Florence Richards (1924-2007)

By Pat McDonnell Twair


	Florence Richards dared to speak out (Staff Photo Samir Twair).

MOST PALESTINIANS around the world may not be aware of it, but on Dec. 23, 2007 they lost one of their most articulate and vocal advocates with the death of Florence Richards of Whittier, CA.

Richards, an educator, was a self-taught scholar on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict who in her late 70s became an anti-Iraq war activist as well. She called the White House hotline, the Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau, Senate and congressional offices to criticize U.S. foreign policy when it unjustly weighed in favor of the Israelis.

Her phone calls to Washington sometimes cost $300 a month, but she reckoned it was worth it.

Often legislative aides or reporters on the other end of the line wanted to know more about the facts Richards provided; they welcomed her information on such events as Israel’s 1967 bombing of the USS Liberty, the Israeli-enabled slaughter in 1982 of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in Lebanon and, most recently, the systematic starvation of civilians in Gaza. Florence often followed up her conversations by sending printed material documenting her statements.

Reading, studying, finding the truth in most controversial topics was Florence’s modus operandi. In the spring of 2003, as it became clear George W. Bush was going to invade Iraq, Richards, a staunch Republican, joined a weekly peace vigil in Whittier. When a passing motorist shouted “Get a life,” Florence retorted, “Read a book.”

Richards was born June 2, 1924 in Indianapolis, IN, She met her future husband, Charles, at Los Angeles’ Mount Vernon Junior High School, and they were married on June 30, 1947. He is a mechanical engineer and was president of a Los Angeles business founded by his father in the late 1930s.

Florence earned a bachelor’s degree in history from California State University, Fullerton and in 1967 received a master’s degree from the same institution. Her thesis was on the Spanish poet, philosopher and playwright Miguel de Unamuno. Subsequently, she taught at Fullerton Junior College. In 1981 Richards unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the California State Assembly.

It is not clear which book—The Assault on the Liberty or They Dare to Speak Out (both available from the AET Book Club)—ignited Florence’s indignation over injustice. But by 1988, she was into her mission to educate fellow Americans about the neglected and maligned Palestinian story of the Arab/Israeli conflict.

She wrote letters to the editor of the Whittier Daily News and Orange County Register. Subsequently, Richards came in contact with Washington Report and this author. Her articles and letters appeared in this magazine, The Beirut Times, and community publications.

She became a member of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the National Association of Arab Americans and the Arab American Republican Club of Orange County. When NAAA launched a series of brunches with local members of Congress, Florence and her husband hosted an event in their home.

Even in the quiet town of Whittier, the ever-vigilant protectors of Israel tracked Richards’ letters and wrote letters to discredit her carefully gathered facts. Again, she took up the challenge and answered the Zionist narrative with facts. She became the resource person and discussion leader on Middle East issues for the Whittier United Nations Association and Whittier’s Great Discussions Series.

What cannot and should not be underestimated about Richards was her willingness to share her knowledge. She welcomed students into her home, as well as anyone who wanted to know more after hearing her lectures.

The last three weeks of Richards’ life were consumed by coping with the sudden death of her son, Gregg, who died Dec. 3 while vacationing in Europe. On Dec. 21, she showed signs of regaining her spirit when she called the office of Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), decrying an amendment he sponsored to a Defense Bill tying the U.S. ballistic system to Israel’s.

“I’m told to slow down,” she confided on the phone to a friend, “this is who I am. This is what will keep me strong and I’m not going to give up.”

In addition to her husband, she is survived by a daughter, Lynn Richards, grandson, Adam Richards, granddaughter, Laura Sharp, and a great-granddaughter.

Pat McDonnell Twair is a free-lance writer based in Los Angeles.