Bob Potter passed away last week.
I met Bob at a lecture at UCSB. Daniel Ellsberg, a member of Veterans For Peace, was speaking. Bob was there handing out invitations to the dedication of a peace park in Isla Vista and I was trying to reconstitute our Santa Barbara Veterans For Peace chapter, which had been strong during the Persian Gulf War but had atrophied under President Bill Clinton. I attended Bob’s dedication and he joined Veterans For Peace Chapter 54. Soon we were marching together against President George W. Bush’s plans to go to war. Bob choreographed many of our demonstrations and played the part of Bush in one. He was the only person who could project a strong voice through a mask.
Bob supported everyone’s dream or aspiration. He helped demonstrators become better demonstrators and helped aspiring writers become better writers. He helped me with my writing and when I needed a ride to Bohemian Grove in Northern California to begin a vets ride to Seattle, Bob took me. In turn, when he needed a companion to campaign for Barack Obama in Nevada, I forsook Dennis Kucinich and helped him in Las Vegas and in Pahrump — where he and I had the independent voters on the outskirts of town (which turned out to be mostly George Wallace survivalists).
I miss Bob already and began a reading of Don Quixote in his honor. He always likened me to Don Quixote.
Presente! Bob Potter.
Lane Anderson
(from Missoula, Mont.)