It started as a way to stop arguing about his other vow: to never ride in a car again.
After the 1971 San Francisco Bay oil spill, Francis decided to avoid motorized vehicles entirely.
But he kept running into people who'd tell him that his decision was foolish — that it just left more gas for others to consume.
Francis, an environmentalist, says he worried that in these disagreements he stopped appreciating different points of view.
John Francis says he could have gone the rest of his life without speaking.
"After 17 years of not speaking, I know the importance of there being someone there to hear what you have to say.". »
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