Event
Prisoners Of Conscience Event - 2008

Navigation Bar Submit Feedback    Every morning begins with Circle. Larry Crane, first left, was the event co-ordinator so he starts off with the "orders of the day" to let all know the route, what to expect, to be careful and this morning Larry read a "Prayer for Peace" written by Jane Goodall.

   Everyone gets a chance to say what is on their minds. John Toren started out by telling everyone about the last time he saw Patrick Liteky and he dedicated his walk to Patrick who passed away several months ago. Jim talked about Jim Harney who is an ex priest and photo journalist who is walking from Boston Massachusetts to New Haven Connecticut for undocumented workers and the poor. Jon Blickenstaff talked about Barbara Wolf. Barbara was arrested for civil disobedience for sitting in Congressman Steve Chabot's Cincinnati Ohio office almost two years ago, trying to get him to help stop the war in Iraq. She was sentenced to 10 days for refusing to do twenty hours of community service, saying that she's been doing community service all her life, that she loves doing community service, and that she doesn't want a thing she loves redefined as punishment.

   All these folks are worthy of our prayers as we walk today.

   Packing up and getting ready to go. John Toren standing with an Earth flag while Kerrie Ann Garlick (KA) is stuffing her day bag into the back of the support vehicle. In the background left of John you can see Marcus Atkinson with the Australian walking flag. Larry Crane is between John and KA. "lets get the show on the road".

   These are the starting walkers left to right. Rebecca Glasscock, John Toren, Janice Sevre-Duszynska, Jon Blickenstaff, Larry Crane, Marcus Atkinson, Kerrie Ann Garlick (KA), Ammon Russell and Jim Toren. Most of this group has been arrested for civil disobedience. Janice Sevre-Duszynska is the most "infamous" having been arrested during the School of America's protest back in 2001. The first of the Prisoner of Conscience events happened in 2002 and started at the Federal prison in Lexington where Janice was serving her time and ended at the Federal prison in Manchester Kentucky where Erik Johnson was doing his time. It was a great honor to have Janice with us.

   The Circle is over and the support vehicle is loaded up. With banners flying and with great excitement the walkers are heading for the highway to begin the 10.5 mile walk through Lexington and out to the prison.

   The walk is broken up into 1 hour segments. This is a picture of the walkers coming toward the support vehicle after the first hour. A short break will be taken so that the walkers can get some water and find a bathroom if needed and off they will go again repeating these cycles until they arrive at the prison.

   Kerrie Ann Garlick (KA) and Marcus Atkinson making fun of the camera man during a break. KA and Marcus just came back from a 90 day walk from London to Geneva through France protesting at all the Nuclear Reactors on their route. This small one day walk was easy duty for these two veteran walkers.

   Break over and off they go again. It was getting hot by now but wasn't going to slow the pace of these walkers.

   This picture was taken about half way through the second segment. People driving by were honking their horns and waving as they proceeded. A lady actually stopped beside me as I was taking this picture and asked me what we were doing. It is not unusual for people to be curious during these events. Being able to bring awareness to the public about these serious issues is one of the primary reason we do these events!

   The second segment is over and the troops are heading for a rest. Left to right Marcus Atkinson, Ammon Russell, Jon Blickenstaff and Janice Sevre-Duszynska are visable. Next stop will be for lunch.

   John Toren with Patrick Liteky's memorial sign. John dedicated his walk to Patrick. John had walked with Patrick before and related to the other walkers about the last time he saw Patrick. It was at Y12 and Patrick was going to cross the "Blue Line". If you stepped foot over the "Blue Line" you were arrested by the Federal authorities. In Patrick's case he received 6 month in jail. It wasn't Patrick's first time either. Patrick has been in prison a total of about 12 years for all his civil disobedience actions. "I stood in front of him, held him and with tears streaming down my face I tried to taking him out of doing it" John told us. But he wouldn't listen. "Patrick you have done enough, please don't go" John tried but to no avail. "Patrick took one of the dummy bodies and climbed over the fence that the Feds had put across the road to block us out. He walked up to the man in charge and tried to hand him the body. The man rejected it and two of the armed guards took it from Patrick, hand cuffed him and haul him off to a van. It was the last time I saw Patrick! I will never forget him!".

   Lunch time at Triangle Park in downtown Lexington Kentucky! Marcus Atkinson and Jon Blickenstaff are smoking a nasty cigarette in the background while Jim Toren and Larry Crane are putting up the table. Rebeca Glasscock provided us with a very special lunch! Thanks Rebecca!

   Rebecca Glasscock who provided us with a very delicious lunch, Kerry Ann Garlick (KA) and Jim Toren are lining up to get their lunch goodies. Rebecca made some really great tuna salad and had some really, really good sugar free all natural bread. Apples, hard boiled eggs, cookies, tomatoes from Larry Crane's Shepard Lane Peace Garden, peanut butter and Rebecca's mother's home made jelly made for a super lunch!

Thanks Rebecca!

   Ammon Russell resting after a big lunch. It was nice to have Ammon with us for this event.

   The afternoon was very hot and the walkers got a little stretched out so the lead walkers took a break under some shade trees to wait for the slowmarks to catch up. As the walkers who were behind caught up they also added to the group and when I finally caught up with them and took this picture it appeared to me that they had formed a "rest in the shade circle".

   Marcus Atkinson and Kerry Ann Garlick were among the first of the walkers to finish. They went straight for the water in the back of the support vehicle.

   Larry Crane at the end of the walk. Larry is a steward of this web site and well as an official of FootPrints For Peace. He has contributed many an article for peacehq.

   The last of the walkers arrive at the end. Left to right Jon Blickenstaff, Janice Sevre-Duszynska, Rebecca Glasscock and Jim Toren. Jim is the only one who has been on every Prisoner Of Conscience event.

   Way off in the background is the prison where many of our friends have spent goodly portions of their lives incarcerated for civil disobedience.

   This is the main entrance to the prison and the official ending point of the current format of this event. We have been here too many times.

   A final circle is held and the walkers can share their feelings about the days activities to their fellow walking mates.

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