To the editor:

Thanks to the Lawrence Arts Center for hosting the panel discussions, presentations and exhibitions regarding Lawrence during the turbulent 1969-1972 era. The July 13 program was an evening of great stories, revealing pictures, history reminders and thought-provoking insights.

I was surprised, however, that no one on the panel mentioned the role of Headquarters Counseling Center during this era. As discussed at length in Bill Moyers’ book, “Listening to America,” Headquarters started in 1969 as a grand and audacious experiment by a couple of college kids who wanted to transform those “peace and love” vibes into something real.

The service they started in their apartment living room soon evolved into a safe place staffed by volunteers 24/7 where anyone could call or visit at any time to talk for free about their frustrations, anger and disappointments. Who knows what losses Lawrence might have suffered during that era but for their calming influence.

Forty years later, it is still doing basically the same thing. The emphasis now has shifted to suicide intervention, including being one of the on-call centers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, but the underlying ’60s values are still at the heart of their services: free, always open, and staffed by volunteers who manifest peace and love.

Far out!