Larry wrote a reflective piece, and here's how it ends.
"As we left Ira in the prison waiting room, he followed us as far toward the security door as he was allowed under the prison’s security rules. At the parting point, he surprised me by clasping my hand. Shaking hands is what civilized people do when they part. It is a gesture of respect and closure, a physical act that suggests an equality of fellows. Outside the sliding gates of the visitor’s area, I duck into the men’s room and wash my hands. I am not acting out of the kind of shock Ira has described. This is a conscious decision. We are not equal. I am 54 years old. My country is back at war. My outrage feels all too familiar. My tribe is responding, slowly perhaps, haltingly, but responding. And Ira is where he belongs."
2005
