>>> WELCOME BACK TO "TODAY" HERE.
HERE. TALKING POLITICS CAN BE QUITE
UNCOMFORTABLE.
UNCOMFORTABLE. SOME PEOPLE AVOID THE SUBJECT
ALL TOGETHER.
ALL TOGETHER. BUT YOU FOUND THE GUY WHO IS
EMBRACING THIS.
EMBRACING THIS. >> I ACTUALLY FIRST SAW THIS
STORY IN A GREAT LITTLE PAPER
CALLED BERKSHIRE EAGLE.
B.J. HILL WALKING ACROSS
MASSACHUSETTS ASKING PERFECT
STRANGERS TO WRITE DOWN THEIR
THOUGHTS ON POLITICS IN THE
NOTEBOOK HE CARRIES WITH HIM.
WHEN HE FINISHES HE’LL HAND IT
TO THE GOVERNOR HOPING TO BRIDGE
WHAT HE SEES AS A DISCONNECT
BETWEEN ELECTED OFFICIALS AND WE
VOTERS WHO PUT THEM INTO OFFICE.
B.J. HILL PLODS ALONG AT HIS OWN
PACE.
PACE. THE TAPPING OF HIS HIKING POLES
KEEPING TIME.
KEEPING TIME. HE’S AVERAGING 13 MILES A DAY.
IT’S NO RACE.
IN FACT, THE ONLY RACE HE’S
CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE RACE FOR
GOVERNOR IN THE STATE OF
MASSACHUSETTS.
MASSACHUSETTS. >> AS YOU KNOW, IT’S AN ELECTION
HERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
I’M ASKING FOLKS TO WRITE DOWN
THEIR OWN PERSONAL MESSAGE FOR
THE NEXT GOVERNOR.
>> YOU MAY NOT BE SURPRISED TO
KNOW PEOPLE HAVE A LOT TO SAY.
WHEN WE MET UP WITH HIM, HE WAS
ON HIS WAY TO WORCESTER.
HERE IS A SAMPLE OF MESSAGES
HE’S COLLECTED SO FAR.
>> WHY DOES IT COST $300 PER
CHILD TO PLAY SOCCER.
LOW WHO INCOME FAMILIES CAPITAL
AFFORD THAT.
AFFORD THAT. DR. GOVERNOR I CAN’T TELL YOU
HOW MUCH MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH
INSURANCE HAS MEANT TO ME AND MY
FAMILY.
FAMILY. >>> SENIOR TRANSPORTATION FOR
PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON A BUS ROUTE
BUT NONE FOR SENIORS WHO LIVE
NOT ON BUS ROUTE.
>> MY BIGGEST CONCERN AT THIS
TIME IS REPORTS THAT THERE ARE
THOSE WHO WANT TO MAKE
MASSACHUSETTS A SANCTUARY STATE.
>> THE ISSUES BIG AND SMALL BUT
THEY MATTER TO THOSE WHO WROTE
THEM.
THEM. B.J. HAS READ A LOT OF MESSAGES
AND LOGGED A LOT OF MILES.
HE WALKED ACROSS THE STATE IN
2006 MEETING THEN GOVERNOR
DUVALL PATRICK.
DUVALL PATRICK. HE DID IT IN 2014 HANDING OVER
HIS NOTEBOOK TO CHARLIE BAKER.
IN BETWEEN HE WALKED
ACROSS-COUNTRY IN 2008, LATER
INVITED TO MEET PRESIDENT OBAMA.
OF COURSE HE WALKED TO THE WHITE
HOUSE AND HANDED OVER FOUR
NOTEBOOKS.
NOTEBOOKS. >> SO YOU FEEL THESE POLITICIANS
LOSE TOUCH.
LOSE TOUCH. AND YOU’VE TAKEN IT UPON YOUR
SELF TO KIND OF BE A CONDUIT
WITH FOLKS OUT THERE TO GIVE
THEM AN IDEA WHAT’S GOING ON.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. ONE SMALL CONDUIT.
>> NONPARTISAN.
>> NONPARTISAN. >> NONPARTISAN.
>> NONPARTISAN. WHATEVER PEOPLE WANT TO WRITE, I
LET THEM.
LET THEM. I DON’T LEAD ANY QUESTIONS.
SOME PEOPLE WRITE TWO OR THREE
WORDS.
WORDS. SOME PEOPLE WRITE TWO OR THREE
PAGES.
PAGES. >> WE JOINED B.J. AS HE INTO
WITH FOLKS IN WORCESTER.
>> WOULD YOU LIKE TO WRITE DOWN
A COUPLE WORDS?
>> I WOULD BE HONORED TO, OF
COURSE.
COURSE. >> REMEMBER TO PUT GOD FIRST AND
WE ARE ALL HIS CHILDREN.
THAT’S VERY NICE.
>> DO YOU HAVE A SECOND TO WRITE
SOMETHING DOWN?
SOMETHING DOWN? >> SURE.
>> SURE. >> ANYBODY EVER ASK YOU TO DO
SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
>> NO.
>> NO. >> HOW DOES IT FEEL?
>> FEELS GOOD.
>> CAN I READ WHAT YOU SAID?
>> SURE.
>> SURE. >> BRING BACK TOLERANCE TO THIS
NATION.
NATION. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. NO SHORTAGE OF VIEWPOINTS, AND
THAT’S THE POINT.
>> A LOT OF POSITIVE, PEOPLE
WANTING TO SEND POSITIVE MESSAGE
OF INCLUSION, TOLERANCE.
>> MAKES ME FEEL GOOD.
THIS IS MY COMMUNITY.
THIS IS WHERE I GREW UP.
>> GOOD LUCK ON THE WALK.
>> EACH STEP ONE CLOSER TO
GETTING THE VOICE OF THE VOTERS
INTO THE HALLS OF POWER.
>> I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU, I’M SO
IMPRESSED WITH THAT YOUNG MAN
BUT ALSO IMPRESSED WITH THE
PEOPLE IN WORCESTER.
EVERYBODY SENT OUT A POSITIVE
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. BE KIND, TREAT US WELL.
>> I EVEN LIKE THE ONES THAT
COST $300 FOR MY KID TO PLAY
SOCCER AND I CAN’T AFFORD IT.
IT’S LIKE PEOPLE WHO WON’T REACH
OUT.
OUT. IF SOMEONE COMES TO THEM, THEY
WILL SAY WHAT’S ON THEIR MIND.
I THOUGHT IT WAS AWESOME.
>> BETTER THAN PEOPLE GETTING ON
SOCIAL MEDIA AND ANONYMOUSLY
DECIDING TO SPEW HATE AND