CONCORD, N.H. (Jan.7)
INTRO: For 50,000 miles, the Peace Bus has been on the road. WATD News reporter Beth Croughan tells us about the Peace Bus and its journey in New Hampshire.
Jim Goodnow is a Texas resident and the owner of the Yellow Rose of Texas Peace Bus.
He says he’s driven 50,000 miles since September of 2005 to carry his message of peace across the country and he says he will not park the bus for good, until the Iraq war is over.
[“We’ve gone from the Mexican border and the gulf coast. To the Canadian border. We’ve traveled from the Atlantic to the pacific. And we will continue to do so until withdrawal of all troops from Iraq.” Jim Good Now, Texas Resident & Owner of the Yellow Rose of Texas Peace bus]
Goodnow and the Peace Bus came to New Hampshire at the invitation of The New Hampshire Peace Action and American Friends Service Committee, or the Quakers. The groups have been working together for over a year to send a message of peace and justice to the presidential candidates. Erin Placey of the Quakers explains the group’s message this way:
[“We want them to commit to getting all troops home with no permanent bases within one year of taking office. We also want them to commit to using only diplomatic terms in dealing with Iran. And also to shift the 720 million dollars a day that we are spending on the war, into funding vital human needs here at home.” Erin Placey, American Friends Service Committee]
Anne Miller of the New Hampshire Peace Action says the non-partisan groups will continue to push their message forward.
[“So we have seen some movement. And that’s exciting to see. We just need to continue to get out there, and have people writing letters. And getting out and demonstrating and making sure our politicians see that this is what the people want. It’s what the polls show.” Anne Miller, New Hampshire Peace Action]
Goodnow of Texas is a lifelong pacifist. He says his bus is part of the fight for those who no longer can speak for themselves.
[“This bus represents those that have put their lives on the line. That have been there.” Jim Goodnow, Texas Resident & Owner of the Yellow Rose of Texas Peace bus]
He’ll be in New Hampshire at least until the primary. For WATD News, this is Beth Croughan, Election 2008, Concord, New Hampshire.
[Beth Croughan, a junior broadcast journalism and political science major, is covering the New Hampshire primary for WATD radio in Marshfield, Massachusetts.]
-30-
