For Photos of the rally see; Rally at Rep. Hastert’s Batavia Office
Hiking for 20 days: Kathy Kelly invokes Lincoln’s opposition to another conflict
By Sean Ostruszka
The Beacon News
BATAVIA — More than 20 days of walking landed Kathy Kelly in Batavia Tuesday.
A former Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Kelly took a break from her journey across the state to stop outside of the downtown Batavia office of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.
There, along with almost 40 other peace advocates, Kelly organized a rally in an attempt to speak with the GOP leader about the war in Iraq.
“Hastert has a unique opportunity to distinguish himself and take a political chance,” Kelly said through a loudspeaker.
“He has the support of his constituents to try and pull our troops out of Iraq.”
Kelly, along with those around her, told stories, read poems and sang an occasional song, all trying to get their point across to Hastert, who was presiding over the House in Washington on Tuesday.
The stop in Batavia was one of many on Kelly’s journey, “Walk for Justice,” which started on June 6 in Springfield and has taken her more than 250 miles.
The walk, intended to be a demonstration of peace and an effort to bring the U.S. troops home, will end at the North Chicago U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command on July 5.
While many show up to walk on a day-to-day basis, only Kelly and two other core members of the peace group Voices for Creative Nonviolence will walk the entire way.
Timothy Keough is an intern at Voices for Creative Nonviolence, has walked alongside Kelly since the journey started back on the steps of the state Capitol.
While walking is one of the obligations he has for being an intern, Keough says he is proud to be making the trip.
“I see (the walk) as a good cause,” Keough said.
“I see it as something I feel called to do and all Americans should feel called to do.
“It is a grand opportunity to display patriotism.”
Having walked across a good portion of Illinois, Kelly uses the state’s history as a lesson for peace.
She spoke of Illinois as the land of Abraham Lincoln, and how at the time of the U.S. war against Mexico, Lincoln came out against the war.
It was Lincoln’s actions that Kelly hopes Hastert will follow.
“Congressman Hastert, we challenge you, your co-workers and your colleagues to listen to Abraham Lincoln,” Kelly said, “to have a vision of security, and to avoid an unnecessary war.” Nobel Prize nominee leads walk
