Category Archives: Weekly Updates

Day Five: Save America March – a gift from Gandhi’s granddaughter

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In 1994, I invited Gandhi’s granddaughter, Sumitra Kulkarni, to give a series of presentations in Des Moines. To my surprise and delight, she accepted!

The most memorable moment of her visit was when she chastised me over dinner at our home for not owning a dishwasher. “But your grandfather would never approve of a dishwasher,” I offered.

“That was then. This is now. You need to buy your wife a dishwasher,” she responded, while waving a finger at me.

Sumitra invited me to visit her in India. I jumped at the chance, and later that year spent a few days with her and her husband G.R. in Ahmedabad. I then traveled the country visiting activists who were using Gandhi’s principles to address various social, political, and environmental challenges.

During my visit, Sumitra gifted me a satchel which has been the centerpiece of nearly all my long marches. It’s seen many a repair job over the years, most recently under the loving and skillful attention of my wife Kathy. Continue Reading →

Day Four: Save America March – liberal goofball hangs with heartless conservative

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I’ve known Pat Bertroche for over a decade through our mutual involvement with radio. We also share the experience of running for Congress — Pat as a Republican, me as a Democrat. We both lost — but I got more votes than he did. So there, Pat.

Our rapport involves a lot of banter (see pervious paragraph). I ask Pat why he would allow a left-wing loony like me into his sensible conservative home.

“I appreciate you insisting on me putting you up for the night, eating my food, watching my TV,” joked Pat. “When I saw you at my door, I felt bad for you. You looked like a bedraggled kitten.”

That was after a mere six-mile march. Pat should have seen me after the previous day’s nineteen-mile slog.

“The truth is, when Republicans and Democrats actually talk we agree a lot more than we disagree,” says Pat. “Part of the problem these days is that the media — all media, both mainstream and social media — is driven by clicks. So you tend to say things that get clicks, that make headlines.” Continue Reading →

Day Two: Save America March – a Bible study

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I was pleased to wake up without feeling any soreness from yesterday’s seven-mile march. Today, I knock off ten miles, walking from the southeast side of Des Moines to Pleasant Hill.

This week’s unseasonable heat is problematic. My route is mostly in the hot sun, and the long trek north on SE 14th Street is unpleasant. There’s a sidewalk, but it’s narrow, with very little buffer between it and the street.

I pass only four people on foot or bike along the three-mile stretch. One guy lugs several heavy bags of food and supplies with him. He tells me he’s on his way to the tent he’s pitched down by the river. I later regret that I didn’t offer to help him haul his load.

My overnight stay is with Chuck Hurley. Chuck’s a former lawmaker and a conservative evangelical Christian. We got along well when we served in the legislature, and were occasionally helpful to each other, both in the House and in “real life.” Continue Reading →

Day One: Save America March – the importance of listening

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I always strive to be completely honest and transparent. So I’ll share with you that I’d rather be home than walking around Iowa. I’ll miss my wonderful, beautiful wife, Kathy. I’ll miss our farm and the seasonal rhythm of chores, harvest, and good eating. I’ll miss our diverse community of friends and neighbors.

But times such as these — when an authoritarian government threatens democracy, and run-away climate change threatens our very survival — we are each called on to do what we can.

This march is one more thing I can do. It’ll be difficult, that much is certain. Perhaps it’ll also be fruitful, if even in a small way.

Halfway through today’s seven-mile march from Sherman Hill to the southeast side of Des Moines, I was greeted by a sign that prodded me with a gentle but important reminder:

“Earn the right to be heard by listening first.” Continue Reading →

Off I go!

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This morning I set out on the Save America March. I realize it’s a lofty name (and an even loftier goal) for an event involving one guy. I anticipate some (perhaps many) of you will join me for a few miles here and there, or even a day — and when two or more walk together for a cause, you have a march.

Throughout the five-week journey, I’ll be trying my best to use various social media platforms to share the experience with you. Some of that will be experimental, as I’m not an avid social media user. The best places to keep up with me are the Fallon Forum website, Climate March website, and my personal Facebook page.

If you missed my announcement last week, here’s a summary of what I’m doing and why: Continue Reading →

Save America March

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I’ve got a big announcement! With authoritarianism threatening our democracy, I’m going on another long walk — the Save America March. Here are four ways you can help:

1. Suggest overnight hosts willing to organize a meeting, a meal, and music.

2. Join me for a mile or a day.

3. Support the effort through the Fallon Forum or Climate March.

4. Share the press release (also below) with media, bloggers, and others. Continue Reading →

By a mere seven generations, my grandmother escaped being hung as a witch

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Witches. My maternal grandmother was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1908. If she’d been born 215 years earlier, she might’ve been tried as a witch.

She was odd. Did paintings on mushrooms and burlap sacks. Played the accordion. Once performed with a birdcage on her head. Went to a pro-wresting meet with my brother and come back hoarse from cheering.

So yeah, she was odd, perhaps odd enough to have warranted the “witch” word in 1693.

Fortunately for her, and for me, she lived at a time when women were not hung as witches and were also allowed, despite plenty of obstacles, to own a business. Continue Reading →

“An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind”

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A recurring theme you hear from me is that our democracy is in jeopardy and we must act decisively to save it.

I double down on that theme in this week’s program, asking my friends on the Left to avoid demonizing people who voted for Trump. Labeling Trump voters as stupid or racist is not only inaccurate, it’s counterproductive.

Given the murder of Charlie Kirk this week, I need to weigh in even more strongly against some of the comments being posted in my Facebook feed:

“Finally a political hack paying his dues!”

“He made his bed now he’s lying in it!”

“[W]e thank him for giving the ultimate sacrifice to support/protect the 2nd Amendment.”

These comments are neither kind nor helpful. Now, more than ever, if we’re going to rebuild a sense of unified purpose in America, non-violence must be our creed and our method. Continue Reading →

Fighting Trump with “Irish Democracy”

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On this week’s Fallon Forum (LISTEN HERE), Jeffrey Weiss and I take a deep dive into a piece by Chris Armitage: “We live in a Fascist nation, what now?” (Read the piece in its entirety below.)

It’s an important read. Let me know what you think. I’d also appreciate your feedback on Jeffrey’s and my analyses.

Here are my key takeaways:

1. Though he makes a strong case, I disagree (so does Jeffrey) with the author that we’ve already arrived at fascism. Sure, the threat is imminent, and existentially frightening. But pillars of resistance remain, as some leaders, institutions, and businesses show increased fortitude. Heck, maybe even Senator Chuck Schumer will grow a backbone. (Ok, that’s a stretch.)

As opposition to fascism gains strength, we see cracks in President Trump’s efforts to further erode the US Constitution and solidify one-party, dictatorial rule. We must take advantage of those cracks, the most important one being the shift away from Trump among some of those who voted for him.

2. Non-violent action is the best response to creeping authoritarianism. I’m not a pure pacifist, but in my read of history, violence is rarely the answer. WWII is an exception where, to me, a military response was the only way to stop Hitler. Otherwise, during my lifetime, in terms of foreign and domestic conflict (real and imagined), violence fails, both strategically and morally. Continue Reading →