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A J ale of iwo Women
Marion Stonemnan Douglas and Mlaijoric 1 larris Carr
Segment: Power of One and Quaker Philosophy
Source: Interview with Sharyn Richardson, Secretary of Friends of the Everglades and personal assistant
to Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Videotaped at the Douglas House in Coconut Grove.
Length of Segment: 00:04:04
Transcript and audio recording are copyright 1983-2009 Florida International University.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: "What other satisfactions, like that, being involved with the Friends of the Everglades, for
you?"
Richardson: "Knowing that I'm doing something, that [...] I'm not saying, 'Well, what can I do?' It's like
[...] with the nuclear arms race, that seems almost so far removed from anything in the Everglades. I can
say, 'Well what can I do? What can I do, about the nuclear arms race?" There's a few things I can do, but
this is home. This is right here. This is happening right now and there... there is something I can do.
Maybe it doesn't seem like much. Maybe reading Marjorie's mail to her or taking letters for her doesn't
seem like much, but it is the best that I can do. I'm doing the best that I can do and knowing that I'm
doing the best that I can do is satisfaction. I'm not just sitting back and hoping that someone else
will...will do it."
Interviewer: "Do you ever get discouraged?"
Richardson: "Yeah. A lot! There's a lot of discouragement fighting for things. I think probably, just an
example, Port Bougainville is a big discouragement, but we're not so discouraged that we're giving up.
We're always optimistic. Always optimistic. [...] I think optimism is a real good thing, because it really
keeps you going. There is a lot of discouragement, for sure, but you have to stick with it. It's not over yet
and Port Bougainville is a good example of that. It's not over yet, not even close. We've still got a lot of
fight in us and we'll fight."
Interviewer: "Well, what [...] you mentioned, a couple times, about Quaker philosophy; does religion
have an important role in motivating you to do this?"
Richardson: "Well, I don't think I'm an overly... I don't consider myself a religious zealot, by any means,
but I believe in the natural order of the universe and I believe in the natural order of... Well, the earth is
part of the universe, as is man and as are all creatures on this earth and I think that [...] everything has a
right to be here. I mean developers have a right to be here, but I think that there's a place and... it's
hard to explain. I feel like... I don't know what I'm trying to say. [...] I don't consider myself a religious
person, but I do appreciate beauty of the world around me, of the universe around me and of the
natural order of things. I think that animals going extinct or facing extinction is... there's something
wrong there with the natural order. Man is basically responsible for that and so man has to take
responsibility, and I feel that as a part of the human race, that's [...] sort of my religious commitment, so
to speak, is to protect what's there, what I have been given."
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