Catching Up - Please Come Back and Read Tomorrow

We're home, catching up and reflecting on the past three amazing weeks. We have many more stories to tell that we think will be worthwhile to read and important to document. So look for more posts later by July 4th.

Pilgrimage ends Sunday with March into Washington, DC

As of 6:00 PM Saturday, June 28, we are 12 miles from the Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC. There are so many emotions and thoughts we're experiencing at this point - I hope to post later this evening to share some of them.

For any who want to join us on Sunday for the final approach and the march into Washington, call Scott at 312-401-3713 for details. The basic outline follows.

We'll begin walking on US1 North at the Quality Inn 7212 Richmond Hwy about 9 miles south of DC. We'll walk up US1 into Crystal City, turn left onto 23rd St., turn right onto Eads St. and left onto 15th. Then we continue on 15th and continue when it becomes Joyce St crossing Army-Navy Blvd and going under I395 before turning right onto Columbia Pike. At that point, we plan to take the bike path to the Arlington Memorial Bridge, arriving about 11:30 AM.

We'll gather with various friends at the end of the bridge opposite DC. Someone suggested taking a cab to that point if you're meeting us there. Others suggested parking at Roslyn and finding someone to drive you back to your car later.

We begin crossing the Arlington Memorial Bridge at 12 noon. After crossing, we'll circle right around the Lincoln Memorial and take Independence alongside the Mall and on to the Supreme Court Building, arriving about 1:30 PM. The walk from the bridge to the end is about 3 miles. It'll be hot so bring water.

At least six friends from Raleigh, several folks from the 15th Starvin' for Justice Fast and Vigil, and Andre Latallade (aka Capital X) who has walked some 1700 miles for abolition of the death penalty are among those who'll be walking with us.

How about you?

Abolition

Ah, Fredericksburg! I had no idea how much charm that town has. Last night we indulged in ice cream at the previously unknown to us but apparently famous Carl's. It was well worth the 50-some person-long line!

After spending the night with the Wheelers in their amazing 19th century era home, before departing we had to stop at the old slave trading block. It was the actual block upon which human beings stood to be auctioned off - just like livestock and other commodities. We had to stop there to pray and ponder.

Abolition was the only 'right answer' for slavery. Today we accept that as unquestioned truth.

There will come a time in the not too distant future when people will look back at the death penalty with the same disbelief and revulsion with which we now look at slavery. It's already true for most countries with which we want to be associated, including Canada and the nations of the European Union. It'a also true for countries that most Americans consider beneath us, including Mexico and Haiti.

As with slavery, the only 'right answer' to the death penalty is Abolition.

How long must we wait before that becomes obvious?

It Keeps Happening

Here's the kind of thing that's happened many times during this Pilgrimage.

I stopped north of Ashland, VA to read an historical marker. Across the street, someone called to me and asked if I needed a ride to buy gas, assuming I've run out. I crossed the street to talk with the two women and two children who were working to fix up a house there. I explained to them that I'm walking from Raleigh to DC to encourage people to remember murder victims and their families, people on death row and their families and calling for an end to the death penalty. After offering me a soft drink, they told me the story of how two women were murdered in that very house in the 1980s. We talked about the personal impact and other aspects of that murder; all the while I'm offering a prayer for the victims and perpetrator of that crime.

One of the women continued, telling me of a VA State Police officer who was killed nearby. Then she told me about how the 7-year-old child whose father was slain told his mother, "You know you have to forgive him (the person who killed his father)."

Today, a man pulled his car over near me, said he's not from around here and asked me where he might find a public park. I told him that I'm passing through on the Pilgrimage and explained the purpose to him. He held up his forearms to reveal some very severe-looking cuts, which appeared still swolen, but looked to have healed pretty well.

He explained that he was nearly a murder victim, that someone came at him and some friends with a knife and that in protecting the group he sustained those cuts. He talked about how much he sympathized with the purpose of our Walk and how appreciative he is of life, especially in light of his close call.

I fully expect more such encounters this afternoon and in the days ahead.

Images from the Pilgrimage

Better late than never... images from Saturday and Sunday, June 21 and 22, 2008.



At the entrance to Virginia's Greensville Correctional Center, where Virginia conducts its executions.

The Greensville Correctional Center, from Corrections Way.



Vigil and prayer service at the entrance to the GCC. We were joined on Saturday by Vivian and Jeff who drove up from Asheboro, NC to be with us, walk with us, show support, and to buy us lunch. It was nice meeting them. Vivian writes to death row inmates in 32 states in the US.



Remembering victims of violence.










On Saturday and Sunday, we were also joined by Abe Bonowitz, Beth Wood, and their son Isaac. Abe is from the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and came out to support our pilgrimage by providing a meal and lodging. Beth from Durham also came up Saturday morning to walk with us. On Sunday, we were joined by Steve and Daniel from the Norfolk (VA) Catholic Worker.








Many of us marched 12.8 miles on Sunday, to arrive south of Petersburg before lunch. Left to right are:

Issac, Abe, David, Beth, Roberta, Steve, Scott, Debbie, Grant, Ellen, Daniel, and (in front) Beth with Lance.






As Scott wrote in Bittersweet Day, it was sad to say goodbye.

What Remains

This evening we're resting in Ashland. A sign today read, "Washington 90." It was a strange moment. Excitement that our geographical goal is that near. Sadness that this very special inner and outer journey is coming to a close so soon. Sober awareness that our larger goals require so much more work and time: Abolition of the death penalty and Reconciliation through support and compassion and healing for families of victims and perpetrators and the wrongly accused.

Tomorrow we will walk a shorter day and drive back down our route to participate in vigils in Richmond and at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt. At those vigils we will join Virginians opposed to the execution of Robert Yarbrough, which is scheduled for 9 PM tomorrow. We will pray, as we have all week, for the surviving family and friends of Cyril Hamby and for Robert and his family. We will offer public witness against his execution and pray for a commutation of his sentence.

On Thursday, we continue walking up US1 from Ladysmith to Fredericksburg. On Friday, from Fredericksburg to Triangle. On Saturday from Triangle to just south of Alexandria. On Sunday, joined by Raleigh-area friends who will rejoin us and Abolitionists from around the country, we will walk into Washington to join the 15th Annual Fast and Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty in front of the Supreme Court.

We invite any of you who can to join us, especially for the Sunday walk into Washington and/or for part of the fast and vigil which runs through midnight on July 2nd.

More posts will follow, Internet access willing...

Richmond Reconciliation

Approaching Richmond yesterday was very cool. The Civil War history of various military arches pervades the air from Petersburg into Richmond. Instead of a military march, however, here we were marching against violence and for nonviolent solutions to violence.

On the South Side, as they call it here, two Richmond police officers pulled over near me (after one of them literally screamed from their passing car in response to my 'abolish the death penalty' sign and did a u-turn) and asked why I am against the death penalty. It was a frank and respectful exchange with some folks who have a very difficult job and who see things people shouldn't ever see. I listened. They listened. People have consistently shown some respect for the convictions which lead us to walk so far. They advised as to how dangerous they consider that neighborhood to be. I thanked them for their concern and prayed for them safety, alertness and wisdom as I walked away.

There were more conversations along the road into the South Side, then an envigorating crossing over the beautiful James River into the city! But the best was yet to come.

For the three days leading into Richmond, we were aided by a woman whose son is serving a long sentence after conviction for murder. While her son is not on death row, her story of heartbreak and perseverance reminded us of so many families of people on death row. At the end of the day, we were met by our host for the evening in Richmond, Georgi Fisher, a murder victim family member and board member of Murder Victim Families for Reconciliation. While in the South Side, we had actually walked by the site of her sister's murder.

While prayerwalking around the legislative building and governor's mansion was powerful, the highlight of the day, and one of the highlights of this Pilgrimage, was the meeting of the mother of a son convicted of murder, and Georgi, the sister of a murder victim. They talked about their experiences, found a deep connection with each other and, I suspect, will make a point of staying in contact with each other. That's an example of what we mean by Reconciliation.

Open letter to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine

While walking Virginia’s roads this morning, thinking of the scheduled execution of Robert Yarborough, I found myself wanting to talk with Governor Tim Kaine. Perhaps ‘way will open’ for us to talk with him or someone else in his office. In the meantime, here’s an open letter to him.

Governor Kaine,

I’m writing to let you know that we’ll pass through your neighborhood today and it would be nice to drop in for a visit. I’m part of a group walking from Raleigh, NC en route to Washington, DC because we see how wrong and damaging the death penalty is and we want it abolished. Today our group includes five Virginians and we expect more along the way.

In the past few years, we have come to know families of people on death row and families of murder victims, and we’ve learned that the death penalty harms them all. This is very personal and important to us; thus we are walking the 300 miles to spread the word.

One of our many objections to the death penalty is that it is one of the many ways that our society gives lip service and empty promises to families of murder victims instead of helping them toward actual healing and learning to live with the horrible losses they experience. Another objection is the way it inflicts on yet another family the insult that we say is so horrible for anyone to inflict. It simply adds more senseless and tragic violence to situations that are already far too violent and senselessly tragic.

We walk to remember murder victims and their families and to call for real support for them rather than lip service and illusions of ‘closure.’ We walk to remember the families of people on death row who are not guilty of any crime and yet pay such a cruel price. We find that the families on both sides have an amazing amount in common in the loss and suffering they endure. We need to do more to prevent the losses of the former. We, and you, can do everything to reduce the losses of the latter.

There will come a time in the not too distant future when society will judge capital punishment as harshly as we now judge slavery. It took devoted people of faith and courageous political leaders to lead us to abolition of slavery. They took great risks and now are considered visionaries and heroes. I invite you to be one of the visionaries and heroes who lead us to abolition of capital punishment. This week, before Virginia executes its 100th person of ‘the modern era’ of capital punishment, is a great time to lead up that path.

Thank you for hearing us. We arrive in Richmond this afternoon between 4 and 5 PM. We’d value the opportunity to meet with you face to face either today or tomorrow at your convenience.

May the peace and courage and compassion of God be with you,

Scott Bass
2008 Pilgrimage of Remembrance: Making Strides toward Abolition and Reconciliation

Bittersweet Day

Bittersweet Day
This evening we can almost smell Richmond as we settle down on the floors of a house owned by Chester (VA) United Methodist Church. Wow! One week ago today we set out on this little walk. Today, we passed the midpoint of this 300-mile journey! Today was our longest mileage day – 27 – thanks to an early start and the no show of expected thunderstorms. And we were joined by 5 Virginians today.
As exciting as it was to pass the halfway point, it was so sad to say, “Goodbye,” to the Biesack family who have walked with us all week and whose multitude of talents have made the load so much lighter for all. While so many have contributed so much, we simply have to say our biggest ‘thank you’ to Dave, Debbie and Ellen for the time and talent they’ve given in preparing for and conducting this Pilgrimage. We felt a bit deflated when they left for home after lunch today. Furthermore, Abe, Beth and Isaac from DC and Beth from Durham left at the same time, leaving us with our smallest crew yet.
But this journey is so amazing! We continued the afternoon’s segment with Steve and Daniel from Norfolk and in just a few yards Grant, Daniel and Scott encountered Smitty. While we braced ourselves for the familiar ‘eye for an eye’ (why is it that those are the only words of Scripture that so many people know?) speech, Smitty surprised us with heartfelt praise, words of wisdom and some of his story. He talked about spending more than 20 years of his life in prison. He talked about what an awful place it was. (Seems the only people who think prison is such a pampered and easy life are people who’ve never been there. I have yet to hear people who’ve lived or worked in a prison describe it as anything but difficult.) He also talked about the difficulties of adjusting to life on the outside and how little help is available to help former inmates transition successfully.
Smitty told us that our walking to remember murder victims and their families, people on death row and their families and calling for an end to the death penalty was a good and admirable thing to do. He closed with some wisdom he said he’d learned from life inside and outside of prison. “People either respect life or they don’t. You can’t make a person respect life by threatening to kill him.” --Scott

Miles, stones, and milestones

Friday, June 20, 2008

Today was the day that we will pass the 100 mile mark (one third of the way from Raleigh to D.C) and also cross from North Carolina into Virginia. But before we get there, we had to have breakfast. Luckily for us, Mike H. had called ahead and offered to bring breakfast for us, and to walk with us for part of the journey. We worked on packing everything back into the car. Mike brought some bagels, granola and fruit and nut bars, and a very special treat - peaches.

We were soon on our way, with Dave driving the van. The walkers spotted the local library and called Dave so he could come back and update the blog. Dave asked if they had Wi-Fi, and the librarian replied that it was scheduled to be installed "on Monday". So another day would go by without a blog update.

Mike walked with us the first hour, then Dave drove him back to his car at the church. It was already a hot morning, no rain having materialized overnight. About six miles out of town, at our second rest, Scott noted that we had passed the 100 mile mark.

We were now on Highway 48 north of Roanoke Rapids, heading east. The road was less busy, although there was still a lot of logging truck traffic. We walked with our banners (which are getting pretty dirty by now, but holding up well). We stopped near a small farm for a water break. At Pleasant Hill, we turned north on Highway 301 and had a short walk to the North Carolina/Virginia state line. We noticed some picnic tables at the Georgia Pacific facility across the railroad tracks, and walked over there. We asked the young man mowing the grass if we could picnic there, and he said he thought it would be OK, but fifteen minutes later, someone came and ... he seemed very sorry that he had to ask us to leave. So, we went back across
the street to the Stateline Lottery store (and former restaurant) and picnicked at a table outside.

We were soon making miles along Highway 301 north... all the way into Emporia. None of our initial contacts at churches panned out, so we decided to lodge an a motel where we could get showers, do some laundry, and get some internet time. Unfortunately, the motel we picked did not have working wireless connections. The Starbucks across the street was scheduled to get its internet set up "on Monday" - apparently, Monday is the day for getting Internet service in this part of the country. Debbie and Roberta struggled with broken washing machines and dryers, getting close just past the dripping stage by 11:20 PM, while Dave went to the Texaco to try to vacuum up the gallon of water that had spilled in the seat well in the back of the van. After that, he bought some internet time at the McDonalds.

We had very little contact with people this day, except for those we waved to as they drove past us in cars, trucks, and trains. It was a long day, but it felt like we made significant progress by passing two significant milestones.

Catching up

Thursday, June 19, 2008.

Since we had families meeting us at 5:30 on Wednesday evening, and having taken an overly long lunch break in downtown Warrenton that day, we did not get as far as planned. Dave, Scott, and Patrick picked up the pace and covered 5 miles in the last hour and fifteen minutes Wednesday, but we were still a mile and a half short of Vaughn. We left our hosts and met back near Granpda's Stump Grinding on Highway 159 between Warrenton and Vaughn, and started our 23.5 mile walk to Roanoke Rapids.

We did a lot of fast paced intervals. We've settled into a routine of walking three miles, which normally take folks 54 minutes to an hour, then stopping for a fifteen minute break. To help make up time, we cut the breaks to 10 minutes today.

We entered Littleton after about 7.5 miles of walking. Thanks to some phone calls that our new friend Heidi had made, we had three reporters from local Littleton/Lake Gaston papers came out to interview us!

We stopped at Littleton Baptist Church, on the east side of town, where a parishioner had been murdered there twelve years ago. Reverand Marc Currin met us and we had a prayer of remembrance. W few of us headed south a couple blocks to visit Heidi, and she shared some cold lemonade and Sunny D and showed us her 1908 home which she and her husband Jim have been renovating for 18 years.

We had a nice offer for lunch from Mike and Beth whose friend Neal had a house on Lake Gaston, about four miles off of our route. Erica (with Annie) also drove up from Garner to walk with us for the afternoon. Mike met us at the Piggly-Wiggly in Littleton and helped shuttle folks to the house. While folks were driving, Scott, Dave, and Patrick caught up some distance, covering 2 1/2 miles in 35 minutes.

After lunch, we estimated we had 14 miles to go to get to Roanoke Rapids. We would have to walk the whole way to get to our destination, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. We simply walked and walked and walked. The logging trucks flew past us on Highway 158. Some would move over; others not, so we simply adjusted.

Just outside of Roanoke Rapids, Roberta was driving the van, with a couple of the teenagers in tow. She stopped at an old country store and asked the owner if it was alright to park the van in his parking lot to wait for the walkers to catch up. He said "You can park there all night if you want", and invited her in for ice tea. She asked if the kids could have some and he said "bring 'em all in". She mentioned we had eight walkers coming in in a half hour, and he smiled and said that would be fine. We soon arrived and quickly exhausted their cup supply. We still have about 200 cups, so we brought them in and cooled off with some delicious, authentic North Carolina sweet tea. It was a nice, long break.

After reaching Highway 48, most of us caught a ride to the church, where fried chicken was waiting for us. We had a brief prayer lead by Rev. Michael Butler, a lovely dinner, some car clean up and air mattress inflating, and great foot massages by Erica. We said goodbye to Patrick, Moira, Veronica, Timmy, Annie, and Erica, since they were all returning home that night. Dave drove them back to Littleton, where we had left Erica's car at the Piggly-Wiggly. Dave drove back to Roanoke Rapids, stopped at the drug store for a restock of sunscreen, lip balm, and moleskin (both the thin the the thick "mole pad" variety) and soon were sound asleep on our air mattresses.

The Fried Chicken Miracle

Before I explain the miracle, let me tell what has not been a miracle. It has been much harder to get on-line and connected while on this Pilgrimage, so please accept our apologies for not posting more regularly and for not getting your comments published. After ten hours of walking, then scrambling for food out of the back of the van, unpacking the van for the umpteenth time, maybe (or maybe not!) getting a shower, we're often too tired to seek out an internet connection...

So, on to the miracle.

On our walk Tuesday, one of our early breaks was at the Kitrell Grocery. At about 10:20, we stood outside the grocery for a while, getting water and some Gatorade, and maybe a dry granola bar. I went inside to use the bathroom and was overtaken by the scent of fried chicken. It smelled great. Later that day, around lunchtime, we were in Henderson, and walked past a restaurant serving fried chicken. Later that afternoon, after our vigil at the Vance County Courthouse, we stopped at a grocery store to pick up some Gatorade mix, and they had some fried chicken there as well. We've been traveling with a good number of vegetarians, so I tried to set aside my longing, but the three encounters simmered all afternoon. That evening, I mentioned this to Roberta, and she also thought it would be good to have some fried chicken. But soon, a couple days passed, and it seemed it was out of reach.

After our long march on Thursday (almost 24 miles; I have not written about that day yet), we approached St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Roanoke Rapids, NC. Some parishioners there had generously prepared a meal for us, and as we walked the last mile at 6:30 PM, we were looking forward to it very much. We walked in the door, and the miracle occurred - there on the table was a small mountain of Genuine, Home-Made, Southern Fried Chicken.

I do not mean to trivialize miracles. Mary Rider once told me that miracles happen every day; you just have to be open to seeing them. Like the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the miracle is not the obvious multiplication of a few stale pieces of bread and some fish in a basket; the real miracle was the conversion of heart in those who had enough food to share all along, but who were at first hesitant to share it. The miracle was the sharing that spread. Our hope is that our message will also bring about such a conversion in the hearts of those who may support the death penalty but who perhaps have not really heard what their faith community has said about it, or what their neighbor has said about it. Maybe they have not thought through the effect another act of violence has on those around it.

Some people may not have been aware that a week ago, they were going to be making fried chicken for a group of abolitionists from North Carolina. Some people may not have been aware that a week ago, they were going to be talking about abolition with a group of fried chicken loving folks from North Carolina. What will happen next week?

Conversations

Wednesday, June 18, 2008.

We feel blessed in so many ways. We are blessed to be surrounded by good friends on this journey. We are blessed with wonderful weather. We are blessed to be able to walk through such beautiful countryside. We are blessed to live in a time when the death penalty may come to an end. We are blessed to have friends and family at home who are praying for us and supporting us.

With sadness, we left behind our new friends at Cedar Cross; we hope to return to spend more time there, perhaps with the energy to walk some of the four miles of trails they have there, or to help with some of the work around the retreat center.

Today's journey took us from Middleburg, just west of Henderson, through Norlina, then through Warrenton and ending east of Warrenton. We followed Highway 158, which is so much nicer to walk on than US 1. It's less busy and more scenic, although the shoulders are a bit narrower. The best part, however, is that we are closer to the people. We stopped by a volunteer fire department and briefly spoke to two men out front who were very interested in our walk and expressed great support. Two women were running a fruit and vegetable stand east of Henderson. They were delighted to hear our story and enthusiastically wished us well, offering to pray for us. Just west of Norlina, a gentleman pulled up alongside us and said he had seen us the day before while on his way to visit the hospital in Raleigh. We also said he would be praying for us. On the way out of Warrenton, someone pulled alongside and asked if we were the same walkers who were featured in the Henderson Daily Dispatch. He then offered us his copy of the paper to take with us.

The most interesting encounter of the day occurred while we were on a water break near an intersection three miles outside of Henderson. He pulled up in a truck, and asked what we were doing; we said we were walking. He ask "About the death penalty?" and we said yes. He said an expletive, then spoke to the two others in his truck. He then said that in North Carolina, one can be convicted if the jury is convinced "beyond a reasonable doubt", but for a death sentence, there should be "no doubt". (Although we would prefer there not be a death sentence, we would certainly agree that "no doubt" would be preferable to "reasonable doubt", but what constitutes "no doubt", and who decides?) But he seemed to want to be on his way and simply said that we could agree to disagree. He drove by a few minutes later, before we had a chance to start walking again, and I guess he could not resist stopping. The first words out of his mouth: "Do you need any water?". We asked him to tell us his story, and he did. He turned off the engine of his truck. We was a retired corrections officer and had seen horrible violence in that role. We listened, without interrupting, but asked him more questions. He went on at length, and perhaps too graphically for the younger children in our group, but it seemed that he needed to tell us his story. When he finished, he offered a banana he had, which Patrick and Scott accepted with thanks, and we all left on friendly terms, "agreeing to disagree"

We ended up in separate houses for the night. Sr. Margaret at St. Jospeph's in Warrenton arranged for two parishioner couples to take some of us. We stayed in lovely homes on Lake Gaston, where we had wonderful showers, hot meals, good conversation, and took sunset boat rides in the clear air. Sr. Margarate took Patrick and his kids. At the house where Dave, Debbie and Ellen stayed, their hosts Ann and Don also invited friends Jim and Heidi from Littleton for dinner. After introductions, Heidi remarked to us, "Ann wouldn't tell you this, but we didn't know what to expect from you. But you're so normal!" We got a kick out of that. Everyone was very supportive, and Ann offered her home in Littleton as a rest stop on our way through town (we told her how difficult it had been to find a bathroom in Henderson).

Today ended as a great day of meeting people on our journey. We hope to meet more tomorrow and tomorrow's tomorrow.

Photos:

1. Leaving Middleburg, known for the Middleburg Steak House.

2. Entering Norlina.

3. Crossroads in Norlina. Yikes! We had to turn south for a few miles to get to Warrenton. Feels like we're walking backwards.

4. Downtown Warrenton.

5. Warren County Courthouse. We had a nice lunch there, and a small vigil on the courthouse square.
   

Counting Counties

We made great progress yesterday (June 16). Fifteen people walked at one time or another. Patrick, Moira, and Scott walked the entire distance, about 21 miles. Ellen covered 20, Jean walked 19, Timmy covered 18, Roberta walked 17, Veronica completed 16 miles. Dave finished 14 miles, Bernadette walked 12, Annie, Mary, and Grant each walked 10, Debbie walked 7, and Michael walked 2. That's a total of 218 miles.

After a great breakfast at Cedar Cross, and only a minor delay waiting for their dog RJ (short for Restorative Justice) to return, we left the desnse shade of the retreat for the dark asphalt of US 1 North. Driving from Cedar Cross, in Frankin County, we crossed briefly into Vance County, then back into Franklin County as we drove "the wrong way" on US 1 until we reached the spot where we stopped walking Monday evening, and resumed our walking at 8:02 in the morning.

US 1 this far north of Raleigh is much less busy, and also much more scenic. We enjoyed rural North Carolina, from the dilapidated hay barns to the scenic vistas. By 8:45, we had walked almost three miles as we crossed the county line back into Vance County.

Shortly into our walk, we met two walkers, Kate and Rebecca. Loaded with backpacks, they were on a 1,800 mile trek from Miami, FL to Boaston MA to raise awareness of sexual violence against women. They walked with us for a few miles, until we came to Kitrell, where we stopped for a break at the Kitrell Grocery. Kate and Rebecca had been walking for seven weeks, since the beginning of May. The nice folks at the Kitrell Grocery filled our coolers with ice, and we were soon on our way. We still had a pretty good hike into Henderson, and traffic picked up, as did the temperature. We got off of US-1 and followed the US-1 Business route into downtown.

We stopped for lunch and rest under a shelter.

We paused in downtown Henderson (to post yesterday's blog entry and to rest at the library), and then headed over to the county courthouse for a vigil. Scott was interviewed for an article for the
Henderson Daily Dispatch. We were on the front page, with a color photograph, on Wednesday, June 18. He was misquoted once, but overall it was a good article which covered much of our Pilgrimage's purpose and hopes. The statement, "But he finds most family members of victims oppose capital punishment, though he ac­knowledged those against the death penalty might gravitate toward him because of the work he does." was incorrect; Scott did not say that about victim's families but rather the wider community that Scott interacts with.

We soon started out from Henderson and followed 158 out of town. The temperature dropped, the breeze picked up, and we all felt much better walking out of town. We got as far as Middleburg - a few steps more and we would have been through Middleburg.

We spend the night at Cedar Cross again - it was very relaxing. We had some chips and great homemade salsa, and a great dinner featuring wonderful salads, and lemonade pie for dessert. Much thanks to our wonderful hosts, Margaret and John Hilpert, Betty Anne and Nancy.

Long, hot journey

Monday morning sure came around fast after our long day yesterday.

Of course, we picked the hottest day for our first full distance day. We planned to cover 21 miles today, from Gresham Lake Rd just north of the 540/Capital Boulevard interchange, through Wake Forest and Franklinton. Patrick and a few of his children were there before the rest of us - he said "You know your late if I'm here before you!". We had no fixed stops today, just marching. We left about 8:40 in the morning and set a quick pace, stopping briefly for water every two miles. We had 10 walkers for most of the day today, and 6 more joined us in the after noon.

The long walk provided a lot of time for quiet reflection. Some of that reflection was devoted to avoiding the hot sun. We found some relief when our course veered off of US 1 north, taking us along 1A through Wake Forest. We had a nice rest in the shade in front of Forestville Baptist Church. We reached the downtown area near noon time and asked a local fireman about a goood place to eat lunch (Over the Falls Deli). Patrick also stopped at the local Wake Forest newspaper to see if they had received our press release and if they would cover the story. The editor sent Leslie out to meet us, and she interviewed several of us at length about the Pilgrimage and the death penalty.

We left at 1:00PM and started the long march up to Franklinton. The walk through the older estate section of Wake Forest was beautiful. We also enjoyed the quaint town of Youngsville; the road crew working on road improvements through downtown were very friendly towards us. After passing through Youngsville, our route took us back onto US 1 north, which is a busy four lane highway. Soon, though, the business route veered off towards Franklinton. We stopped for a fifteen minute break in the shade, knowing we had only a mile and a half to downtown and two miles after that - about an hour of walking. Scott was not feeling well, perhaps from dehydration, but some PoweAde powered him through the rest of the day. Blisters also took out Grant and Moira.

Just south of downtown, near the elementary school, a group of kids had grown tired of bouncing in their trampoline, but found renewed vigor as we passed by. In downtown, a reporter from the Franklinton paper met us to take pictures and interview Scott and Patrick. A mile north of Frankinton, Business 1A merges back into US 1, so we marched another mile before finally stopping for the day at 5:30PM.

We regrouped, gathered our cars, and drove to Cedar Cross retreat house near Louisburg. Our gracious hosts, Margaret and John Hilpert, Betty Anne and Nancy, had a hot meal waiting for us, and we were very grateful for that! We also had showers! Yea!!! The Cedar Cross retreat center was the perfect place to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate. Many birds ushered in Tuesday morning, and we were ready to hit the road again at 7:30.

Scott's personal reflection after 10 Miles

Having completed the first ten hot miles of this 300-mile journey, I'm already feeling the physical pain in my ankles and the ache and burn of too much sun on my head and face. It only takes a second to remember that the 'pain' we experience on this journey is nothing compared to the pain of the families of murder victims and of those on death row!
Strangely, I also am thinking of a line from the original Jaws movie when the main characters realize the size of their task and one says, "We're gonna need a bigger boat!" As I feel the sunburn, I'm thinking, "I'm gonna need a bigger hat!", not to mention something for this ankle pain... SB

An inspiring start

We began our Pilgrimage of Remebrance today, June 16.
It was a busy day! We started at Central Prison with silent prayer
and a short greeting to the prisoners on Death Row.







We walked through the streets of Raleigh, passing to remember a murder victim at the sight of a murder on South St. We were fortunate to be joined by the parents of a death row inmate and by John Comer of Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation. MVFR is one of the Pilgrimage's endorsers.

Our next stops were the courthouse in downtown Raleigh, where capital cases are tried. We remembered the anguish suffered by all who must endure a capital trial. A few short steps north brought us to the old Capitol building an the heart of Raleigh. Gov. Mike Easley's office is located here. Each time there is an execution, many come to the Governor's office to plead clemency.

We continued through Bicentennial Plaza, past the NC Legislative Building, and on to the Governor's Mansion. Gov Easley has only granted clemency in a death sentence two times, in 2001 and 2002.

Our march then continued north. We stopped at the site of another murder in Raleigh before picking up the pace in order to get north of the 540/US1 exchange by 6:00. We crossed Raleigh's 440 outer beltline on the Capital Boulevard bridge.




(Some of the younger set took a ride in the sag wagon to get around the busier traffic areas, or simply to rest and cool off on this 90 degree, sunny day in Raleigh.)

This evening, we were welcomed to the Church of the Nativity in Raleigh for a gathering of prayers, some dinner, and fellowship. We are very grateful for the hospitality granted by Mother Diane Corlette, Rector of the Church of the Nativity. Diane is a former president of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty (PFADP).

Stephen Dear, current and tireless executive director of PFADP, was there with his family to greet us and give the core walkers fresh PFADP shirts to wear on our journey. (You can order your own "Fry okra, not people" shirt at www.pfadp.org). Folks from Rutpa house in Durham, Leah from the Capital Restorative Justice Project and Marcia Timmel provided food/and and support. PFADP and the Capital Restorative Justice Project are also endorsers of the Pilgrimage.

Rev. William Barber, president of the NC state NAACP, spoke to the group, to provide Strength for the Journey. Rev. Barber spoke, "We in the civil rights movement know the value of walking." He also voiced his - and the 20,000 members of NC NAACP - endorsement of the Pilgrimage. "As predident, I have some authority in such matters." We appreciate his kind and inspiring words, and we will contemplate them in the 290 remaining miles of our journey.

Right, Rev William Barber accepts a PFADP shirt which reads "I have a brother on death row. So do you." From left to right: Marcia Timmel, Scott Bass, Roberta Mothershead, Steve Dear, Dwane Atkinson, Rev. William Barber, Patrick O'Neill.

In the news

Many media outlets published our press release, or contents thereof.
Only NBC 17 and the News and Observer came to cover the beginning
of the match on Sunday at Central Prison, Raleigh. NBC 17 shot some
of footage as we walked through Raleigh, and they interviewed Scott Bass.

A reporter from the News and Observer also interviewed Scott,
but the interviewer did not let Scott finish answering several questions,
and did not write down much of what Scott said. For example,
Scott tried to emphasize that a key component of our
Pilgrimage is that of remembering all victims of violence,
and that we especially wish to remember the murder victims
and their families and continue to show them compassion.
We hope this message will come out if and when the N&O
publishes the story. If not, please be assured that this
is part of why we walk; see our earlier blog posts.

Below are some of the media links as of Sunday evening,
June 16:

"Dozen death penalty opponents begin 300-mile walk"

• Charlotte Examiner
• TOPNews.com (103.5 FM)
• ABC 11 WTVD
• NBC 17
• Fredericksburg.com
• newsleader.com
• The Sandspur
• WAVY-TV Richmond, VA
• WBT Newtalk Radio
• Daily Advance
• InRich.com
• Hickory Daily Record
• Winston-Salem Journal
• WRAL-TV
• WXII12 Winston Salem
• AOL News
• News Channel 8
• The Dispatch
• Fayetteville Observer

King's followers' pledge to the nonviolent movement

Maybe not all of this applies to us on our Pligimage, but let's meditate on it and pray over it anyway. It comes from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Why We Can't Wait, p.50-51.

Every volunteer was required to sign a commitment card that read:

I hereby pledge myself - my person and body - to the nonviolent movement.

Therefore, I will keep the following Ten Commandments:

1. Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.
2. Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation, not victory.
3. Walk and Talk in the manner of love, for God is love.
4. Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.
5. Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free.
6. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
7. Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world.
8. Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.
9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
10. Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.

I sign this pledge, having seriously considered what I do and with the determination and will to persevere.

Get a Pilgimage T-shirt

We hope you will join our Pilgrimage and walk with us to bring about abolition and reconciliation. Whether you can join us or not, you can support us by wearing one of our shirts. They are white cotton, so they will help keep you cool (in multiple ways) while you march for justice.

A donation of $10 will help offset the costs of the shirts and the Pilgrimage. We will have the shirts available along the march.



The front reads:

Making Strides toward Abolition & Reconciliation
Pilgrimage and Walk of Remembrance
Raleigh NC to Washington D.C.
June 2008

The back reads:

Our Hope:
Restorative Justice
Compassion for Victims’ Families
Support for Death Row Families
Abolish the Death Penalty

Reflection Wednesday, June 11, 2008

From Disarming the Heart by John Dear

One way to define violence is to see it as the act of forgetting or ignoring who we are — brothers and sisters of one another, each one of us a child of God. Violence occurs in those moments when we forget and deny our basic identity as God's children, when we treat each other as if we were worthless instead of priceless, when we cling to our own selfish desires, possessions, and security.

From a review of John's book, by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat:

With great clarity and insight Dear lays out six points that comprise the spirit of nonviolence: (1) It means remembering we are all God's children; (2) it flows from unconditional, active love; (3) It invites solidarity with the poor and the oppressed; (4) it involves resistance and truth; (5) It is rooted in prayer; and (6) it is a way of transformation. The author challenges us to make a vow of nonviolence as a way of witnessing to others that God has disarmed us and wants to disarm us all.

Pilgrimage of Remembrance Agenda for Sunday June 15 and Monday June 16

Friends,

The 300-mile Pilgrimage of Remembrance: "Making Strides toward Abolition and Reconciliation" begins in Raleigh on June 15 at 1:00 PM at Central Prison, 1300 Western Blvd. We walk to remember murder victims, people on death row, the executed, the exonerated and the families of all these persons and we walk to call for an end to the death penalty.

For more information on the purpose of the Pilgrimage, please see our first blog post.

Schedules for our first two days are below. Those joining us at Central Prison are encouraged to park on Dorothea Drive or Cabarrus Street immediately east of the prison.

Sunday, June 15

• 1:00 Gather for spiritual reflection and blessing of the Pilgrimage.
• 1:30 Begin walking
• 2:30 Prayer and Reflection on the State Capital grounds (also first stop for rest!)
• Resume walking by Governor's Mansion to Circus Restaurant, 1600 Wake Forest Road
• Continue walking up Capital Blvd to Triangle Town Center vicinity
• 6:00 Potluck Dinner and Service of Blessing and Support, Church of the Nativity, 8849 Ray Road
• Rev. William Barber speaking

This will be a great time for so many of you who've said, "I'd like to walk with you but I can't" to eat with us and bless our journey.

Monday, June 16

• 8:00 AM Begin walking along Capital Blvd near Triangle Town Center. (For exact meeting location, call Scott at 919-231-9752.)
  
• Walk from Raleigh to Wake Forest to Franklinton.

Check out our Itinerary (still in flux) for where we are considering walking and holding a presence.

Pressing needs:

• Food for Sunday's potluck dinner. It's hard to walk and cook at the same time, so we need people to bring food to Church of the Nativity, 8849 Ray Road, before 6:00 PM.
• We also need help with set up and clean up for the potluck.

Thanks for your support!

Scott & Roberta
Nazareth House
(919) 231-9752
Hospitality, Community, Simplicity, Peacemaking, Nonviolence & Prayer

Itinerary

The Pilgrimage will start in Raleigh and move through small towns and rural sections of North Carolina, will cross the Virginia border and wind up the I-95 corridor, arriving in DC on June 29th if most matters go as planned. We will stop for prayer, public witness and conversation at such places as the execution facilities in North Carolina and Virginia, sites of murders along the way, houses of faith, county courthouses, district attorneys’ offices, and state governmental sites associated with the death penalty.

Here is our preliminary itinerary:

Sunday, June 15

• 1:00 PM (tentative) Gather for prayer in front of Central Prison, 1300 Western Blvd, Raleigh



• 1:30 PM (tentative) Begin walking to the Wake County Courthouse and State Capital, north out of downtown and up Capital Blvd toward Triangle Town Center.



• 6:00 PM Potluck Supper and Service of Prayer and Blessing for the Pilgrimage (location to be announced)

Monday, June 16

North Raleigh to Franklinton via Capital Blvd

Tuesday, June 17

Franklinton to Henderson via US Hwy 1

Wednesday, June 18

Henderson to Warrenton to Vaughan via US Hwy 158

Thursday, June 19

Vaughan to Littleton to Roanoke Rapids via US Hwy 158

Friday, June 20

Roanoke Rapids to Emporia via Hwy 48 and US Hwy 301

Saturday, June 21

Emporia to Jarratt, Virginia – Vigil and Public Witness at Virginia’s execution facility at Greensville Correctional Center; then continue to Stony Creek

Sunday, June 22

Stony Creek to Petersburg via US Hwy 301

Monday, June 23

Petersburg to Richmond via US Hwy 301

Tuesday, June 24

Public Witness in Richmond; then on to Ashland via US Hwy 1

Wednesday, June 25

Ashland to Ladysmith via US Hwy 1

Thursday, June 26

Ladysmith to Fredericksburg via US Hwy 1

Friday, June 27

Fredericksburg to Triangle via US Hwy 1

Saturday, June 28

Triangle to Woodbridge to Hybla Valley via US Hwy 1

Sunday, June 29

Hybla Valley to Alexandria to US Supreme Court via US Hwy 1 to join the Annual “Starvin’ for Justice” Fast and Vigil Against the Death Penalty.

If you would you like to support the Pilgrimage...

We're a small group with a lot to do. We can use some help, including prayers and moral support, to logistics, to contacts to make on the journey. Please take a look - you may be able to help in more than one way.

Along the route we need:

1. Lodging: church floors, retreat centers, houses and motel rooms are among the options. Our number will vary widely from as few as 3 to as many as 20, depending on our location. We are most grateful for lodging that includes showers and access to a kitchen.
   
2. Food: We seek people along the route to provide one or more meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
3. Opportunities to listen and talk: These might include arranging for us to hear the story of a murder victim family member or family member of someone on death row. Also, we want to talk with groups – church and clergy groups – both Protestant and Catholic - are our favorites but we’ll consider any group that’s suggested.
4. Suggestions for public witness and prayer: Sites of murders in your town, your county courthouse, etc. are options. We prefer to vigil at governmental locations only if we have local residents with us.
5. Vehicle support: At times, we’ll need someone to drive along near us with water and first aid and to ferry our supplies and even us to our lodging for the night.
6. Funds: We do have costs to cover. Excess funds will be used to support work with families of people on death row and outreach and support for families of murder victims. Please send donations to Nazareth House, 2720 Poole Road, Raleigh, NC 27610 and write "Pilgrimage" in the memo line.
7. Spread the word: Please pass on information about our Pilgimage to your friends, faith communities, and peace and justice organizations. Our blog web address is http://abolition-reconciliation.blogspot.com/ .
   

Pilgrimage of Remembrance 2008

The Pilgrimage and Walk of Remembrance 2008 is a 300-mile walk from Raleigh NC to Washington, DC. We embark on a spiritual pilgrimage and walk of remembrance – remembering murder victims and their families, people on death row and their families, persons executed and their families and calling for abolition of the death penalty.

We will journey from Central Prison in Raleigh, NC to the Supreme Court in Washington, DC., passing through cities, towns and rural areas of North Carolina and Virginia. The Pilgrimage will stop for prayer, public witness and conversation at locations in North Carolina and Virginia, including murder sites, execution facilities, houses of faith and governmental sites related to the death penalty. We will arrive in Washington, DC to join the 15th Annual "Starvin’ for Justice" Fast & Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty at the U.S. Supreme Court June 29th - July 2nd, 2008.

The Pilgrimage begins in Raleigh on June 15th and concludes in Washington, DC on June 29th.

The walkers are a core group of Raleigh residents and others who join them along the way. Walkers are asked to embrace the walk’s commitment to nonviolence, compassion, and the prayerful, contemplative tone of this witness. The group is organized and led by Nazareth House, a Catholic Worker community in Raleigh that works with people on death row and their families, murder victims and their families and others impacted by the cycle of violence. While the core spirituality behind this walk is decidedly Christian, persons of other faith perspectives who embrace the purpose and values of the Pilgrimage are definitely welcome!

To participate and/or support this Pilgrimage, please contact Scott Bass at Nazareth House at (919) 231-9752 or send email to nazhouse@att.net.

Thank you for your prayers, your participation, and your support.