Wrapping up at Crawford for now.

I just got off the phone with Barbara Cummings who acted as a greeter for 15,000 people over 19 days at the Peace House at Crawford. I contacted her to verify phone numbers she gave to Corey (from Tucson) for some people in or near D.C. who might be able to put up 4 of us for the 3 days of action in September plus a day on either side.

The buses have pretty well gone, and everyone there is trying to figure out how to help the flood victims on the Gulf Coast. They offered up their buses to take people out but were told not to send anyone anything into the area.

As we talked of the horror and what we might do to alleviate some small bit of suffering, she shared a hopeful story from two nights ago at Crawford. Even though they had been turned down every time they extended an offer for the "folks across the street" to join them at their end of day services; they extended the offer one last time. This time the group walked across the triangle and the peace circle opened and the two groups became one while taps was played and they sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beatutiful" as one. Then, without conversation, each of the two groups went its own way. But for a short the two groups found common ground.

We can build peace. There are always areas of agreement from which we can work, and we will find them - if we look for them.