Steps for Peace is a group of five walking from Maine to California to support Kucinich's run for the White House, and Tom Schmitz has been journaling about about his cross-country oddessy since the 48-year-old and his 14-year-old son joined the pilgrimage in New York City. During his travels, Schmitz has written about Thanksgiving in Cleveland and their visit to Kent State, and their walks through Chicago ghettos where gang members protectively escorted them territory to territory and thanked them for their visit. Schmitz granted Cool Cleveland permission to publish one of his latest journal entries.

"Some people along our path across the US ask us about what it is they can do to advance the cause for peace.

Simple enough question. Not an easy answer. Not from this newbie in the peace movement, anyway. Note - Here I am walking across America for peace, and I've never even attended a war protest before.. Nor a peace rally...

This walk is nothing more than a drawn out peace seminar for me. Most people I meet have forgotten more about peace than I've learned.

Regardless. I have had more than a few hours to think about the question. There are a few things that have worked for me.

And here they are: Uncle Tom's Seven Steps to Peace

1. Regain control of your sanity. Be your own gate keeper for what can and cannot enter your brain. First off? Turn off the TV. Stop filling your mind with information structured by those who have more of an interest in making a return for their investors than telling the truth. And if you can't understand that such boogiemen do exist in our overblown world of modern media, then just turn off the TV, go to the dayroom, and stare at blank walls.

2. Read www.Common Dreams?.org or some similar internet news service that compiles the truth every day from people who have the brains and the writing skills to tell it.

3. Get historical perspective. Read Howard Zinn's People's History of The United States. Nuff said.

4. Organize your neighborhood by opening your house. And here's a simple way. Start having potlucks for your neighborhood every week at your place (or volunteer your friend's house). Do it every week. Same place. Same time. Invite everyone. Don't miss a week. Make it an institution on your block.

5. Open your heart. How? Let your heart return to it original size - as big as all creation. Then, tell your friends and neighbors how you feel about things. Then get them to do the same. The vote. Then get them to do the same.

6. Learn to meditate. Learn to explore that area you have just opened up inside of the "you" that is big as all creation. It's fun.

7. Laugh, sing, and dance. Nuff said. If you really do #6, #7 comes by itself.

Para paz y para alegria, Tom Schmitz

From the Journal of Steps for Peace Tom Schmitz

To view the walkers journals visit: http://us.denniskucinich.us/phpBB2/viewforum.php? To watch the Cleveland video from Thanksgiving weekend visit: http://www.kucinich.us/video To see the Maine to California route map visit: http://www.kucinich.us/walkfordennis/walkfordennis.php

 (:divend:)