When Dan Pearson is finished walking he often drives the biodiesel guzzling Wheels of Justice bus for The Walk for Justice. Sometimes Dan drives without looking at the road.
Each day since the begining of The Walk for Justice on June 6th, Dan Pearson has tallied the honks, the gestures, and the verbal responses that passersby make in light of the large signs he and others carry. The signs read: “END IRAQ WAR”.
Grand Total:
Negative responses: 181
Positive Responses: 1819
Positive to negative ratio about 10:1
DAILY RESULTS
June 24, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #18 Waterman to Dekalb
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 10
- Obscene hand gestures: 10
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 134
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 6
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “We gotta get that Bush outa there. We gotta impeach him!”
Total negative responses: 20 Total positive responses: 140
June 23, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #17 Leland to Waterman
Today we decided to not to gather quantitative data, we opted for more quantitative observation. Why? Because we chose a highway with virtually no traffic, a quiet and welcome reprieve from the busier highways.
On the way out of Leland Lee spoke with a guy at the gas station. The man said he was a Vietnam vet. He couldn’t grasp how the American people could go through that war and suffer the years of effects from that then turn around and get into a war under such false pretenses. He was very disappointed that we couldn’t learn a lesson and avoid getting into another Vietnam. He said this is a very conservative area in Illinois, he grew up there. He was very glad to see us walk right down the street in such a conservative town.
As we were approaching a road paving crew out in the middle of nowhere we weren’t sure what to expect. We first came to the flagger with a “SLOW/STOP” sign, she said “I agree with you”. “I like your sign too”, I responded.
As we approached the crew sitting in the ditch under some trees apparently on break. One of the crew started with, “You’ve come a long way”. He must have read about us in the local news or heard about us on the radio, but the others hadn’t.
“Where you coming from?” another crew member said. And we explained that were going from Springfield to North Chicago. “No shit”, was his reply with a raise of the eyebrows. “Keep up the good work gentlemen”, I said as we moved on. The first worker replied sincerely, “You guys keep up the good work.”
That’s how it works, when we expect harassment or confrontation we get friendliness and support.
June 22, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #16 Ottawa to Leland
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 9
- Obscene hand gestures: 14
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 182
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 6
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “Losers”!
- “Fuck you”!
- “Get a job”!
Pulled over: Recently returned Iraq war vet. Said his experiences there were mostly positive, but questions the motives of the people that got us into such a mess. He wished us good luck.
Donations: 6 cold beverages, $20
Total negative responses: 23
Total positive responses: 188
June 21, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #15 LaSalle to Ottawa
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 5
- Obscene hand gestures: 6
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 290
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 6
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “Support the troops”!
- “Good job guys”!
- “Get a job”!
Total negative responses: 11
Total positive responses: 296
June 20, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #14 Tonica to LaSalle
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 4
- Obscene hand gestures: 4
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 160
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 2
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “Congratulations, you’re doing a good job.”
- “Get a job!”
- “Woo! Iraq”
Total negative responses: 8
Total positive responses: 162
June 19, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #13 Wenona to Tonica
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 2
- Obscene hand gestures: 0
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 56
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 2
Tonica is a really friendly town. One local born and bred there stopped by to talk with us. He doesn’t agree with our stance, but he likes what we’re doing all the same. He says Tonica was an Indian chief from Pennsylvania who befriended a white guy who founded the settlement in 1853. All the streets are native names.
Total negative responses: 2
Total positive responses: 58
June 18, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #12 Minonk to Wenona
Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 2 Obscene hand gestures: 2 Honks and/or friendly wave: 55 Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 1
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by: - “God bless you. There never should have been a war to begin with.”
For real: Renee fends off an attack by a vicious pit-bull with sign that reads, “Demand better healthcare for veterans”
Total negative responses: 4
Total positive responses: 56
June 17, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #11 El Paso to Minonk
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 3
- Obscene hand gestures: 2
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 52
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 1
Total negative responses: 5
Total positive responses: 53
June 16, 2006
**Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #10 Eureka to El Paso
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 6
- Obscene hand gestures: 8
- (new category) Violent convulsions/ possible demonic possesions: 2
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 100
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 3
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “Ignorant fuckers!”
- “Good job!”
- “Go Bush!”
- “Ignorant hippies, get out of town!”
Total negative responses: 16
Total positive responses: 103
June 15, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #9 Washington to Eureka
- Obscene hand gestures: 2
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 31
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “Go find something else to do”!
Total negative responses: 2
Total positive responses: 31
June 14, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #8 Peoria to Washington
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 1
- Obscene hand gestures: 5
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 139
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 25
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “Go home”!
- “Get a life”!
- “Fuck you”!
- “Fuck you”!
Total negative responses: 6
Total positive responses: 164
June 13, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #7 Pekin to Peoria
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 10
- Obscene hand gestures: 15
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 240
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 25
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “Impeach Bush”!
- “Good Job”!
- “(garbled)…Marine Corps”!
Total negative responses: 25
Total positive responses: 265
June 12, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #6 Green Valley to Pekin
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 14
- Obscene hand gestures: 7
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 98
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 6
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “Good job girls”!
- “My husband’s over there…(muffled by train)”
- “These people hate Mexicans”.
Total negative responses: 21
Total positive responses: 104
June 11, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #5 San Jose to Green Valley
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 1
- Obscene hand gestures: 1
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 13
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 1
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “That’s a great way to support our troops!”(sarcastically)
Total negative responses: 2
Total positive responses: 14
June 10, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #4 Mason City to San Jose
(note that weather conditions were rainy, visibility and traffic were lower than previous days and so the margin of error should be considered higher. Estimated margin of error: +/- 5)
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 3
- Obscene hand gestures: 6
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 66
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 2
Taken: our picture by a man who pulled over in front of us stopped us and said, “I gotta do this.” Had NRA sticker on the back of his pickup truck. Drove away with peace hand gesture out thrust out window.
Total negative responses: 9
Total positive responses: 68
June 9, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #3 Greenview to Mason City
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 1
- Obscene hand gestures: 5
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 81
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 6
Yelled out window of vehicle: 1 negative, unintelligible
Offered: Housing by 10 year old girl whose father is Mason City’s Chief of Police
Donations; Ice water at Mason City pool
Total negative responses: 7
Total positive responses: 88
June 8, 2006
Response to “END IRAQ WAR” on walk for justice Day #2 Cantrell to Greenview
- Thumbs Down/Headshakes: 8
- Obscene hand gestures: 12
- Honks and/or friendly wave: 161
- Honks and/or peace hand gesture: 13
Yelled out window of vehicle: 6 negative and 3 positive
Examples of intelligible verbal responses from people passing by:
- “Drop the bombs!”
- “Good job, gentlemen.”
- “Why don’t you go to hell? You bunch of wimps!”
- “I respect what you guys are doing. But, I agree with what we’re doing over there. We caught one ‘em this morning.”
- “I like what you guys are doing. Don’t give up.”
- “George Bush Sucks”
- “Get a life!”
- “Remember 9-1-1?!”
Donations; 6 containers of cold juice, $20 (Athens), $20 (Greenview)
Total negative responses: 26
Total positive responses: 177
Grand Total:
Negative responses: 181
Positive Responses: 1819
Positive to negative ratio about 10:1
