was to inform all the current prisoners that this Run was going to take place. I had a list of all the current prisoners and their addresses thanks to Libby Johnson who gave me a copy during a visit to her house earlier in the month.

   The following letter is to one of the prisoners but represents basically what was sent to all of them. This letter was sent to the following: Charles Booker-Hirsch, Kathleen Boylan, Jonna Cohen, Kenneth F. Crowley, Susan Daniels, Mary Dean, Kathleen Desautels, Toni Flynn, Kate Fontanazza, Chantilly Geigle, Peter Gelderloos, Nancy Gowen, John Heid, Niklan Jones-Lezama, Rae Kramer, Palmer Legare, Laura MacDonald, Thomas Mahedy, Abigail Miller, Summer Nelson, Bill O'Donnell, Michaele Pasquale, Richard M. Ring, Janice Sevre-Duszynska, Michael Sobol, and Fr. Jerry Zawada. 		 
  11/06/2002

To Kate Fontanazza:

Dear Kate:

A brief introduction is in order. My name is ....., I live with my family in Amelia, Ohio which is close to Cincinnati. This Summer I had the pleasure of meeting the Johnson family in Maryville Tennessee. I was attending an anti-nuclear protest at the y12 complex in Oak Ridge Tennessee.

Erik Johnson and his family hosted myself and all the walkers who had taken part in a Peace Pilgrimage from Atlanta Ga to Oak Ridge, close to Maryville. During this time I learned that Erik was being sent to prison for trespassing at the SOA. In conversing with Erik I also discovered that there were a great number of folks such as yourself imprisoned for the similar actions. It also happened that one of our walkers crossed the barrier at the y12 complex and is now in prison in Georgia. The imprisonment of our two friends struck very close to home for all of us.

We are well aware of the evil nature of the SOA and have opposed it for a long time. Our Run For Freedom group here in Cincinnati, started by my Jim Toren, had stopped for the protest during our run to Florida in 2001. The "Run For Freedom" was founded to bring public awareness to the plight of political prisoners. Leonard Peltier is our "Poster Child" but the run itself is for all political prisoners everywhere in the world. We have made 9 runs so far and we are planning our 10th run this November. We are calling this run "Run For Freedom - Prisoners of Conscience" and are dedicating the run to all of you.

I want you to be aware that "you are not alone" and that every step we take will be a prayer for you and that every mile we run will be a ceremony for you. Do to the distances we cannot run to every prison even though in our hearts we would like to. Since Erik Johnson is at the FCI in Manchester Ky we are running to that location and will have a ceremony and prayer vigil there.Your name will be on our running banners and your courage, and that of your loved ones, will be honoredl. We thank you for your sacrifice.

When we open our ceremony we always re-affirm our purpose. If there are any words you would want to pass along to our runners please contact me at the below address and I will read them to all those participating.

Blessed are the Peacemakers
A hug and much love     Jim Toren, Jules Hegge, Jon Blickenstaff, Curtis Gutter, Pumla Pamla, Meagen Kresge, Terry Stagman, Jon Burkindine, Libby Johnson, Lissa Hutchinson, Doug Cox and all the other Runners and organizers. 		 
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