
Rhana and supporters on the second day of her walk. (Photo: In Granny D's Footsteps/Facebook)
81-Year-Old Completes 400-Mile Trek for Campaign Finance Reform
Rhanna Bazzini's march to Florida Capitol honors legacy of activist Granny D
Honoring the legacy of the late campaign finance reform crusader known as Granny D, 81-year-old Rhana Bazzini on Wednesday completed an over 400-mile trek from Sarasota to the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee in a crusade calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.
"There seems to be general agreement that money has corrupted our system," said Bazzini. "I'm walking to call attention to the propositions that 1) Money is not free speech and 2) Corporations are not people."
Supporters joined Bazzini throughout the walk and dozens of others marked her arrival with a rally on the Capitol steps, during which law professor and political activist Lawrence Lessig spoke.
The widow and cancer survivor's walk began on October 13, months after the passing of her spouse of 56 years. "With a lot of time on my hands and being in good health, I decided I wanted to do something to make the world a better place before I 'bought the farm,'" Bazzini said.
"What I needed was a project. After much thought, Granny D (Doris Haddock) kept popping into my mind," she added, referring to the notorious grandmother and activist, who at the age of 89 walked across the country for campaign finance reform.
Bazzini is hoping to recruit other women over 80 to take up the call and march to their own state Capitols. "I am not naive enough to think this is the solution, but I do think it is a step in the right direction," she writes.
\u201c"You're never too old to raise a little hell" 83 year-old Barbara Bates-Smith enacts the spirit of Granny D.\u201d— FreeSpeechForPeople (@FreeSpeechForPeople) 1417629600
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Honoring the legacy of the late campaign finance reform crusader known as Granny D, 81-year-old Rhana Bazzini on Wednesday completed an over 400-mile trek from Sarasota to the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee in a crusade calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.
"There seems to be general agreement that money has corrupted our system," said Bazzini. "I'm walking to call attention to the propositions that 1) Money is not free speech and 2) Corporations are not people."
Supporters joined Bazzini throughout the walk and dozens of others marked her arrival with a rally on the Capitol steps, during which law professor and political activist Lawrence Lessig spoke.
The widow and cancer survivor's walk began on October 13, months after the passing of her spouse of 56 years. "With a lot of time on my hands and being in good health, I decided I wanted to do something to make the world a better place before I 'bought the farm,'" Bazzini said.
"What I needed was a project. After much thought, Granny D (Doris Haddock) kept popping into my mind," she added, referring to the notorious grandmother and activist, who at the age of 89 walked across the country for campaign finance reform.
Bazzini is hoping to recruit other women over 80 to take up the call and march to their own state Capitols. "I am not naive enough to think this is the solution, but I do think it is a step in the right direction," she writes.
\u201c"You're never too old to raise a little hell" 83 year-old Barbara Bates-Smith enacts the spirit of Granny D.\u201d— FreeSpeechForPeople (@FreeSpeechForPeople) 1417629600
Honoring the legacy of the late campaign finance reform crusader known as Granny D, 81-year-old Rhana Bazzini on Wednesday completed an over 400-mile trek from Sarasota to the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee in a crusade calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.
"There seems to be general agreement that money has corrupted our system," said Bazzini. "I'm walking to call attention to the propositions that 1) Money is not free speech and 2) Corporations are not people."
Supporters joined Bazzini throughout the walk and dozens of others marked her arrival with a rally on the Capitol steps, during which law professor and political activist Lawrence Lessig spoke.
The widow and cancer survivor's walk began on October 13, months after the passing of her spouse of 56 years. "With a lot of time on my hands and being in good health, I decided I wanted to do something to make the world a better place before I 'bought the farm,'" Bazzini said.
"What I needed was a project. After much thought, Granny D (Doris Haddock) kept popping into my mind," she added, referring to the notorious grandmother and activist, who at the age of 89 walked across the country for campaign finance reform.
Bazzini is hoping to recruit other women over 80 to take up the call and march to their own state Capitols. "I am not naive enough to think this is the solution, but I do think it is a step in the right direction," she writes.
\u201c"You're never too old to raise a little hell" 83 year-old Barbara Bates-Smith enacts the spirit of Granny D.\u201d— FreeSpeechForPeople (@FreeSpeechForPeople) 1417629600