Two Men Walk Cross Country As Political Protest

With an American flag and the Gasden flag which contains the words “Don’t Tread On Me” by their sides, Matthew Perdie and Brooks Blanton are taking a walk on the wild side. What makes it wild: Some of the people they have met on their trek coast to coast.

“We just got snuck up by a coyote last night,” said Blanton, 19. “We met a guy who was going crazy at a gas station, throwing stuff around.”

Their journey is a form of personal rebellion against the recent bank bailouts and President Obama’s multi-billion dollar economic stimulus plan.

“The money they are spending is not helping the consumer,” said Perdie, 24. “They’re increasing taxes. They’re increasing our debt.”

Perdie left New York on June 22, 2009. Blanton joined him when Perdie passed through Texas.

“My mom expected it,” said Blaton, who just graduated from high school. “When I decided to go, I called her, ‘I’ve got something to talk to you about.’ She goes, ‘I already know. You’re going with him [Perdie], aren’t you?'”

Two months ago, the duo contacted leaders of the Tea Party in Southern California and told them about their trek. Now, they have to reach Santa Monica beach by July 4. On that evening, Tea Party members plan to give them a welcome celebration.

Perdie, an aspiring filmmaker, has posted his adventures on his Web site and on YouTube. He edits the mini-series on his laptop. Also in his backpack: a broken walking stick, a couple of jackets, a safety vest, and a GPS tracker.

He says the toughest part of his long journey happened in North Carolina. “We were walking through a lot of welfare-ridden areas…really poor areas,” he said.

Perdie began his walk with only $200 in his pocket. But, he says, the voyage has brought out the best in people they have met on the road.

“I wouldn’t ask for anything, but they’d hand me money,” he said. “The first day I walked, I earned $72.”

The couple usually walks at night and rests during the day due to the heat. But with the Fourth of July approaching, they just keep going and going.

They will find themselves pounding against Southern California coastal waves instead of the pavement soon enough.

For more information about their cross country adventure, go to http://perdie.com.