A Soldier’s Peace

Last night at the end of the Spearhead show, Michael Franti threw out a name I had never heard of before, Marshall Thompson. He’s a soldier returned from Iraq who is walking across Utah as a call to withdraw troops from Iraq. He’s more than halfway through walking 20 miles a day for each 100 soldiers that have been killed there. The recent rise in violence has forced Marshall to revise his schedule and add a day. Here’s what he had to say in his own words on his website, A Soldier’s Peace:

My name is Marshall Thompson and I recently returned to Utah after serving one year in Iraq. While it still seems like a wonderful dream to be home, I can’t rest knowing of all the brave men and women sacrificing in Iraq. There is not enough being done to bring them home…moreI feel that any appeals made to politicians will always be fruitless while both parties are distracted in name calling and bitter partisanship. Instead I want to make an appeal directly to the ones who call the shots in this country, the People.

I can’t stand the thought of more people dying simply because we can’t agree on a way to leave Iraq. I can’t have peace in my own life until I’ve done all I can to help my brothers and sisters stuck there. This walk is to bring peace to Iraq, and if not that, then at least to bring peace to my soul. I invite everyone to join me.