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Friday, December 02, 2005
Getting Tough On Quakerism
Free Speech To Cost $10,100
The Coast Guard, in a misguided attempt to prove it is tough on terrorism, is fining a 54 year old Quaker for terrorism. The Coast Guard, in an attempt to recreate a Kafka novel, targeted this peace protestor who was eating lunch on his boat.
You're safe for now, NTodd. It appears they are starting with Quakers on the Left Coast.
I've always said those West Coast Quakers are weird, 'specially that Richard Nixon guy.
ntodd
December 2, 2005 | Permalink
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Comments
As my grandmother once said of the (then) West-coast Hicksites, they're "pastorized, steeplehouse" Quakers.
I know that an exclusion zone for air traffic is a "no-fly" zone. Is an ocean exclusion zone a "no-flow" zone?
Posted by: Ereshkigal | Dec 2, 2005 8:52:47 PM
Richard Nixon, as far as I know, is the only Quaker ever in charge of a fleet of B-52s. It doesn't excuse him going against his faith but I guess it was an early case of IOKIYAR.
Posted by: George Johnston | Dec 2, 2005 9:52:58 PM
Herbert Hoover was in charge of denying war veterans their pensions. Does that count?
Your grandmother was right - I'm pastorized as all git-out. My grandpa, grandma, two aunts and two uncles have all been pastors. I don't know about steeplehouse, though...I prefer harness racing.
Posted by: Auguste | Dec 3, 2005 5:10:06 AM
Just as long as you aren't pasteurized, Auguste.
Posted by: Ferdzy | Dec 3, 2005 7:26:27 PM
Where are all the West Coast Friends today? I'm really sure they don't have any inhibitions about blogging on the Sabbath. Maybe the Spirit moved some bore to stand up in Meeting and talk all day, so they haven't had time to clarify the record..
You see, there are church people and meeting people on this coast. They are usually polite to each other, but in private you may hear meeting-people whispering things. Like "Nixon".
The Quaker churches are pastorized, and without or without steeples they tend to be a lot like other denominations of American Protestants, though probably not often rightwing batshit crazy. And in Berkeley I think they're Berkeley-conservative: not too likely to be lynched for Commies if they visit other parts of America.
The major peaceniks, like the ones who won't pay war taxes, are mainly in the meetings, which are completely unpastorized like the properly traditional ones.
Left-wing politics combined with love of traditions: there's a Myer-Briggs category in which such people concentrate, but I forget the magic letters. It's nice at least to be assured that one's contradictions aren't unique.
Posted by: Porlock Junior | Dec 4, 2005 11:28:50 PM
Buy me stuff off my 
