Bike for Global Democracy
Saturday, March 22, 2003
Sebastian Inlet to Jacksonville Beach

With the horror of war imminent, we joined several anti-war demonstrations and had profound discussions with many wonderful people. In St. Augustine, the legendary 92-old peace activist, Peg McIntire, asked us how our vision was relevant to the war on Iraq. We responded that the anti-war movement needs an alternative vision to Bush's hidden agenda of "oil and empire".

This alternative is the Earth Charter vision of Earth Community, founded on new institutions and practices of democratic global governance. We see the keystone institution as a global parliamentary assembly, as envisioned by Professors Richard Falk and Andrew Strauss.

Peg agreed with Mona's view that George Bush could be taking us into World War III. Perhaps then we will be cycled back into a new era like that after WW II when we realized the need for a United Nations to prevent the horrors of war. Only this time we may add a democratic institution directly elected by the peoples of the world.

In North Melbourne our discussions were at a quiet Chinese restaurant with several UU activists and a peace-activist cyclist and budding author named Dave White. We heard about a British-made plastic folding bicycle, as well as anger over Bush's war propaganda machine. The lies seem to get more grotesque day-by- day, but many people buy into them. We need to thank a great organizer, Cathy Stanton, for arranging our visit and kindly Rose Stodola for hosting us at her home.

After Melbourne we cycled up Merritt Island to Cocoa and spent the next two days touring the Kennedy Space Center and the Merritt Island National Wildlife refugee. The Space Center is a premier tourist attraction, reminding us of the past glories of moonwalks and space shuttle rendezvous’ with a developing space station. But the lack of any mention of the recent shuttle disaster only underscored the current failure of responsibility on the part of our government. Government by spin just doesn't work.

The return to nature the next day was a most refreshing antidote. All the egrets, ibises, coots, moorehens, gators, palmetto and scrub forests and more reminded us of how much there is still to cherish about our earth.

From a motel in Titusville run by a good man from India, we cycled north to Daytona Beach. There we were hosted by Charley and Audrey Barcelo and taken around by Laurie and Lloyd Dunham. Charley proved to be a sharp and dedicated globalist, despite pain from a recovering hip operation. Lloyd is a retired United Methodist minister, who found the Unitarians more to his liking in Daytona, now serving his last year as President of the congregation. Laurie had been in RE herself and was now Worship Chair.

So we presented a newly revised and practiced Sunday service - more of a dialogue between Dick and Mona, with Mona "speaking" and Dick "talking". Lloyd gave us some more good speaking tips. The service was followed by a small discussion group, and later a peaceful candlelight vigil on the Dunlawton Bridge followed by a "dinner for 8".

We Cycled out of Daytona Beach on US 1 past miles of motels, all advertising special rates. This is the capital of both car racing and motor cycle rallies - middle America, in contrast to the Gold Coast further south. Reportedly local officials were disappointed that only 200,000 bikers had turned out a couple of weeks before, and the spring break college crowd clearly was not making up the difference. It's obvious who's losing out in this economy of tax breaks for the rich and war for the poor.

St. Augustine was a pleasant contrast with post World War II car oriented down town Daytona. Founded in 1565, the old town has preserved a semblance of old world pedestrian friendliness. Streets are narrow and graced with old stone houses. The main thoroughfare is a pedestrian mall, the commercialization of which detracts somewhat from the historic authenticity. The old fort, Castillo de San Marco, gives the place a special European flavor and is remarkably well preserved.

It was poignant to be visiting a memento of militarism dedicated to the lust for wealth and Spanish empire at the very same time the US is following Bush into the same type of trap. We found more of this story in the city museum - the fort was a major undertaking, built over many decades, to keep pirates and English and French privateers from using the Florida coast as base for raiding Spanish ships returning with the wealth of the New World. Oil is a key to national wealth now, so a stranglehold on its supply is a goal of current empire builders.

Jim and Ellie Chastain arranged for us to meet with the local peace activists, as well as with interested UUs at their church. War was starting with one last spin of the propaganda machine (a 48 hour deadline for Saddam, even though it was reported that Bush would attack even if Saddam left, not at all surprising given the hidden agenda). We had many sharp questions, and Jim advised us to start off with a 3 minute statement of our mission.

Jim told us that Hazel Henderson and Alan Kay lived in St. Augustine, and he passed on their websites. We've read a good book on globalization by Hazel, and Alan has 10 provocative "social innovation" projects detailed on his website. Some of this fit nicely with our own mission, especially "public policy polling" and "national elections" conducted by secure electronic means.

Cycling has become delightful as the weather has cooled. With a few adjustments of equipment and clothing, Mona got over a bruised toe and Dick got over an upper thigh blister. The bike has suffered only two flat tires - a thorn in a trailer wheel and later a sharp wire through the rear bike tire. We've been on A1A most of the time, usually with bike lanes of some sort. But even without these, motorists have been more patient with our big rig than with other bikes.

North of Flagler Beach there was one of the best sections of bike trail we've encountered - an 8 foot wide path that wound through the woods parallel to the road. The shade was most welcome!

On the downside, students in some areas would yell at us to get on the sidewalk; one place even a sheriff suggested this over his loudspeaker. Non cyclists need to know that while suburban sidewalks may be fine for school kids on their bikes, few sidewalks are designed for touring or commuting cyclists. Usually they are too narrow, or have obstructions, or lead to conflicts with pedestrians or with vehicles entering or exiting driveways. But overall we've found that cycling the Florida east coast has been better than advertised. The many parks along the way are a big plus.

Click here for a larger photo of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

- Dick Burkhart & Mona Lee
  Bike for Global Democracy
  206-851-0027 (cell)
  dickburkhart@attbi.com

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