Join Cynthia McKinney’s Oakland-to-DC ‘Common Sense to Government’ bike ride

Coy-McKinney-Cynthia-McKinney-Wekesa-Madzimoyo-Afiya-Madzimoyo-biking-Stone-Mountain-GA-0510-by-David-Hunter, Join Cynthia McKinney's Oakland-to-DC 'Common Sense to Government' bike ride, News & Views Cynthia McKinney, who was elected six times as a Democrat from Georgia’s Fourth District and nominated for president of the United States by the Green Party, is riding her bicycle from Oakland, California, to Washington, D.C., this summer. Announcing this historic Bike4Peace group ride dubbed “Common Sense to Government,” McKinney says: “We’re scheduled to start on July 24, 2010, at the House of Common Sense in Oakland and we’ll end up at the White House, which needs some common sense!”

Cynthia McKinney has traveled the world seeking and sharing workable solutions to social problems. Known worldwide as “the people’s advocate” and lauded for her courage, she spent time in an Israeli jail for her attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. She has shared observations and opinions with world leaders in many venues. Now she’s asking you to join her “for a little way or all of the way.”

Cynthia McKinney invites you to “do something different: Join me on a cross country bike ride! Please study this route and let me know as soon as possible if you’re interested in participating all of the way or just a part of the way. Either way, we’d LOVE to have you along for the ride. Here’s the link for the map showing the route and all the stops: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106454352652415594542.00047596dcee9c0ed3f74&ll=38.68551,-99.667969&spn=33.484376,75.498047&t=h&z=4.

“The Bike4Peace ride,” McKinney explains, “will travel through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The bikers are looking for hosts along the way to provide smiles, water, food, music, cash or in-kind donations and other forms of encouragement.

CommonSenseKickOff, Join Cynthia McKinney's Oakland-to-DC 'Common Sense to Government' bike ride, News & Views “Please let me know if you’re interested in joining us. You don’t have to be a pro biker – I’m not! But I have a lot of enthusiasm and a desire to change the world and to change myself. I’ll be a better person at the end of this ride because I’ll have time for introspection, time for hearing new points of view from fellow riders, time for hearing from people in towns I’ve never visited before.

“This will truly be for me an adventure of a lifetime. And in the process, we’ll spread a message of truth, justice, peace and dignity. At a time of seeming global chaos, join us and find tranquility – and probably some new leg muscles – out on the open roads of America.

“Riders will be joining us from Seattle, Vermont and even from Canada. If you’re willing, we’ll make a way!

“Now, maybe you can’t ride with us, but you want to be involved. If so, please take a long look at the map again and consider hosting us overnight in your home, organization space or place of worship. I know I’ll need someone who can ease my aching muscles just a little.

“Just know that every donation will be greatly appreciated. If you’d like to donate your time, money or services, please let me know or contact Ron Toppi directly at ronbikes4peace@gmail.com; or better yet, just go to http://www.b4p.bbnow.org/donate.php to make a donation.

“And at the end, maybe the White House will gain a bit of our good, old-fashioned common sense. No more war! Bike for peace!

“Here’s the link again to our route: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106454352652415594542.00047596dcee9c0ed3f74&ll=38.68551,-99.667969&spn=33.484376,75.498047&t=h&z=4.

“And finally, if you’re not on my e-list, please subscribe to it so that we can stay in touch regularly, especially during the bike ride.” To subscribe, go to http://lists.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/listinfo.cgi/updates-allthingscynthiamckinney.com.

Bike4Peace organizers are seeking someone in the Bay Area to host a potluck dinner on the evening of July 23, 2010. If you can help, call Vernon Huffman at (541) 829-9034 or send an email to bike4peace@googlegroups.com.

Even if you can’t join the bike ride, join the group that evening for a discussion around the question, “How can we support each other to live true to our best values?” The intention of Bike4Peace is to demonstrate the bicycle as a transformational tool to solve the problems of climate change, oil wars, the health crisis and the economic crunch.

For news from, by and about Cynthia McKinney, former Georgia congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate, check these websites: http://dignity.ning.com/, http://www.enduswars.org, http://www.livestream.com/dignity, http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction, http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction, http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun, http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney, http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney and http://www.youtube.com/runcynthiarun.