Funny D’Farmer plants seeds of peace

   “I may be a clown, but I’m no fool!” declares John Randolph Naugle.

   Naugle, inspired by a personal meeting with his idol, Red Skelton some years back, created a character that delivers a message with his mirth.

   Dressed in bib overalls as Johnny D’Farmer, he’s performed for over 100 benefits all over the world, including White House. He’s the official mascot for Georgia Writers, whose executive director is Geri Teran of Lawrenceville and unofficial mascot for other organizations such as Belt Line (www.beltline.org) 
Naugle, who holds a psychology degree and is a certified Master Gardener, developed Johnny D’Farmer as a planter of peace. The harvest he hopes to reap is the renaming of Atlanta’s airport to Gandhi-King-Carter International Airport and instating “Atlanta: City of Peace” as the city’s official slogan.

   It sounds like a tall order, but Naugle’s online petition at www.GKC-Airport.com   already bears signatures from 39 states and 40 countries.

   Naugle notes that all three honorees have won a Nobel Peace Prize. Gandhi is commonly called “The Man of the Millennium,” The Discovery Channel proclaimed King one of the top three Americans, and many refer to Carter as the most productive former president in history. 

   While some may disagree with these popular opinions, Naugle notes that simply by virtue of their “peace” connection, most people are at least going to have the word peace pop into their heads at the mention of their names. 

   “Atlanta has the world’s busiest airport with about 89 million travelers passing through. Just by association, when people see Gandhi-King-Carter, it will be plant a seed of peace in their minds and in their hearts.” And if seeds aren’t enough, there are also roots. Soon the new Gandhi Foundation USA will be within three miles of both the King Center and the Carter Center in Atlanta. 
Naugle makes it clear that his efforts are totally apolitical and quotes the 17th century philosopher Spinoza to express the essence of his mission: “Peace is not just an absence of war; it is a virtue, a state of mind, and a disposition for benevolence, confidence and justice.”

   His efforts have involved sacrifice, but Naugle feels blessed that he can live a lifestyle that allows him to devote his life to peace.

   “I have lost my savings and my home. I now sleep in my van, storage and at friends’ homes on a rotating basis,” he said.

   Among those friends is Teran, who employs him as a handy man.

   “He can do anything,” said Teran. “He landscapes, paints, baby sits my elderly mother. He even cleans the litter box.” (Talk about a disposition for benevolence!)

   Teran oversees a fund set up for Naugle’s peace-full dream. Contributions are welcome at PO Box 724325, Atlanta GA, 31139 or any Bank of America. Info: i@see-peace.org. 

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