(Mario Penalver walking to DC)
Mario Penalver, marching to Washington DC from Chicago, IL calling for peace through justice in the form of the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney, is heading east through Indiana today as he begins his fifth day of walking today.
(Nick Egnatz and Mario)
Mario was joined by Peace Activist Nick Egnatz for 20 miles along the way and they stopped for photographs in front of Highway of the Flags” Monument at US41 and US6 in Highland, Indiana (above and below). Mr. Egnatz is a member of Northwest Indiana Coalition Against the Iraq War and accompanied Mario until they got to Chesterton, Indiana.
[For Mr. Egnatz impressions of his section of the march, check comment #1 below.]
(Nick Egnatz and Mario)
Another representative of Northwest Indiana Coalition Against the Iraq War, Marshall D’Arcy posed with Mario for a photograph along US 20 in Portage, Indiana as seen below:
(Mario and Marshall D’Arcy)
In an e-mail, Mr. D’Arcy said “I thought Mario a man who I respect and who is doing some good. We talked about the difference between “Social” and “Religious” opposition to the war. He did not see much difference and I tried to explain to him the difference I thought their was, namely, that for a religious person any good done must give credit to God while a “Social” justice person sees the good as strictly social in nature. A person connected with Social action can use a phrase like “F### Bush” where a religious person must see the Good in all people
even George Bush.
I enjoyed it and I hope he did as well.”
Check www.ImpeachforPeace.org for updates and www.MarchofthePeople.org for further information.
Join Mario along the way and plan to meet him in Washington DC on September 11th.
Press and inquiries:
Mikael Rudolph
[email protected]
(612) 302-9252
Hi to anyone that receives this message!
Please tell Mario that we celebrated his march on the 4th! It is not about politics or patriotism, but that this nation needs peace and Mario is marching for all of us with that message. We love you Mario! We keep you close in our hearts and in our prayers.
Tante Lucy (one of his Godmothers) and family
Thank you Mr. Egnatz for this update, for joining Mario for a day, and especially for everything you are doing for peace and justice.
Fellow Peacelovers,
I joined Mario yesterday as he walked from Gary to Chesterton , IN. We did 19.48 miles according to MapQuest and could have done many more if not for taking a break in the afternoon to join the weekly rally against the war and occupation in Highland , IN. The all day rain didn’t seem to deter anyone’s spirits.
We had tremendous positive feedback as we marched almost all day in the rain. One woman in Gary turned around and came back to thank us for marching. We told her to call her Congressman and demand he end the war and hold the Administration accountable. She said she would and “I call Pete (Congressman Pete Visclosky) all the time.â€
We got our share of one finger salutes, but had many more positive honks, peace signs etc. Portage and Chesterton were very positive. We ended our walk in Chesterton on the corner of Porter and Calumet in front of Lucretzia’s Restaurant as we waited for Jan Stewart to pick us up. Tremendous positive response for a couple of soaked, bedraggled waifs. We also had several people come out of their homes as were winding down in Chesterton. They were very supportive.
Mario and I came up with the idea of what he should do in DC when he gets there. He should visit the congressional and senate office of every district and state he walks through and tell the respective senators and representatives what their constituents are demanding.
End the war and occupation.
Hold the Administration accountable for their criminal actions.
March of the People will be working on an online sign-up by state and congressional district so that Mario can make our views heard when he gets to DC. I believe that this will be a very powerful statement.
I am sure that Mario will welcome any fellow travelers as he heads east from Chesterton today. Those in the area wishing to join in or contact him can call me and I will get you in touch with where he is.
Special thanks to
Bob Cavallo, Hammond for housing Mario Friday night
Bob Hogan, Hammond for walking with him on Friday
Karen Kroczek, Munster for transportation and support
All the wonderful activists who joined our Saturday rally with Mario in Highland
Kathy Sturm, Merrillville and her dad for picking us up on the march and taking us to the rally
Marshall D’Arcy, Ogden Dunes for taking us back to the march after the rally
Jan Stewart, Chesterton for being an angel and feeding and housing Mario Saturday night
And most important my wife Sue for picking me up in Chesterton
Nick Egnatz