Friends Bulletin-Pacific, North Pacific, and Intermountain Yearly Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends-July and August 1992

16 Pages·1992·1.8 MB·English

Friends Bulletin
PACIFIC, NORTH PACIFIC, AND INTERMOUNTAIN YEARLY MEETINGS
OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS
Volume 60, Number 10 July 1992
No
Without Peace, There Is Justice.
No
Without Justice, There Is Peace.
—
—
PAGE 154 JULY 1992 FRIENDS BULLETIN
Editorial
In the World,but not ofthe World
Rick Saporito,MemberofSanFrandscoMeeting
DuringmanyQuarterlyandYearlyMeetings,LeniSkarinand
Ihadanon-goingdiscussionthatwasbaWseedontheideaofbeing hisAfrsieRnidcskuSnaiptoerdittoonpelaacreedatbheenecnhdinofhitshimselimfeo'srjyouirnnSeayn,
"in the world, yet not of the world."* felt that this phrase
Francisco'sGoldenGate Park. Rickwas delightedwith
appliedtosomeofourstrugglesinraisingourchildren(nowall
teenagers). Whileourenvironmentsweresomewhatdifferent theprospectofaspecialplacewherefriends.Friends,and
she lived in a small city in EasternWashi—ngton (Yakima), and I satnrdanagcetrivsictya.n cHoemeanadndOwsiet,nenhjaodyivnigsittheedptahrek'psarbkeaauntdy
lived in a suburb of Seattle (Redmond) they were still very
similar. Weboth lived in middle class, upwardlymobileneigh- consideredplacestoplacethebench.
borhoods;inotherwords,thesuburbs.Yetweweredoingourbest Thecostofthebench,bronzeplaque,anditsinstalla-
toraiseourchildrenasQuakers,withQuakertestimoniessuchas tionandmaintenanceis$3,000.Ifyouwouldliketoshare
honesty,simplicity,andseeinggoodineveryone.Manytimesour increating this livingmemorial toRick's generous and
environmentandourvaluesseemedtoconflict. light-hearted spirit, please make yourcheckpayable to
"FriendsofRecreationandParks"withthememo, "Rick
TimewilltelliftheQuakerpresenceinourliveshasinfluenced
our children. I do kn—ow that my children tend to be free and Saporitobench," andmailto:
independentthinkers sometimestomydismay. RosaliePizzoStrain or JeanLohmann
QuakerMeetingsareoftenperceivedasbeing"intheworld, 260HighStreet 722 10thAvenue
butnotoftheworld." We goaboutdoingourQuakerbusiness, SantaCruz,CA95060 SanFrancisco,CA94118
livingsimplelives,believinginthatofGodineveryone,answer- Contributions aretcix-deductible.
ing the Queries as best we can. Then something like the Los
AngelesRiotshappens. Wefeelpowerless. Whatcanwedo? WhenRick'sbenchisinplace,directionstoitwillbe
circulatedamongRick'sfriendsandFriends.
InthisissueTonyHenrytellsusthatwithoutpeace,thereisno
justice. He turnsthestatementaround fromthewayweusually RickSaporitodiedJuly 19, 1992.
hearit. We'vebeen told thatforpeace tohappen, theremustbe
justice, but Tony says that the lack of peace - the violence, the
warfare-arethereasonswedon'thavejusticeforall.
EliseBouldinghassomeconcreteideasformakingpeace.She YEARLY MEETING OFFICERS
sayswemustpracticehope,imaginehowthingscouldbe,andget PACIFIC
PresidingClerk: JanePeers [phone]
therelevantpeace-makingskills. 808Melba Rd
PatStewartremindsusthatweneedtodevelopourownpeace Encinitas, CA92024
testimony. WemustbeabletoarticulateourQuakervaluesand AssistantClerk: JaneMills [phone]
letothersknowthespiritualgroundwestandon. 7899StHeleCnaARd
SantaRosa, 95404
TheDoomsdayClockhasbeenturnedbackandworldpeace
Treasurers: Virginia andWalterKlein
is an issue to more people than just those from the traditional 4509PavlovAve [phone]
peace churches. In the past we've tended to thinkofpeace as it SanDiego,CA92122
NORTH PACIFIC
relatestoeventsthathappentopeopleinothercountries. But,if
we'retrulygoingtohavepeace,wemu—stfigureoutawaytomake PresidingClerk1:940J1o-hn13S1usltlAivvaen SW(206)463-3017
theworld asafeplaceforallpeople eventhoseathome. Vashon, WA98070
SteeringCommitteeClerk:
)!• HenrNyVWanDyke [phone]
A Friend wrote recently expressing the concern that "Now 3Co3r0v0allis,VOaRn9B7u3r3e0nAve
thereseemstobelessplaceforthespirituallyderivedwritingsof Treasurer: CharlesIGmball [phone]
Friends."Ihopethatisn'tso.MydesireisthatFriendsBulletinwill 04862Oceana Dr
Florence,OR97439
alwaysbeaplaceforthespirituallyderivedwritingsofFriends. INTERMOUNTAIN
Letushearfromyou. PresidingClerk: MartinCobin [phone]
NancyYamall 1720 LindenAve, Boulder,CO80304
ContinuingCommitteeClerk:
^WhenItriedtoresearchthisphrase,theclosestIcouldcomewasJohn 5R0a1ndEyFiHresrtrAivcek-,SDteanrever(,30C3)O77870-2201305
b17e:c1a4u,s"eIthheayvaereginvoetnoftthheemwotrtlrdy,weovredn;asthIeamwonroltdofhtahtehwohraltde.d"t(hKeimn,g Treasurer: J9i3m00HWoffTemnannesseeAve(303) 989-6454
JamesVersion)ThisclearlyisnotthephraseIwaslookingfor.Canany Lakewood,CO80226
Friendshelp me?
—
FRIENDS BULLETIN
JULY 1992 PAGE 155
Friends Bulletin Of
Table Contents
The official organ of Pacific, North Pacific, and Intermountain Without Peace, There is NoJustice —
Yearly Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends. byTony Henry 155
1620 NW Menlo Drive, Corvallis, OR 97330-2055 Ten Thousand Ways ofMaking Peace
Telephone: [phone] Aby Elise Boulding 157
Editor, Nancy Yarnall Personal Peace Testimony by Pat Stewart 158
Celebrations Update by Spirit Donna Bradley 160
Book Review Editor Therefore Choose Life byJohn Talmadge
Grace Buzaljko, 612 Albemarle, El Cerrito, CA94530 Reviewby Robert Murphy 161
Unityby Martin Cobin
Telephone: [phone] I6I
IMYM Corresponding Editors Memorial Minutes 152
Jim Ray,2520S Ivanhoe PI, Denver, CO80222 News From the Meetings
MelodyInchmuk, 1740GilmerHeights, Prescott,AZ86301 North Pacific Yearly Meeting
by Madeleine Cadbury Brown
MarieGodfrey, 523ValleyViewDr, Richfield, UT84701 163
Phyllis Hoge,213 Dartmouth DrSE,Albuquerque, NM87106 Southern California Quarterby Betsy Kahn 163
NPYM Corresponding Editor New Mexico Regional News by Phyllis Hoge 164
MadeleineCadburyBrown, 1412FarrellLn, Richland,WA99352 Evolving Patterns of Healthy Family Life
PYM Corresponding Editors byJudy Brutz -164
BetsyKahn, 4636MorroDr, WoodlandHills, CA91364 Pacific Yearly Meeting Schedule —165
Announcements
PattySilva, 16557SHighlandAve, Selma,CA93662 166
Query on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual People
Friends Bulletin Committee
by Rob Roy Woodman
166
Clerk: Sonda Beal, 814StannageAve,Albany,CA94706
Advertisements 157
Telephone; [phone]
From Rio to a Renewed Planet by Clare Galbraith -167
GraceBuzaljko,612Albermarle, ElCerrito,CA94530
Vital Statistics 157
GerryMaynard,2941 NorthwoodDr,Alameda,CA94501
Call to Pacific Yearly Meeting, 1992
AlanStrain, 127RathburnWay, SantaCruz,CA95062
byJane Walters Peers, Clerk -168
LowellTozer, 14842 PenasquitosCt, San Diego, CA92129
RobRoyWoodman,2532Westernessee Rd, Davis,CA95616
All correspondence, editorial and subscription, should be directed to the
Corvallisaddress. Deadlineforcopyisthefirstofthemonthprecedingthe
monthofissue.
CoverPhoto byIngriBenson,MultnomahMeeting.
Check yourexpiration date.
This is the last issue for1991 expiration dates.
Printed by Corvallis Web Press, Corvallis, OR
• FRIENDSBULLETIN (USPS859-220)ispublished monthlyexcept
February and August by Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious
Society of Friends at 1620 NW Menlo Drive, Corvallis, Oregon
97330-2055. Telephone [phone]. Second-class postage
paidatCorvallis, Oregon.
•
SubscriptionRates: $20.00peryearforindividuals,$16.00peryear
for group subscriptions through Meetings. $14.00 per yearfor a
student/low income subscription. First class postage $5.20 addi-
tional. Foreignpostagevaries. Individualcopies$2.00each.
• Postmaster: Send address changes to FRIENDS
BULLETIN, 1620 NW Menlo Drive, Corvallis, OR Amanda,Heather,Akos,andSamantfmofthe
CelebrationsFamily.
97330-2055.
PhotobyJoseph Sunow Bradley.
—
PAGE 156 JULY 1992 FRIENDS BULLETIN
Without Peace, There is No AsIrecall,about70%oftheAmericanpeopleweresaying
thesamething.
Justice: Some Lessons From Buthesaid,"Nope,gottagotowar.Gottatear'emup.It's
theonlywaytogetjustice.Whenthere'saninjusticethenyou
the Los Angeles Uprising
gottagooutthereand dosomethingviolent."
by Tony Henry, Executive Secretary, He and other Presidents had said that earlier about
Pacific Southwest Region, AFSC Panama,Grenada,Nicaragua,andVietnam.It'sasAmerican
asapplepietogotoWcirtotakecareofinjustice.
MymindisheavywiththeRodneyKingverdictandthe Wealsosaymurderisbad.Violenceisbad.Ifsomebody
OK
riots. I have been thinking about the role of the American doessomethingbadenough,thenit's toexecutethem.So
FriendsServiceCommittee(AFSC),whosemessageisalittle California carried out its first execution in many years re-
differentfromtheordinarymessage thatyou'vebeenhear- cently, because Robert Alton Harris was accused of some-
ingthroughthemedia. thingsobadthatexecution (violence) wasjustified.
OnthedayafterthecivildisordersbeganinLosAngeles Ifyouareaminorityinthiscountry(particularlyifyou're
I attended a community meeting in Pasadena, where our a young, blackmale) you understand intuitively, ifnotby
officeislocated,withmembersofthePasadenaCityCouncil, reading, thatblackmalebabies in this countryhave halfas
thepolicechief,andrepresentativesofneighborhoodorgani- muchchanceaswhitemalebabiesofsurvivingtheprocess of
zationsandchurches.OneoftheCityCouncilmemberssaid, beingbom.Yourchancesofsurvivingtoadulthoodarealso
"Youknowwhat'sgoingoninLosAngelesishappeningin muchlessthanawhitemale's.Youprobablyfeelthatsome
Pasadena,too.We'vehadsomelootingandwindow-break- peoplearekillingyourbabies and thatitis somethingvery
ing.Thegoodcitizensofourcommunityarenotinvolvedin bad, an injustice on the scale of the invasion of Kuwait.
these things. It's been the criminal element, the hoodlums, Against whom should you apply sanctions for this evil?
whoaredoingallthebad things." Whatdoyoudowhensanctionshaven'tworked?How,then,
Threecommunitywomenangrilyresponded,"Hey,wait do you in the American tradition, go to war? We may be
aminute.You'retalkingaboutourchildren."Theywerenot watchingtheplayingoutofanhonoredAmericanconceptin
abouttoletanybodygetawaywithbrandingtheirchildren ourowncities.
as "hoodlums." Their reaction gave a different tone to the Whose Communityis This?
discussionthatfollowed. Itwasnotsomuchabout"howdo Itappearsthatsomeofthepeoplehaveperverselyturned
wepunishthem,"but "whatishappeningtous?" theiranger inon themselvesby destroying theirowncom-
AsI'vethoughtaboutitsincethen,ithasoccurredtome munitiesinsteadofthoseoftheenemy.Butmanypeopledo
thatwhen you analyze what caused the violent reaction in notviewthoseneighborhoodsastheirown.Theydonotown
LosAngeles,itisn'tenoughtosay,"It'sourcourtsystem."It them. Theydon'tseeaneconomicsystem thattheycontrol.
isn'tenoughjusttosay,"Thepolicegotoofarwhentheybeat They certainly don't see ajustice system that theycontrol.
p>eople up." That isn't sufficient. There's something else Theydon'tfeelthatthepolicearetheretoprotectthem.They
goingon. fearthepoliceandgetnervouswhenapolicecarstopsinthe
Youwillheartelevisioncommentatorsagreethatwithout neighborhood.They'llcallonthepolicewhenthings getbad
justice therecanbenopeace,butwhatyoumaynothearis enough,butnotgenerallybeforethattime.
thatwithoutpeace,therecanbenojustice. To say to the rioters, "You've destroyed ybur own
Violence is an American Tradition community," may make sense to many people, but many
Angeleansdon'tfeelasthoughit'sreallyTHEDRcommunity;
Whathasoccurredtomeisthattheviolencewe'veseenon to them, it's SOMEBODY ELSE'S community. It is a very
ourtelevisionsets expressesanapproachthatmanyAmeri- strangephenomenonthatthey'restrangersintheirownland,
cansbelievein—deeply. Violenceisembracedbyourleaders ratherthanstrangersinastrangeland.Thiskindofalienation
inmanyways perhapsnotintheamateurishwaysofthe iswhatourcountry hasproducedformanyofourcitizens.
streetuprising,butinmoresophisticatedways.Ourleaders We allneed to imderstand that it isn't true thatwe are
saytous,"Ifyou'reunhappywiththewaythingsaregoing nothurtwhenwe go towar somewhere else. All war
andyouthinkaninjusticehasbeendone,don'tgooutthere destroys our communities. This country is still paying
likeyou'regoingtowarandjuststarttearingupthings.You forthecostofthe KoreanWar, the Vietnam War, the
should talk about it, engage in dialogue, negotiations, and war inGranada, thewar in Panama, thewar in Iraq.
politicalactions." We'repaying for the things thatfollow the war, the
IremembersayingsomethinglikethattoPresident Bush Marshall plan, thebuild-up ofJapan, and the support
aboutayearagowhentheproblemwasinjusticeinKuwait. thatwehave to give to the peoplewehave destroyed.
Ofcourse, the costofall this lies heavily on the poor.
—
FRIENDS BULLETIN JULY 1992 PAGE 157
This costhas meant that poor people have nothad Ten Thousand Ways of Making Peace
adequate food, medical care, housing, or education. I by Elise Boulding, BoulderMeeting
thinkwe're seeing the fruits ofthese costs rightnow in
the actions that people are takingbecause theybear the Westerncountriesdeveloped apremature universalism
burntofthe evils ofour society. Ourgovernmenthas aswecametotheunderstandingthatwewerepartofalarger
been destroying ourcommunities as much as the rioters world. Ourmissionarycontactsmadeusawareofdifferent
have destroyed communities. continents and different peoples, but we saw them in the
Looking Out for Number One context of a world family created by the West. We saw
ourselvesaspartofafamilyofmaninsteadofasisterhoodof
We're a countrywhere violence isglorified. People talk peoples. This family-of-man image has lent itself to the
aboutthose"hoodlums"andthat"criminalelement."They overpowering of human differences. We failed to see the
don't really care about anything. They'rejust trying to get diversityoftheworld.I'mveryproudoftheAFSCforbeing
what they can for themselves. They'rejust looldng out for aleaderinchangingthis.TheAFSChasbeenoneofthemost
"numberone." important empowerments in this country for seeing diver-
I've also heard this said about the heads of American sityasaresourceandasthegloryofthehumanrace,instead
corporationswhosesalariescontinuetogoupatatimewhen ofasminoritiesthathavetobeabsorbedintothemeltingpot.
theircorporationsaresufferingandpeoplearebeinglaidoff. Withthisprematureuniversalism,family-of-mankindof
They don't give their earnings to the community or to the thinking,wehavefailedtoseethattheworldconsistsofone
corporations that are in trouble. This is another American btihlaltihoanphpouesnethoollivdesisnc1a8t0tenraetdioancrsotastses1.0N,0o00wdwifefearreenbtesgoicnientiinegs
trait.
AFSCmustadvocateadifferentkindofmessage.Westart tounderstandsomethingaboutthose 10,000societies.They
withtheconceptthatwithoutjustice,therecanbenopeace. consist of culture groups, language groups, and ethnic
Wemustalsosaythatitiswrongtobeviolentwitheachother; groups. These groups have their own life ways, their own
itiswrongtobegreedyandjustacquireasmuchaswecan knowmloeddgeem,andtheirownhistory.Themeltingpottheoryof
acquire;itiswrongtosaythatwedon'twanttopayanymore the nationstatejustdoesn'tfit.
taxes,but wanttheindigenttotakecareofthemselves. We Everyoneofthese 10,000societies(aroundnumberthat
must say to America that those attitudes also cause the someanthropologistsuse)hasitsowntraditionofpeacemak-
violencewehaveseeninourcities. ing. It also has its own capability for warfare when the
Someonecame tomeand said, "Thisisa greatopportu- pressurebecomestoogreatand thereisnoroomtodevelop
nityforustodosomenon-violencetrainingintheghetto,so abilitiesandskills.Thinkof10,000differentwaysofmaking
peoplewon'triotwhentheygetmad." peace. That is the resource to which we need to pay more
Myreactionwas,"Weneednon-violencetraininginalot attention.
moreplacesthanintheghetto.Unlessweunderstandthatwe Insteadofbeingoverwhelmedbythecomplexityofthese
should not riot, either informally or formally, this country 10,000 societies spread across 180 nation states, weneed to
andthisworldwillcontinuetobeindeeptrouble.Wewillbe find awayto livewith therealityofthosenumbers. It'snot
hurtingoneanotherandhurtinginside,andtheinjusticewill enough to simply say what I learned back in the Civilian
continue,andtherewillbenopeace." TrainingUnitforWomen: "Thingsdon'thavetobetheway
RodneyKingsaiditmosteloquentlyinakindofcheerful theyWaeren.e"eTdhatto'dsoatghoroedetshtianrgtsi:ngpoint,butitisnotenough.
stumbling,earnestpresentation:
"People,can'tweallgettogether?" 1. Practicehope.
Weneedtosaythesamekindofthing,althoughperhaps 2. Imaginehow thingscouldbe.
RodneyKingcanreachpeopleina waythatIcan't. Butwe 3. Getthe relevantskills. —
alsohaveaspecialmessagetoproject:Wehavetolaydown Thefirstthingthatwehavetodo beyondknowingthat
—
our swords and shields, down by the riverside, and study thingsdon'thavetobethewaytheyare istopracticehope.
warnomore. Withoutpeace,therecanbenojustice. We should practice it the way we take our exercises in the
TonyHenrystartedloorkwithAFSCasastudent in 1958at the morning.Wegoforwalksandtrytokeepinshape.Wemust
UniversityofTexas. Heservedtwoyears in Tanzania; then from keepourhopingingoodshape.TTiat'sserious.Wehavetodo
t1h9e6A3-F1S9C6'8sheCwoomrmkuendiitnythReeClahtiicoangsoDAiFviSsCioonffiacse.nIanti1o9n7a6lhcerjiomiinneadl thatA.notherthingwemustdoisspend timeimagininghow
justicerepresentative.TwoyearslaterhebecameNationalAffirma- things couldbe. Thepeace movementhasnot donewell in
ttiwvoeAAcFtSioCnrseegcireotnaarlyo.ffSiicnesc,efi1r9s8t1inheShaansFbreaennciesxceocuatnidvecsuercrreenttalryyionf ptoicttaulrkianbgowuhtagtenkeirnadloafnwdorclodmpwleetweerdeiswaorrmkaimnegntfo.r.WWeeduosne'dt
hear about that anymore. I asked the people who were the
Pasadena.
leaders in thepeace movementwhat the world would look
—
PAGE 158 JULY 1992 FRIENDS BULLETIN
A
like ifwe had general and complete disarmament. None of Personal PeaceTestimony
themcould answer,becauseitwas theirjob togetdisarma- byPatStewart^BerkeleyMeeting
ment, not to describe it. We all know we can't work for
somethingwecan'timagine. Inourdailyliveswesetgoals; Peacewithjustice:thesearethetwinpillarsoffaithnotonly
werunthroughourdaytodecidewhatitisweneed.We're amongQuakers,butinthewiderreligiouscommunity. Peace
always imaging the future. Nobody thought of spending withjusticesaysitallinoneintegratedchallenge.'Todojustly
timeimagininghowaworldcouldfunctionifwedidn'thave andlovemercy," inthewordsoftheprophetMicah, areheld
war.Nowtheydo.Themovementforimagingpeaceisvery togetherin—asingledynamictensio—n.
Justice theconceptoffaimess ismoreeasilyunderstood
important.
hearIfswoemelitshteinn,geatchhatoinsen'otfouusrwirlaltihoenaalr,sionmteeltlheictnugald,ifcfaelrceunlta.tWineg Wanedasgpreeaekdmupoorne,reevaednilaymaobnogucthijulsdtriecne,tthhaanniswtehediodeaaboofupetactiei.e
mind,butsomethingthatcomesoutofourwholelifeexperience. slipperyissuesofpeace.Thevoiceofjusticemaybestrident,but
—
Ideascanforminourmind,ifweallowthemfreerein ideas itisheard;thevoiceofpeaceasaprincipletolivebyislargely
thatdon'tform ifwe staywithhow thingsshouldbe. Hope, silent, except in thenational emergency ofwar, and thenit is
positiveexpectation, and optimismcanguideouractionsand likelytobedrownedout.
empowerustoaction. ThinkingaboutthisparadoxinthecontextoftherecentGulf
The thirdnecessity, thatcannotbeemphasized enough, is Warhasledmetore-examinewhatthepeacetestimonymeans
gettingtherelevantskills.TheAFSCisincreasinglyconsciousof to me. I make no apology forbeing personal, because that is
skilltrainingfornonviolentaction.Thatisveryimportant,andit exactly the point. The peace testimony is nothing, an empty
istheonenewthinginthedevelopmentofthepeacestudiesfield abstraction, unless it is personal, reaching into our individual
andnonviolence.ManyAFSCofficesareinactivecontactwith lives. IfthepeacetestimonyofFriendsissafelysanctified,put
peace studies programs in elementary schools, high schools, awayinacapsuleoftradition,thenlikeallthingscutofffromlife,
colleges,anduniversities.Thisisallpartofpreparingthenext itwilldie;wordswillpreservetheappearance,buteffectivelythe
generation. whole idea will lose its motivationg force. So, I need to think
Think about a Los Angeles where Whites, Blacks, Native aboutwhatplacethepeacetestimonyhasinmyHfe.Butintihis
Americans, Hispanics, Koreans, other Asians live and work exploration I must never forget that "peace withjustice" is a
togetherinaflourishingmulti-racialconununity.ImagineHa- lifelinetotherealworldofconflict,acknowledgingthattostrive
waiiandtheSouthwestUSAwithnomoremilitarytesting. In forpeacealoneisisolating.
fact, imagine a world in which military production has been Iwouldliketobeginwithaquotationfromafellowtraveler
phasedout,andeconomicconversionisgoingoncommunityby in exploration. In the May 1991 Friends Journal Mary Rose
community. Imagine the United States-Mexican border with O'Reillysays,"...Ihavetorethinktheaustereandlonelyterrain
gardensandflourishingcommunitiesandpeoplemovingeasily ofourpeacetestimony.Quakershavechosentostrugglewithan
backandforth. idealofabsolute,radicalnon-violence. .."Thatwasanextreme
Pickthekindofprojectthatyouknowthemostaboutorare statement. I don't know how many ofus can subscribe to it
personally involved in. Ask yourself, what would have to wholeheartedly. Maybeweneedtorethinktogetherwhatshe
happentohavethatcomeabout? callsthis"austereandlonelyterrain"ofabsolutepacifism.What
Achangeinconsciousnesshastohappen,whichistheway doesalifeaimedatnonviolencemeaninaviolentworld?
the AFSC works. Every human group, every neighborhood, Lastyearwhen theGulfCrisis was impending, ournational
everyethnicandidentitygrouphasitsownabilitiesandprob- leadersengagedinaseriousdebateasto whetheroufidentified
lem-solvingcapabilities.ItisthegraceofGodatwork. Wehave enemycouldbebroughtundercontrolbyeconomicsanctionsor
tolearnfromthe 10,000societies,sothatnewrelationshipsfor whetherwecouldgainourendsonlybymilitarymightProponents
learningwhattheyknow,buildingonthatand workingwith ofsanctionsarguedformoretime,butthey,too,agreedthatmilitary
them,canemerge. forcewasnecessary"asalastresort."Nowhereinti^epublicdebate
That'smyimageofthefuture.That'swhattheworldisgoing wastheuseofarmedforce,killingasameanstoanend,ruledout
tobelike. ThisisthewaytheAFSCgoesforwardinfaithand Iwasstruckbyhowsilentandinarticulatemostofuswere
hope,takesrisk,enableschange. Iamveryhappytobeapartof about Quaker values. We joined with other groups and
marched;wevigiled;andsomeofuswere arrested inprotest
ita
actions.WeactedinthetraditionofGeorgeFox'sexhortationto
ThisarticleisexcerptedfromEliseBoulding'saddressatthe50thAnniver- "letyourlivesspeak."Butwhatexactlydidouractionssay?That
sary Celebration of the Pacific Southwest Region, American Friends thiswarin theMiddle Eastis notinournational interest (the
ServiceCommittee,May16, 1992. EliseBouldingisasociologistandan politicalargument)?Thatweshouldnotfightforoilindefense
activistwithaglobalview.Mothercffive,grandmothercffifteen,shehas of"ourwayoflife" (the economic argument)? Thattiresame
been a Quakerfor more than 50years. She currently lives in Boulder, endscouldbeaccomplishedbysanctions(thepragmaticargu-
Colorado. EliseisProfessorEmerituscfDartmouthCollegeandformerly
Seaetary-GeneraloftheInternationalPeaceResearchAssociation.
—
FRIENDS BULLETIN JULY 1992 PAGE 159
merit)?Thatthisisnota"justwar"likeWorldWarII(themoral This response to threat is not naive. To practice peace in
argument)? potentiallyviolentcircumstances involvesconsciouslyaccept-
InmyMeetingweagreedonanupdated statementofthe ingsomeundefinedrisk.ItisabetonGod'sside.Ibelievethat
peace testimony. Wemightcallthis the religiousargumentin violencecanbedefusedbythepowerofnonviolencetocallforth
oppositiontothewar,exceptthatitisn'tanargumentderived the latentgoodness in my antagonist. If, in thenearterm, my
fromworldlylogicatall;itisastatementofprinciplemeantto causeislost?Still,thisishowIchoosetoUve,inthepoweroflove
expressawholewayoflife. tocastoutfear,tocastoutangerandhatefrommyselfaswellas
Thedilemmaintryingtocommunicatethepeacetestimony frommyopponent.Thisismyparadigmforthepeacewitness
is that protest actions may have many different motives, and asIunderstandit.Apacifistmayneverbeputtothetestofhaving
thesemotivesarelargelyambiguousandundefined;ontheother toactinresponsetoaphysicallythreateningencounter,butIam
hand, a sta—tement of principle can be dismissed as a mere convincedthatknowingwhereonestandsiffacedwithpersonal
abstraction "justwords."Itseemsthereisanessentialmiddle dangergivesasolidbaseofcommitmentwhichcarriesoverinto
ground missing.Justtosay,whentheoccasionarises, "Iama everydayconflicts.Theinnerconvictionandtheclarityofpur-
pacifist,"isnotenough.It'saconversationstopper.Whatdoesit poseaffectourabilitytomeethostilitywithinnerpeace.
meantocallone'sselfapacifist?Toberealtootiierpeoplesome Peacemeanstomethesameefforttobeopen,trusting,and
personalexperiencemustbridgethegapbetweeninarticulate deliberatelydefenselessasawayoflife,notnaivebutinnocent
actionandarticulateabstraction.Wemustbewillingtoengage beyondcynicism."Faithisnotbeliefinspiteofreason;itisaction
theworldbysaying:"ThisiswhatIbelieve.Thisiswhatmypeace inspiteoftheconseqUences."Thisunidentifiedquotation,which
testimonymeanstome." Ithinkthisiswhereapeaceministry Iheardmanyyearsago,sankintoadeepplaceinmymind.
Ues. Wemayendupwithasmanypeacetestimoniesasthereare Thecompassthatguidesmehastwobeliefe.First,thatGod,
Friends. byanynameornoname,createdourworld,ouruniverse,and
Naturally, we are hesitant to make a personal statement, wecreaturesarenotallowedtowillfullydestroythelifeweare
eitherbecausewe aren'tclearourselves about the ground we privilegedtoshare.WhenIreadAlbertSchweitzer'sd—escription
stand on, we don't want to be alienated from mainstream ofhow"reverenceforli—fe"cametohimasarevelation "aniron
communityfeeling,weareafraidofseemingtoproselytize,orwe dooropened,"hesa—id Iunderstoodthisinmyheart.Sothis
areafraidofnotlivinguptoourprofessedstandardsa—ndbeing isthefirstprinciple lovefortheworld.Thisisthevision,the
hypocritical.Itakegreat—heartfromanillustriousFriend Ithink positivepole.
itwasHowardBrinton whosaid,"Theonlythingworsethan Second, the end neverjustifies the means. Killing is never
notlivinguptoouridealsiswateringdownouridealstofitour justified,eventoeliminateanevilperson.Violenceisashortcut.
actions." Thegoodend,whichisGod'spurpose,canbeaccomplishedby
SointhatspiritletmeexplainwhereIstand: patientnonviolence.Sacrificeandcouragemayberequired.This
Ihavedonemyshareofmarchingandvigiling. isthemessageofJesusofNazareth,themanofpeace,different
Ihavenotdonemyshareofpoliticalletterwriting. fromtheprophetsofretributivejustice.Gandhiunderstoodthis.
Iamnotataxrefuser. AMartinLutherKingunderstoodthisandgavehislifeforhisfaith.
Although I eat low on the food chain, I am not a religious pacifist is, however falteringly, in that good com-
pany.
strictvegetarian. How can this whole context of commitment to peace be
Iopposethedeathpenalty.
translated into understandable terms for the uncommitted?
Asfordvildisobedience,Ihaveneverbeenarrestedorspent Howcanwetestifytotheidealofapeacewitnessasawayoflife
timeinjaiL DuringtheVietnamWarIwaspartofagroupwho livedinthefullrangeofhumanemotionsandconflictsandinthe
signedstatementsofcomplicitywithdraftresistance.Wethen arena ofchallenging terrible injustice? Wecanbeginbybeing
tookactionssuchasharboringadraftresisteroradeserterand clearourselves.Howeverweworkoutourpersonalconvictions,
notifyingtheFBI.Thepenaltywasfiveyearsinfederalprisonand wecanindividuallymeetthechallengeof,"Whatsayestthou?"
a $10/XX) fine. So we rearranged our lives and waited to be IbelieveeachQuakerneedstomakehisorherownformulation
arrested.Nothinghappened.Thegovernmentignoredus.An- ofthepeacetestimonyandspeaktotherealityofitinhis/herown
ticlimax.However,thissilentandabortivewitness,thedecision life. We need to know, and to let others know, the spiritual
andthecommitment,wereveryimportanttome,iftonooneelse. ground we s—tand on. 1 think this is a time of national self-
Hardertodescribeishowthepeacetestimonyiswoveninto examination about the role of force, the rule of law, and
everydaylife.Formeithashadadirectconnectionwithworking beyond law, the compelling insistence ofcompassion. To ex-
withtheseverelydisturbedandmentallydisorderedwhohada pressthepeacetestimony,bothinactionandinwords,shouldbe
historyofviolenceandwhowereoftenpsychotic.Mytestimony ourministryinthisviolentage,inthisworldwelove.
inparticularsituationswastotrytomaintainaspiritoffaithand
trust,tomeetthreatwithoutdefensiveness.Ineededtodrawon ThispaperisbasedonatalkgivenatCollegeParkQuarterlyMeeting
thedeepwatersofpeace,beurulaterallydisarmedwithinmj^lf. inMay1991.
—
PAGE 160 JULY 1992 FRIENDS BULLETIN
Celebrations Update Othershaverelativelylowintelligencescoresbuthaveareasof
by Spirit Donna Bradley, Celebrations Unlimited genius.Ittakesincredibleeffortandcourageforthemtofling
themselves into a culture which so rigidly and narrowly
definesintelligenceandworth.
Sexual,emotional,andphysicalabuse,tortureandneglect
leavea child wondering, "Was itmy fault? IfIhadjustbeen
Bradley. quieter, cleaned my room or done more dishes, would they
havekeptme?"Coulditbepossible,theywonder,forthemto
Sunow havenourishing,sustainingrelationshipsoutsidethesafetyof
Celebrations?Theyalsowanttoknowiftheirbirthparentswill
acceptthemiftheyhealbeyondtheirparents.Therearenoeasy
Joseph
answers.
by These kids weren't allowed to partake of the American
Dream, so they are even more determined to become what
Photo
they call Real. They constantly scan situations and environ-
ments for potential danger. Because their early lives often
depended upon this skill, they are painfully aware of the
In 1990 my husband, Sunow, and I moved our family emotional state of everyone they meet. They immediately
fromOregontothecoastalmountainsofNorthernCalifor- sense falseness orhi—ddenangerbut are equallyconscious of
nia.Movingtothismountainwasoneofthebestdecisions compassionandjoy whattheycallRealLove.
we'veevermade. Wearewellandwonderfully, radiantly Sometimesalackcanbecomeablessing.Becausewedidn't
aliveinwayswehaveneverbeenbefore. haveenoughmoneytobuyahouse(atleastnotahouseforso
Just a month ago, during my45thbirthday cycle, I felt many),wewereforcedtodowhatwehad alwayswantedto
thatwehadcometoanewphaseinourlives.Ourkidswere do. We put a down-payment on forty acres of incredible,
allteenagers,andIwasfeelingthatwewerepastourchild- magicalmountainland(nophones,electricity,roads,orbuild-
rearingdaysandintothequiet,reflective,spiritualgrowth ings),pitchedtwelvetentsandwaitedforthewaytoopen.One
stage. Twoweeks later, duringmymorningmeditation, I Julynightduringoureveningcirclewediscussedwhetherto
askedforDivineGuidanceabouthowtobestusemylife. I useourremainmgmoney($10,000)torentaplaceintownfor
watchedwithfascinationandprofoundjoyasIvisualized thewinterortogofortheimpossibleandbeginbuildingour
God'sHandreachoutand—openagatetoallowatidalwave home.Wetookavote,anditwasunanimous;wewouldbuild.
ofchildrencomethrough thesecondwave.Ilaughedand The next evening, while we were holding hands for dinner
wentonwithmyday. LittledidIknow. Intheweeksince circle, an acquaintance arrived to say thathe had gathered a
then, we have been offered six children (babies and tod- groupoflocalbuildersandcontractorswhowoulddonatethe
dlers)andbeenapproachedaboutthreeothers.Weareabit buildingofalargehouseshellifwecouldprovidethebuilding
dazed,butaseach daypasseswearemoreableto see the
material.
rightnessofthis. Whilewewaitedforthebuilderstogettimeofffromother
Andsoourfamilyistransforming.Takingevensomeof projects, we did some building ourselves. With the help of
thesechildrenwillmeanthatwewillhavebetweenfifteen friends,webuiltthefoundationandthefirstfloor,writingour
andtwentychildrenbylegaladoptionorguardianship, in names and prayers of abundance of joy and love in the
additiontotheotherchildrenthatweworkwithpart-time. concrete. Aftergettingprohibitivequotes fromlocalroofers,
Welearnedagreatdealwiththefirstwaveofchildren(over Sunow decided toputon the roofhimself. Heandlong-time
fortychildreninthepastfifteenyears),andwearebothvery staffmember, Martha, managed to finish the job before the
excited about getting the chance to do it again with the reallyseriouspartofwinterarrived.
addedwisdomthatou—rfirstchildrentaug—htus. We'vebeeninourhouseforsixteenmonthsnowandhave
Our"old"children eleventeenagers aretransform- someamenities: hotand cold runningwater, solarelectricity
ing, too. They face even more challenges than "normal" augmented by a generator, and an indoor composting toilet
teenagers as they test theirwings for flying. Mostofthem under construction. It is a joy to watch our children explain
werefetalalcoholanddrugbabiesevenbeforetheyexperi- howtheybuilttheirownbedroomwallsorhelpedcompletea
encedabuseandneglect.Theydealwiththebraindamage, porch.It'shardfortheseteenagerstofeelabusedorvictimized
seizures,andlearningdisabilitiesthataresooftentheresult whenthey'vehelped tobuildahousefromthegroundup.
of substance abuse. Although some of our children are To say that we live simply would be an understatement.
"retarded," suchlabelsareoftenmisleading, sincespecific Our income goes to land payments, on-going construction,
(butdifferent)partsofthebrainand/orthenervoussystem andthesupportof20to25people.We'velearnedtostretchour
are affected in each child. Some of our children have ex- resourceswithhumorandcreativity. Friendssenddonations
tremelyhighmeasurableintelligencebutcan'treadorwrite.
—
FRIENDS BULLETIN JULY 1992 PAGE 161
ofeverysort,forwhichweareprofoundlygrateful,andweare Therefore Qioose Life byJohn Talmadge
greatscavengers.Still,ithasbeendifficult.Choosingbetween ReviewbyRobertMuiphy, SheridanWorshipGroup
basics such as winter boots or fruit, having no dependable
vehicle,andwaitingtwomonthsjusttogetmoneytotakethe Pendle Hill Pamphlet300, 1991, Pendle Hill Publica-
children to a movie has not been fun. The laws for social tions, Wallingford, PA 19086.
securitydisabilityhaverecentlychangedsothatnowseveral Ittooka coupleofyears for Hiroshima and Nagasaki to
ofourchildrenwilleventuallyreceivemedicalaidandfinan- sinkin.ThenIfelttheirDCXDM.ButmentioningtheBombin
cialhelp. Weareveryhopeful. otherthantechnicaltermswouldhaveseemedinbadtaste,or
Weliveat4,000'elevation,thirtymilesfromtownandthe crazy. ForyearsImetinsilencethebleakhorroroftheEarth
coast.Wehaveseveralpeoplewholiveintownandserveas herselfbeinginmortaldanger.
abaseforthosechildrenwhoarereadytotestthewaters.But Hadsomeonetime-voyaged forty-sixyears aheadtoget
ourhomeisthesafebasefromwhichallthingsflow,andthis meJohnTalmadge'smonograph,mylifewouldhavebeena
mountain isperfect for that. We go into town twice a week, loteasier.Iwouldhavereaditsixteentimesover.Thatwould
andotherwisewearehere,dancingandplayingandhealing. also have been a welcome introduction for me to Jonathan
Itisa profoundlysaneway tolive. We runourownprivate Schell,whoseworkTalmadgeappreciatesanduses.
school,whichisagreatexcusetolearnanddoallthefunthings In 1992 my agony is still here, distributed over many
we'vealwayswantedtodo.Wehaveintentionallydesigned threats to Earth, but now more comfortingly shared with
schooltobeflexiblesothatobservingthecoyotestolearntheir others.JohnTalmadge'sinsightsarenolongernewtome;his
habits,helpingsomeoneprocessanoldmemory,goingsled- monographdidnotmovemeasitwouldhavebackthen.
ding,orwelcominganewchild,fitsinandbecomespartofour Talmadgeiscareful,thoroughandhonest.WhatImissin
education. Recently we received validation for our relaxed hisworkisthewarmlyconvincingauthorityof"I."Hisfirst
methodofteachingwhenoneofourchildrenreceivedscores twopagesareaboutatriptoaconferencethatgothimintothe
thatwere abovecollegelevel. Thatfeltgreat. Ithelpsprove meat of this article. There his imagery is lively and his
againthatlearningandhealingcanfeelgoodandbefun. language vivid. Once in the heart of his subject, the bright
Anothertransformationinourlivesisthatcommunityis coloringfades.The"I"isreplacedbyananerrucandabstract
forming around us. By this summer we will have eight "we,"andanyringofauthoritywanesaccordingly.(Further-
additional adults, who help us with every task imaginable, more,asa reader, Idon'twelcomebeingtoldwhatI ["we"]
livinghereontheland.Theyhavebroughttheirownchildren, amfeeling.Asforself-destructivebehavior,Iprefertryingto
sevenmorelittlepeopletoplaywith. copeonmyown [not "our"].)
During the GulfWar, 1 went into our orchard to ask for Toobad;hehaswonderfulideas: "Cureispossibleright
inner peace to match the outer turmoil. My children were uptothemomentofdeath;" "survivalisnotastateofbeing
rapidlyregressingintotheiryounger,abusedpersonalitiesas butawayoflife;""graceabounds;"andwecan"waitactively"
thetelevisionshowedthemanevengreaterscaleofabusethan [myemphasis],while"makingourselvesvesselsbylivingin
they could imagine. What could 1 do that could make a affirmationandfaith..."Andtheculture'saddictiveorienta-
difference in the midst of such insanity, such pain? 1 was tion to thenuclear cliffsaps citizen-energy that, iffreed up,
hauntedbymyEastIndiandaughter'squestion,"Hasanyone couldchangeourwholeworld.
told our President that these people (of Iraq) are getting I think mydisappointmenthas a lot todowith t—heway
abused?I'msurehewouldn'tletanyonegethurtonpurpose." "we"almostcompletelyobliteratesnegativefeelings with-
I waited for the deep stillness that always comes, and, of outwhichnonviolenceisstrippedofpower.There'snoneed
course,itdid.LivingProof.That'swhatwecouldbe.Wecould tobeafraidofrage.DoesTalmadge'sassuringusthatourself-
learntobeLivingProofthatloveandlaughterhealeventhe destructivebehavioris"wellintended"meanwemustnotbe
mosthideousabuse.Infact,givenLove,healingisinevitable. angry? Rage, terror, grief, and horrorarepartofourworld
Ihadleftthehouseintearsbutreturnedinjoy.Icalledacircle, scene. I like a certain grit in thewonderful friendlinessand
andwetalkedaboutwhenanewkidcomestoourhome,so generosityofFriends. Idon'tfind itinthisessayji
full ofhate and hurt, he is often a bully, full of threats and
destruction. We all surround that kid with so much accep-
Unity
tanceandhumorandpassionandplayfulnessthathishealing
becomesanunfolding.Thatdayweallagreedtolearntolove by Martin Cobin, BoulderMeeting
so well that no one would ever need to be a bully in our
What's this silence, this talking, this quaking?
presenceagain.Lovingthosewhodonotyetlovethemselves
It's unity. Friends, in the making.
hasbecomeourquest.Startingwithourselvesisthefirstand To live in the Light
hardeststep.*
Is a source ofdelight
TocontactCelebrations,writeSpiritDonnaBradley,CelebrationsUnlim- Even though some patience it's taking.
ited,POBox4485,Areata,CA95521.Messagephone(707)839-5154.
—
PAGE 162 JULY 1992 FRIENDS BULLETIN
Memorial Minutes
John E. Draper
couldlead toanimpromptufield trip. Walkingwas ajoyful
John Draper, aged 75, long connected with the Davis thingforher,followedbythecomfortofherrockingchairand
Meeting, died at his home in Santa Rosa, California, on acupoftea. Shehad apurityofheartwhichseemed tobear
February 4, 1992. He is survived by his wife of fifty years, burdenseasily.Thestrengthtomeettheseburdenscamefrom
Elizabeth (Liz) Thayer Draper, and five children: James, a visible trust in the Divine Mind. Her lifewas not without
Richard,Phyllis,Caroline,andPaul;andeightgrandchildren. painorsorrow, andyetthejoywasalwaysevident. Shedid
For the first eight years of his life, John lived in China whatneeded doingwithsincerityand love.
wherehisfatherservedasaMethodistmissionary. Hegrew HerguidanceofteachersintheLongBeachUnifiedSchool
up in Pacific Grove, California. During the war years he Districthelped develop innovativecurricula forall children
servedasaconscientiousobjectorinalternativeservice. Itwas andcharacterizedhercareeras anadministrator. Hermione
natural for him to become connected with the Religious encouraged children to find theirown strengths, to trust, to
SocietyofFriends.Hewasalife-longactivistinthecausesof developpride,andtogrowinconfidenceaspeople.Herlove
peaceand socialjustice. forthemwasgenuine.
Johntaughtinstrumental music in the Davis elementary Herworkwithprisonerswasnolessdemanding.Herfaith
schooldistrictforthirty-oneyears.Hedroveabusfromschool seemed infinite and strong enough to move mountains of
toschool,givingthemusiclessonsandtraininginmusic.He human pain. Her trust in God and love for His works ex-
wasbetterknownforhiscontributionsassoundengineerfor tended to the entire universe ofcreation. The naturalworld
school, civic, and community functions; PYM Friends re- wasforheroneconstantloveasanobvioussourceofen—joy-
memberhimasthemanwhoyearafteryearbothsetupand ment and devotion. Camping was her way ofrenewal a
operatedapublicaddresssystemforYearlyMeetingplenary prayerofgratitudeforallHisworks.
sessions.Hewasinvolvedincivicandsocialcausesandtook She g—ave many hours to the Meetings to which she be-
aleadershiprolein STEAC (currentlytheShortTermEmer- longed Orange Grove, Long Beach Friends Church,
gencyAidCommittee,originallytheSpiritualandTemporal Marloma, Whittier, and Claremont. In the last few years
EmergencyAidCommittee). MorongoBasinWorshipGroup,underthecareofClaremont
We remember John especially for the way he lived his Meeting, was a deep and loving concern. She carried the
principles.With his beliefs in frugality and simplicity, he ClerkshipofPacificYearlyMeetingforabrieftime,followed
frequently rode his bicycle rather than use his car. He was byClerkshipofQuarterlyMeeting.HerworkwiththeAmeri-
uneasyoverthepurchase andsubsequentrenovationofthe can Friends Service Committee expressed her firmbeliefin
MeetingHouse, feelingthatthemoneycouldbetterbeused serviceasworship.
for people in need. John was a kind, gentle, giving person. Hermione Baker has given us important gifts to keep.
Whenhecouldnolongerdofamilybookwork,hestillwanted Though we miss her physical presence, she has left us an
todohisshareofthehouseholdchoresbywashingthedishes. example of grace and Quaker spirituality by which we can
Ashisillnessprogressed,hewasconcernedabouthisfamily's shapeourlives.*
adjustmenttohisdisabilities.
Johnhelped usquestionourvalues. Wearegrateful.* ArcherWilliam Zamloch III
Hermione Allen Baker ArcherWilliam ZamlochHI,bominSanFrancisco,Octo-
ber2, 1941,diedathishomeinGardena,California,January
HermionewasbomNovember2, 1917,atOnawa,Iowa, 23, 1992. Heattended schools inLosAngeles,receivedaBA
anddied Febmary6, 1992, atYuccaValley,California. With degree from Dominguez State College, and in the Vietnam
herpassing.Friendsshareadeepsenseofloss.Herspiritwill era, served in the Marine Corps. He joined Los Angeles
shineforallofuswholovedher,whocherishedhercounsel FriendsMeetingin 1971 and currentlymissedbutfewofits
and shared in her indomitable joy of living. We have been Wednesdayeveningworship meetings.
fortunate in her friendship; we could hardly forget her ex- "Arch"wasadiligentstudentofreligionandphilosophy
ample of Quaker precepts. Her way of treating a problem and donated many of his books to the Meeting library, on
alwaysheldmoreofHermionethanonemightassumetobe whichcommitteeheserved. HewasalsoamemberofPeace
present:herdeepfaithintheguidanceoftheLight;hercalm andSocialConcernsCommittee,wherehischiefconcernwas
and loving concernfor thepersonsinvolved; andherfirm, for the hungry and homeless. Friends from Los Angeles
incisivemind. FriendsMeeting,SouthernCaliforniaQuarterlyMeeting,and
Committees inhercareweremoreoften uplifting than PacificYearlyMeetingknewhimasaveryconscientiousand
exhausting. Honesty, integrity, simplicity, and joyful faith sensitive Quaker. He is survived by his father and step-
wereherministry. Weallhavewonderfulmemoriesoftime mother, two sisters, a brother, and children, Cherda and
spentwithHermione.Thecasualmentionofaplantorabird Donald. *