Dear Friends,

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.”

That’s the right approach. Introduce myself. Tell why I’m marching. Listen. A lot. Then dialogue. That’s a pattern I need to keep in mind throughout the March.

The first day has been fruitful. I stayed with Joe Henry, a good friend since the 1980s. Joe’s also the Iowa state political director for the League of United Latin American Citizens. He’s also active with the Southside Democrats. Four of his friends and neighbors joined us for food, conversation, and music.

One of Joe’s neighbors, Heather Jones-Brown, shared important details about Trump’s recent memorandum, Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence. That memorandum instructs federal agencies to target non-profit organizations Trump claims are supporting domestic terrorism.

It’s a chilling, though not necessarily unanticipated document. Some organizations will respond by going silent. Some may have their tax status revoked. Who knows, some may even see their leaders sued or arrested. It’s possible to imagine the President taking this to an extreme level.

My thought: keep doing what you’re doing. If you’re speaking truth to power and have nothing to hide,  don’t be afraid. Persevere. We’ll come through this, and be stronger for it in the end.

— Ed Fallon