The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation’s August 2013 TV program brings together three interesting guests who explore a variety of aspects related to peace all the way from the neighborhood level to the global level. Rozanne Rants, Holly Gwinn Graham, and Larry Kerschner are warm, wise and engaging.
Rozanne Rants has long, deep roots in our community. An amazingly diverse range of people enjoy Rozanne’s friendship. I’ve enjoyed working with her on a variety of issues and activities, including several through the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation. She always brings warmth and wisdom to whatever she does, and I’m delighted that she is a guest on this program.
Holly Gwinn Graham grew up in Florida and established strong reputations in England, the U.S. and elsewhere for her musical and dramatic creativity and for her technical expertise on issues such as nuclear power, nuclear weapons, the militarization of space, and other environmental and social issues. Holly deftly combines serious knowledge with creative expression, and she is a lot of fun to interact with.
Larry Kerschner served in the army during the Vietnam war, and he has volunteered vigorously in the peace movement ever since then, including Veterans for Peace and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Larry is willing and able to grapple seriously with the biggest and toughest political issues. He has traveled on peace delegations to Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam and Korea. He combines spiritual depth with personal courage and relentless persistence.
Rozanne starts our TV conversation by telling what happened when a young man in her NE Olympia neighborhood was carrying an umbrella and wearing dark clothing for the winter weather this past March 12th. A young woman in our fearful post-911 America called the police and reported a sinister looking man carrying a gun. Several police agencies responded, a helicopter flew overhead, and a nearby elementary school locked down. In a fearful society, a person’s eyes can see an umbrella, but her brain can change the image and “see” a gun.
