Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life OURNAL Today
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October 15, 1986 Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life OURNAL Today Health and Wholeness Seeking Peace in Eastern Europe Reel Violence vs. Real Violence fRIENDS JOURNAl (ISSN 0016-1322) was established in 1955 as the successor to The Friend (1827- 1955) and Friends lntelligencer (1844-1955). It is associated with the Religious Society of Friends, and is a member of Associated Church Press. FRIENDS STAFF Vinton Demina. Editor-Manag~r Eve Homan, Associate Editor Renee C. Crauder, Editorial JOURNAL Assistant Barbara Benton, A rt Director Dan Hamlett-Leisen, Graphic October 15, 1986 Vol. 32, No. 15 Designer ~~~iiJ' Anamaria Rodriguez, Advertising and Cirn~lation Carolyn Terrell, Advertising Contents and Circulation Assistant Joyce Marie Martin, Gene Among Friends: He Listened and Then Miyakawa, and Mildred Williams Typeselling Services He Walked Vinton Deming .. ......... 2 Jeanne G. Beisel, Secretarial Services Autumn Werner Janney ... ... ......... 4 James Neveil, Bookkeeper Allison Snow and Gina Dorcely, The Friends of Jesus Christ Student Interns Lisa Kuenning . .................... 5 VOLUNTEERS Jane Burgess (Index); Quaker Oats and Friends Beans Emily Conlon, Larry McKenzie, Ellen Holmes Patterson, and Harold Kulungian ................... 7 Amy Weber (Editorial A ssistance); Mary Erkes (Office Assistance) Health and Wholeness BOARD Of MANAGERS Catherine McCracken .. ...... .... ... 8 1984- 1987: Frank Bjornsgaard Natural Medicines in El Salvador Judith Brown Emily Conlon (Assistant Clerk) Marshall Hoagland ...... .. ...... 10 Peter Fingesten Mary Howanh Seeking Peace in Eastern Europe Reports ... __ . .. 21 Books . __ .. .. .... 28 Marcia Paullin William D. Strong (Treasurer) John M. Swomley .... ......... .. 12 World of Friends .. 23 Milestones .. 29 Thomas Swain Forum ........ _. 24 Classifieds .... ... 30 Allen Terrdl Edward Burrough: An Early Quaker and Mary Wood Catholicism George E. Clarkson and 1985-1988: Front cover wood engraving by Michael McCurdy, John Breasted Elizabeth Hutton Clarkson . ......... 14 Carol H. Brown from The Winged Life: The Poetic Voice ofHenry Teresa J . Engeman (Secretory) Reel Violence vs. Real Violence David Thoreau, edited by Robert Bly, to be Norma P . Jacob Herben L. Nichols Arthur Kanegis . ....... ........... 16 published this month by Sierra Club Books. Elizabeth B. Watson 1986-1989: Jennie AIJen Dean Bratis Helen Morgan Brooks Mark Cary Sol A. J acobson Leonard Kenwon hy IAmong Friends: He Listened and Then He Walked Mary Mangelsdor f Linell McCurry (Clerk) J anet Nonon he first thing I learned about Larry Scott of how this could be accomplished. Larry Elizabeth S. Williams was that he liked to get started early in the became my teacher, and my friend. HONORARY MANAGERS Eleanor Stabler Clarke morning. I learned this about him in One of the first lessons he taught was the value Mildred Binns Young T Chicago before we had even met. It was 1965, of talking to everyone, even those one might be FORMER EDITORS Olcutt Sanders five years before the birth of my first child, so tempted to label as the "establishment." I re Susan Corson·Finnerty Ruth Geibel Kilpack 7:00a.m. still seemed like an ungodly hour for member during our first weeks in Chester, Larry James D. Lenhart Alfred Stefferud a phone to be ringing. suggested that we meet with the mayor, with the Frances Williams Browin chief of police, and with some of the local busi William Hubben It was after 8:00 in Philadelphia, however, and • fRIENDS JOUR.NAL is publjshed Larry was anxious to call me about a project he ness community. It would be good to introduce the 1st and 15th of each month was helping to organize in Chester, Pennsyl ourselves, he said, and to see what these people (except January, June, July, August, and September, when it is vania. He knew I was interested in working with thought we should be doing in Chester. He published monthly) by Friends Publishing Corporation, 1501 it and he wanted to ask me some questions. Had helped me to understand in a deeper way the Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102. (215) 241 -7217. Second-class I read any of Gandhi's writings? did I have a meaning of "speaking to that of God in every postage paid at Philadelphia, PA. clear commitment to nonviolence? did I consider one." It was always important, he felt, to be • Subscriptions: one year SIS, two years $29, three years $43. Add myself to be a pacifist? There were several such open, friendly, and honest with others. $6 per year for postage outside United States and "possessions." calls over the next weeks, and I came to recognize Larry also taught me something about person Foreign remittances should be in U.S. dollars or adjusted for and warm to the flat Missouri twang that would al courage. I remember once we were meeting currency differential. Sample copies $1 each; back issues $2 each. greet my ear in the morning. "Hello, Vint? with a black civil rights activist in the communi • Information on and assistance This's Larry Scott. Have ya got a minute?" ty, a man who had been in the streets with other with advenising is available on request. Appearance of any I did take the job in Chester, and Larry was demonstrators two years earlier to protest the advertisement does not imply endorsement by F'luENDs J0111lNA1. a major support in the next few months. I was inferior schools. Hundreds had been beaten and Copyright ~ I 986 by Friends Publishing Corporation . Reprints terribly idealistic in those days and not very jailed, and there was still deep anger in the black of articles available at nominal cost. Permission should be received knowledgeable about the peace movement. I had community about this police violence. Larry and before reprinting excerpts longer been to S.~lma, Alabama, to witness for racial I were told by this leader that blacks didn't be than 200 words. Available in microfilm from University justice, had attended a few peace demonstra lieve in nonviolence anymore and that Quakers Micromms International. tions, and had caught the spirit of the anti and other pacifists and do-gooders were not wel Postmasto<: send address chong .. to Vietnam War movement. I was excited about come in the city. Larry listened very patiently and FRtt:NDS JOURNAL, 1501 Ch•rry St., Philadelphia, PA 19101. working for a better world, but I had little sense eventually had an opportunity to talk. He spoke about his experience the previous year ings. More than once during a parti participate in this year's actions sched of helping to rebuild more than 30 cularly tiresome meeting I saw Larry uled for August 6, Hiroshima Day. bombed and burned black churches in with his head nodding a bit as he seemed On August 10 I received a call with Mississippi. He said that he didn't be to be catching a short nap. But a few the sad news of Larry Scott's death. On lieve violence could improve anything moments later he would look up, make the day following the desert protest, I and that he was committed to seeking a perceptive comment, and be fully in was told, Larry had been returning nonviolent solutions. This was at a time volved in the group. Even when he was alone to his home in McNeal, Arizona. when the Black Power movement was napping, it seemed, he had the capacity His car had gone off the road and he just beginning, and I was impressed with to think and listen well to others. had been killed instantly. Larry's courage to speak his mind so One afternoon in 1973 Larry and I Perhaps the most fitting tribute to honestly. drove together to pick up a trailer hitch Larry was written by some of his newest During the next months Larry made for his car. He told me that he and his friends, several of the Franciscans who numerous trips out to Chester to meet wife, Viola Scott, were heading off soon had come to know him in recent months with the Chester staff. Sometimes he to live in the Southwest. I don't think at the Nevada Desert Experience. In a would bring us some doughnuts. Once he called it "retirement." He and Vi mailing sent out shortly after Larry's he came with a car filled with tools and looked forward to seeing old friends and death they wrote: pipes. He knew that the toilet in the old living there for a time. Larry knew that "We quickly grew to love him, for house where we had our office did not I was having a hard time just then, that Larry was easy to love. His sense of work right, and he quietly set to work I was separated from my wife and was humor lifted our spirits, his willingness to replace it with a newer one he had sal caring for my two-year-old child. He to make many trips to Las Vegas, to be vaged. Later he had us all in stitches said I was welcome to come to Arizona arrested and go to jail, strengthened our when he told us that the real name of and stay with them, that the change commitment. Larry became our friend. one of the local plumbers was Donald might do me some good. The next day We looked forward to his visits, and he Duck. Larry's sense of humor was keen Larry telephoned to say that he had been was a fixture at our test site actions. and he often shared a bit of humor or serious about the invitation. Though I "Larry was a servant. He stacked our playfulness at times when everyone was declined, I was touched by his sincerity wood and cleaned our toilets. He helped getting tense or too serious. and generosity.