David Briars

From Philosopedia

Briars, David Linn (10 October 1946 - 26 February 1999)

Briars was born in Syracuse, New York, the son of Stella and Robert Briars. He was raised in Cazenovia, New York, where he graduated in 1964, then received his B.S. in sociology from Hobard/William Smith Collee, Geneva, New York, in 1969.

Briars in 1993 edited Freethinker’s Directory (Route 1, B-45, Craftsbury, Vermont 05826), a work with over 600 listings which in his words

is designed to help a-theists, freethinkers, non-goddists of all kinds to locate each other and to work together. Most of us have felt the debilitating isolation and self-doubt that comes from living in a world where religion and mob-thinking define the meaning of contentment, morality, and self-worth.

Included are such publications as Free Inquiry, Monkey’s Uncle, and Bureau of Public Secrets as well as such organizations as the Czech Republic’s Prometheus Society of Bratislava, Norway’s Det Norske Heningsamfunn (Society of Norwegian Heathens), and India’s Atheist Centre.

He was best known for his work with the McLibel defendants, setting up the U.S. McLibel Support Campaign to spread the news about the landmark case across the U.S. and around the world. Fellow activist Brian Tokar credited David with literally inventing the model of electronic activism that is used today by everyone from Greenpeace to the Zapatistas.

Briars died of cancer at his home in Craftsbury, Vermont, and a memorial was held in the Craftsbury Town Hall.

{Freethought History, #8, 1993}