Remembering Larry Blint

[xmasdale]

I was impressed by the way Larry Blint took up the 9/11 Truth cause at the time I was staying in Scotland during the G8 summit at Gleneagles, July 2005. I was shocked to hear recently from his partner, Barbara, of his sudden death and so I asked Keith, who knew him better than me, to write a little "in Memoriam" to him by way of confirmation that the 9/11 truth movement is a community which cares about its people and honours its dead. - Noel


Remembering Larry Blint by Keith Mothersson

Larry Blint's sudden death from a brain haemorrhage has been a great shock. He will be greatly missed by many, most especially by his family of origin and by his partner Barbara Maver and her family, to all of whom our hearts go out.

Larry was a remarkable guy, a gentle shaggy bear of a man who spent much of his life as a Jewish butcher in Israel; then came back to Scotland where his parents lived (in Glasgow), and settled in Edinburgh, though settled is hardly the word that comes to mind as he was often on the move, giving people lifts to and from meetings or shuttling from Edinburgh to Faslane peace camp and a tree-hugging direct action style protest camp at Bilston Glen (south of Edinburgh).

He and Barbara attended the first 911 planning meeting in Scotland (precipitated by David and Annie's speaking tour) and were very active in distributing 911 dvds and literature at the g8 and in its aftermath. They also came to our first Scottish conference and subsequent Edinburgh meetings.

With his swarthy appearance Larry must have experienced racism first hand both in Israel and in the UK, and this, together with his principled anti-racist politics, meant that he made friends easily in Muslim/Arab circles. I recall how one group of Iraqi exiles greeted him at one demonstration and insisted they share their pizza with him, just as he was the sort of guy who would share his last morsel of pizza with them or anyone else in need.

Like many of us he could be argumentative and obstinate and chaotic but for the hundred of us who packed into the tiny Jewish chapel in the Portobello cemetery, or congregated for an open-air party at and near his house near Currie, these traits were dwarfed by the remembrance of a one-off, who lived for others with great courage to be himself, instinctive support for the underdog and a generosity which was automatic second nature.

Keith Mothersson
Joint Co-ordinator, 911 Truth Scotland