HERALD-JOURNAL/SPARTANBURG, S.C.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 1997

'60s REVISITED

Protesters on cross-country march
Pair shares message of peace

By MOLLY McDONOUGH
STAFF WRITER

Two long-haired, hippie-like fellows walking down the road aren't likely to attract much attention. But add a cart, a coffin and a backward, upside-down U.S. flag, and reaction from passersby is unavoidable.

Rudy Stolfer and his sidekick, Kraig Mottar, are walking from Washington, D.C., to Washington state.

As they pull their gray coffin, decorated with roadside treasures and "anti-war" slogans, the men invite people to ask about their message of peace and social awareness.

The two began their adventure Dec. 3 and hope to make it to the National Rainbow Gathering, a communal meeting to share ideas and promote a peaceful way of life, to be held in Washington state in July.

By Saturday afternoon, the duo had made it to downtown Spartanburg, stopping at Community Cash to make a few phone calls and eating a hot meal at the Steeple.

Stolfer, a 47-year-old Marine Corps vet who spent 16 years working for the railroad, decided to make the trek when he met up with Mottar at the 1996 National Rainbow Gathering in Missouri.

Though their most basic message is one of peace, Stolfer and Mottar, a 31-year-old Riverside, Calif., native, include a host of other issues in their lectures to inquirers.

To them, "anti-war" means anti-violence anywhere. They say they oppose war, domestic violence and the war on drugs. They want a cleaner environment, safer streets and less corporate control.

Both men said they are Christians but do not embrace organized religion. Jesus "was the only dude that really had it together that I've studied," Stolfer said.

In a chronicle of their journey, the men have noted contributions from people who don't agree with them, hospitality from perfect strangers and escorts from children on bikes.

South Carolina, besides being more hilly than expected, also has reacted with more disdain for their type of protest, they said.

Stolfer, who carries a miniature Gideon's Bible in his fanny pack, said one trucker yelled to them, "Why don't you get a job?" Stolfer said he yelled back, "Why don't you have a free country?"

The men say they plan to walk to Atlanta, then take the most westwardly route. In Spartanburg on Saturday, Stolfer unfolded his wallet and pulled out photographs of his nieces and nephews. "They're the real reason I'm down here," he said. "I feel I don't have anything to do until we have a safe place for the children to play."