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April1991 Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life RNAL Today · HOLY WEEK AT THEIRS, 1990- FOR PEACE LEGAL- DRUGS?- Among Friends •c~~tor-•-- Vinton Deming Anoclllte •dltor Melissa Kay Elliott · Art Director Barbara Benton That Life and Power Advertlsllltl ......... Catherine Frost peration Desert Storm is over. As of this writing, early March, a Clrculetlon end Promotion Nagendran Gulendran cease-fire is in place, prisoners of war are being exchanged. For this ~ttllltl Services 0 we must be grateful. James Rice and Susan Jordhamo Much news analysis has focused on the swift and effective use of land hcNterlel hrvlc•• Jeanne G. Beisel forces, the success of precision bombing. There is a sense of euphoria in Bookkeeper Washington. Our national polls indicate overwhelming support for the James Neveil action. Not since World War II has there appeared to be such national Volunteers resolve and unity of purpose. Jane Burgess, Anders Hansen, Emily Conlon, Catherine McCulley, Becky Young In opposing the war, the peace community has seemed like the small Boerd of Menegera child in the crowd who dared to cry out, "The emperor has no clothes!" To 1988-1991: Nancy Cocks Culleton, Barbara Dinhofer, Sam Legg (Clerk), Parry Jones, many of us, the nakedness has been obvious. We have had to say so. Richard Moses (Treasurer), Harry Scott, Larry The underlying causes of the war have not been discussed and debated Spears, Judith Randall, Alan Walker, Ellie White widely, and this is a tragedy. The population at large has been satisfied with 1989-1992: Jennie Allen (Secretary), Richard the analysis that Saddam Hussein was an evil monster like Hitler; he had to Eldridge (Assistant Clerk), Bernard Haviland, be stopped before he took over the world. Those who shape the TV news Eric Larsen, Marcia Mason, Janet Norton, David Samuel, Carolyn Sprogell, Wilmer media, write the scripts, package the shows for easy viewing, did their job Tjossem, Elizabeth S. Williams, Alice Wiser well. They got top ratings. What scares me is the thought that now that the 1990-1993: Clement Alexandre, Marguerite Clark, Peter Eccles, Leonard Kenworthy, Lee big "winter series" is over, what's next? Is there any limit to the United Neff, Mary Ellen Singsen States forcing its will in many troubled areas of the world where our Honorery ••..._.,. Eleanor Stabler Clarke, Mildred Binns Young national interests may be at stake? There may not be at this point. My hope F!uENDS JoURNAL (ISSN 00I6-1322) was is that we may learn from the experience and be more ready to challenge established in 195 5 as the successor to The similar actions in the future. Friend (1827-1955) and Friends lntelligencer (1844-1955). It is associated with the Religious But first Friends must seek to support the victims of Desert Storm. The Society of Friends, and is a member of the terrible human costs have not been adequately measured. Most news has Associated Church ·Press. focused on the light U.S. casualties, very little on the numbers of Iraqis and ° FRIENDS JOURNAL is published monthly by Friends Publishing Corporation, 1501 Cherry others killed. I wonder if we shall ever know, for instance, how many St., Philadelphia, PA 19102-1497. Telephone people were killed and left buried in shelters and bunkers, how many (215) 24I-7277. Accepted as second-class postage paid at Hanover, PA 17331. human beings could not escape our so-called "smart bombs." • Subscriptions: one year $18, two years $34. The task of reconstruction is now at hand. Friends must work to heal the Add $6 per year for postage to countries wounds, assist the survivors, help to resettle the thousands made homeless. outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Individual copies $2 each. The human suffering is great. We must stand with all those in need. • Information on and assistance with In as many ways as possible we must help to educate ourselves to the advertising is available on request. Appearance complex issues in the Middle East, then share such insights with our of any advertisement does not imply endorsement by F!uENDs JoURNAL. neighbors. And there is much to discuss. Israel has a right to be secure. So • Postmaster: send address changes to do the Palestinians. We must encourage support for governments FRIENDS JoURNAL, 1501 Cherry St., committed to overcoming poverty and injustice in their societies-not those Philadelphia, PA 19102-1497 • Copyright © 1991 by Friends Publishing that ignore their poor and merely cater to U.S. needs for cheap oil and Corporation. Reprints of articles available at resources. We must stop the sale of arms to all. The Gulf War is not over. nominal cost. Permission should be received before reprinting excerpts longer than 200 Reports of extensive environmental damage from the war are particularly words. Available in microfilm from University . alarming. What will the long-term effects be of such massive bombardment, Microfilms International. oil spills, and burning wells? Friends must work with others to insist on PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER sound environmental policies. And what of our nation's soul? May the same compassion expressed for the people of Kuwait be brought home in the form of programs to Moving? demonstrate compassion for our own people? I hope so. Yet history may indicate that such a campaign is harder to wage and win. For, as Pogo once Let us update said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us!" It's far more difficult to put our own house in order. The work is less glamorous. There are not as many your subscription yellow ribbons to be worn or flags to be waved. and address. But this must be our task as peacemakers. As George Fox said in his time: "I told them, I knew from whence all wars arose ... and that I lived in the Write or call: virtue of that life and power that took away the occasio~ for all wars." FRIENDS JOURNAL, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102-1497 (215) 241-7277; FAX (215) 568-1377 tiw u->'L I)~ . \ 2 Apri/1991 FRIENDS JoURNAL April 1991 FRIENDS Volume ~' No. 4 JOURNAL Features Departments 7 Peace Notes 2 Among Friends Friends reflect on ways to keep centered during this time of war. 4 Forum 5 VIewpoint 10 Holy Week at the IRS Frances S. Eliot 26 Reports When Easter fell on tax day, these Friends pointed out the symbolism. 31 Notes Between Measures 12 Reflections on a Journey Donald Southall 32 News of Friends The discoveries of a traveler along divergent Quaker paths. 34 Bulletin Board/ 14 The Refiner's Fire Calendar J. Bernard Haviland 36 Books Capturing the spirit of a gathering in words is the art of the epistle. 38 Resources 16 On Going to Law 38 Milestones John Lampen 39 Classified To focus on litigation can delay the healing process. 41 Meeting Directory 17 Legal Drugs? Ed Dodson Legality is not legitimacy, but it may offer better social control of drugs. 19 What Is Time? Rachel Fort Weller Time does not run out or away; it is we who run. 20 Who Is My Teacher? Rima M. Segal The spirit of God comes to us in many forms. 22 Center Grace Yaukey In nature, in beauty, in silence, we find the places See page 14 where God can find us. Cover photo by William Bliss FRIENDS JouRNAL April 1991 3 Fonam and redistribution of resources can solve time or another, doubting life, or all the problems caused by doubting ourselves. It's likely you overpopulation, and therefore the need doubted yourself at times too, but such a for population control can be dismissed. fierce and prideful spirit could never have I could not agree more with Val shown its hesitancies. In your outward Liveoak that the developed countries are reassurance you fought such battles, yet squandering resources far beyond their also with a spirit of love, and hope, and fair share, that simplifying our lifestyle is with an inordinate strength of vision that the most important and satisfying thing things not necessarily be as we see them we can do to help the world, and that today. And yes, these words represent health and economic opportunities are only the distillation of all the rough edges the best way to help people in of your life, just as every life is filled undeveloped countries reduce their need with its conflicts and miscalculations, for many children. misunderstandings, and griefs. But now, But no matter how it is done, we must after 100 years, it is as if you are ~ face the fact population control is transformed by alchemy into a pure and urgently necessary in every part of the crystalline powder. globe. Population worldwide could I don't know what it will be like, not double in less than 40 years if we take no having you to talk to, although in some steps to prevent it. We can barely cope ways this past year has been a slow, with the environmental disasters caused slipping adjustment of letting go; for Setting it straight by the 5.5 billion people on Earth today. you, the process of finding a way to let How could we hope to cope with 11 go, to change a strategy of fighting that I write to correct a misquote from my billion people producing waste, clogging has served you your whole life. But now report on New York Yearly Meeting (FJ the highways, polluting the atmosphere, it is time for quiet and for peace, because November 1990), and to touch briefly on and destroying unrenewable resources in your spirit has served us dearly, and it a source of joy in the yearly meeting's the future? Population control is going to now deserves its rest.