Walk across America to Abolish Corporate Personhood

May 16 to about October 22, 2010

Robin - robinhrmonahan@gmail.com
Laird - g.laird.m@gmail.com

Facebook - laird and robin walk

All donations should be made out to:
Democracy Unlimited, Humbolt County or DUHC
(in the "Memo" put Monahan Brothers)

PO Box 610
Eureka, CA 95502

How the walk evolved.

On January 21st this year, I read the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United v Federal Elections Committee case. I felt weak in the knees and sat down. I was so despondent that I almost cried. It seemed to me that the Court had made a fraud of the Constitution. It made people second class citizens to corporations.

Then I got angry. I could no longer write letters and sign petitions that had accomplished so little for so much effort. I had to make a personal sacrifice to attract attention to what I saw as the basic problem of our government and what I perceived to be it's basic solution.

The first idea that I had, was to lead a group of 12 people, each walking two hours each day across the country from San Francisco to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. At a minimal pace of two miles per hour and walking 24/7, the walk could be completed in about 75 days. This allowed for about ten days of rest periods.

On the internet, I found Move to Amend, a consortium of many organizations who all agreed with the premise that corporations were not legal persons.

One of the members of the MtA steering committee was Reclaim Democracy. I called the phone number and talked to the founder, Jeff Milchen, who liked my proposal and asked me to write it up and email it to him. He emailed back that he had forwarded it on to the appropriate persons at MtA and I should hear back from them shortly. About three weeks later I got a message from David Cobb asking that I call him.

In the mean time, I contacted my brother, Robin. Robin and I are 67 and 69 respectively. We are both Viet Nam veterans and both very independent voters. Robin has extensive experience leading groups of people on lengthy canoe trips. I asked him to figure out a 14 day rotating menu for 12 people for 13 weeks and total the estimated cost. He agreed to do the menu and said that he figured about $5 to $6 per person per day. The estimate for my trip including gas and motel rooms was approaching $30,000.

In a conference call with David Cobb and Nancy Price, I got much encouragement for the walk but they questioned their ability to attract even six more people willing to do the walk with me let alone not being able to fund the walk up front.

The next day, I received an email from Robin, asking "... if the cook could walk?" With his commitment I knew that we together could do this regardless of outside help.

Our next conference with David Cobb in late March, confirmed assistance from David and the resources available to him via Move to Amend, Committee to Legalize Democracy, and many other organizations.

In the mean time, I heard from several other people who asked how they could help. Jeff Milchen, of Reclaim Democracy, said that if I could provide copy, he would help with media contacts. Lacking the time to devote, to what for me was an arduous task, I thought of my friend of almost 50 years, O Kay Jackson.

O Kay Jackson, a journalist, novelist (Waking Up Men, And Then They All Got Naked) and political activist herself, agreed to do all the press releases for us.

Then Cathleen "Cat" White, who has several excellent commercial web sites to her credit, volunteered to work on a website and suggested Facebook and Twitter with links to Google Maps to make following our progress easier for all interested parties. Robin's son-in-law, Don Kosek, also agreed to help with tech support. In the end, it was Cat's suggestions and Don's expertise that produced what is evolving to date.

Robin and I have been getting in shape by walking everyday and preparing our old bodies as if for a marathon. Other details, including a mobile phone for each of us, and walkie talkies for the areas that cell phones don't work, preparing camping equipment and a route plan, getting up to speed on the use of Facebook and this blog, and practicing the talking points to attract support from all across the political spectrum.

We are preparing to leave from Robin's home in St. Paul, MN on May 6th and drive to meet with David Cobb at his home near Eureka, California, on the evening of May 10th. On the 11th and 12th David will devote both days preparing us for media interviews, doing some roll playing and learning a few more talking points. We may do a local radio program or two and meet with other like minded people before setting out for the start of our walk the morning of May 16th from the NW corner of Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco.

We hope to update the blog on a daily basis as internet connections are available. While crossing Nevada and Utah, there may be several days when that won't be possible.

We are encouraged by all the help that we have received to date and are looking forward to doing this for the sake of the Democratic Republic that belongs to us.

Laird