Rainbow Gatherings
My goodness, if I didn't know better I'd think that this thread was filled with burners who do protest too much, if you know what I mean. Is there some insecurity fueling what looks to me like high school rivalry?
Folk, there is no competition between burners and the rainbow family for either to be more responsible, capable, or fun at a party. Neither group has a monopoly on idiots. At least they dig latrines, instead of pissing *everywhere* as burners do in BRC. Take a big light out onto the playa between the Man and the Esplanade and count piss puddles, you'll lose track before you lose targets. And we do this even though we have porta-potties, what's that tell you about our sense of responsibility?
I've seen *every* offending behavior listed here, and attributed to rainbow gatherings, at the burn. From sexual assault to dosing unconsenting folk with various drug. Vigilante justice? Oh, yeah, it happens on playa and we've even discussed it here. Abandoned kids? Check. Stupid kids who come in without the basics? Yep, I camped with a dozen of 'em in 2003 alone.
On the positive side I've seen amazing acts of charity and compassion at the burn and am certain those exist at the rainbow gatherings as well. They may not have our flaming art, but I bet they don't have the same carbon footprint either.
Bottom line? We have met the rainbows and they are us. Or something like that. :)
Ron
Folk, there is no competition between burners and the rainbow family for either to be more responsible, capable, or fun at a party. Neither group has a monopoly on idiots. At least they dig latrines, instead of pissing *everywhere* as burners do in BRC. Take a big light out onto the playa between the Man and the Esplanade and count piss puddles, you'll lose track before you lose targets. And we do this even though we have porta-potties, what's that tell you about our sense of responsibility?
I've seen *every* offending behavior listed here, and attributed to rainbow gatherings, at the burn. From sexual assault to dosing unconsenting folk with various drug. Vigilante justice? Oh, yeah, it happens on playa and we've even discussed it here. Abandoned kids? Check. Stupid kids who come in without the basics? Yep, I camped with a dozen of 'em in 2003 alone.
On the positive side I've seen amazing acts of charity and compassion at the burn and am certain those exist at the rainbow gatherings as well. They may not have our flaming art, but I bet they don't have the same carbon footprint either.
Bottom line? We have met the rainbows and they are us. Or something like that. :)
Ron
- thirt33n
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Ron wrote:My goodness, if I didn't know better I'd think that this thread was filled with burners who do protest too much, if you know what I mean. Is there some insecurity fueling what looks to me like high school rivalry?
Folk, there is no competition between burners and the rainbow family for either to be more responsible, capable, or fun at a party. Neither group has a monopoly on idiots. At least they dig latrines, instead of pissing *everywhere* as burners do in BRC. Take a big light out onto the playa between the Man and the Esplanade and count piss puddles, you'll lose track before you lose targets. And we do this even though we have porta-potties, what's that tell you about our sense of responsibility?
I've seen *every* offending behavior listed here, and attributed to rainbow gatherings, at the burn. From sexual assault to dosing unconsenting folk with various drug. Vigilante justice? Oh, yeah, it happens on playa and we've even discussed it here. Abandoned kids? Check. Stupid kids who come in without the basics? Yep, I camped with a dozen of 'em in 2003 alone.
On the positive side I've seen amazing acts of charity and compassion at the burn and am certain those exist at the rainbow gatherings as well. They may not have our flaming art, but I bet they don't have the same carbon footprint either.
Bottom line? We have met the rainbows and they are us. Or something like that. :)
..but would 'they' poop in a corona bottle?
Ron
blow.
- Apollonaris Zeus
- Posts: 3716
- Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 11:17 am
Hey, I guess you didnt click the link.
the National Forest Welfare Service busted some of them.
Last time they tried to make them pay to camp along with fines that came to about several millions.
I've been to one once for a day. I met mostly good people with allot of good intentions. But it's like a big camp out with more people that you would ever want to camp out with.then there are the mochers, people running away from the law and allot of underaged kids.
I wish them all the best and hope they get the help they need to throw out the fines.
Like, I've said, Logging and Grazing impacts allot more then a bunch of people looking for some fun in the outdoors.
One thing that might make BM better is that they put the Alkies (alcohol drinking slobs) in their own camp- OK so it would the bigger camp at BM!
A Rainbow Z
- lonestoner916
- Posts: 891
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- Location: Gerlach, Nevada
- Contact:
Thanks for that Ron, I couldn't have said it better myself.Ron wrote:My goodness, if I didn't know better I'd think that this thread was filled with burners who do protest too much, if you know what I mean. Is there some insecurity fueling what looks to me like high school rivalry?
Folk, there is no competition between burners and the rainbow family for either to be more responsible, capable, or fun at a party. Neither group has a monopoly on idiots. At least they dig latrines, instead of pissing *everywhere* as burners do in BRC. Take a big light out onto the playa between the Man and the Esplanade and count piss puddles, you'll lose track before you lose targets. And we do this even though we have porta-potties, what's that tell you about our sense of responsibility?
I've seen *every* offending behavior listed here, and attributed to rainbow gatherings, at the burn. From sexual assault to dosing unconsenting folk with various drug. Vigilante justice? Oh, yeah, it happens on playa and we've even discussed it here. Abandoned kids? Check. Stupid kids who come in without the basics? Yep, I camped with a dozen of 'em in 2003 alone.
On the positive side I've seen amazing acts of charity and compassion at the burn and am certain those exist at the rainbow gatherings as well. They may not have our flaming art, but I bet they don't have the same carbon footprint either.
Bottom line? We have met the rainbows and they are us. Or something like that.
Ron
US against THEM
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
[img]http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv92/Motha420Herb/stoner.gif[/img]
http://lonestonersblog.blogspot.com/
http://lonestonersblog.blogspot.com/
- Timezone LaFontaine
- Posts: 347
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- Camp Name: Lamplighters
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Badger wrote: What is not urban legend is the lynching posse' mentality that happens when someone is caught 'breaking the covenant' or whatever the fuck they call it (stealing of personal property, drugs, etc. or sexual assault.)
Rather than call LEO they take it on themselves to punish the individuals themselves. That at times has been tying people to trees and intentionally dosing them, tying people to trees and leaving them, knifing tires, smashing windows out of buses, vans or other vehicles.
You know, all that non-violent stuff.
An excerpt from Badger's soon-to-be-published exposé on the truth about the vicious punishment camps at Rainbow:
Moondoggy roused himself with a massive hit from his chillum. The light of the full moon played across the tiny ridges of fingerprints that had formed the earthen clay... her fingerprints. For a moment, Moondoggy allowed himself the indulgence of thinking back to those hot summer nights in Wildwind's bus, her soil-caked fingers running raggedly through his dreads, the bus creaking plaintively on its rocking suspension...
Moondoggy was roughly brought back to the gravity of the present by a searing, chest-cracking cough. Damn seeds. Fuck it, man. It was 4AM and he had to show up for his shift -- the tribal council was working over another perp, and it was Moondoggy's turn to apply the hempen thumbscrews.
He strode from his intricately beaded tipi into the night air, winding his way purposefully through the forest path towards the Family Corrective Counseling Camp. The drummers in the main camp were really taking flight now -- he could hear their intricate polyrhythms propelling the brothers and sisters into higher and higher planes of consciousness. But now, as he drew closer to the FCCC, the joyful rhythms were tinted with the tortured moans and yells of the perp. Moondoggy smiled -- he sounded well on his way to being fully rehabilitated.
"Halt, man!" came the terse command from the perimeter of the camp. "Like, who the fuck goes there?!"
Moondoggy grinned easily at the razor-sharp point of the chiselled stone spearhead that was being held at his throat. "Easy, sister," he laughed. "It's me. Here to lay down another dose of hurt on the latest creep."
Solstice lowered her spear, her flaxen braids aglow in the golden moonlight. "Shit, Moondoggy! I thought you were the six-up!"
Moondoggy let out a falsetto laughing sigh and hooked his thumbs into his tassled buckskin vest. "By the time the sun rises, this creep is gonna wish I was a cop. What's the status report?"
Solstice set her spear aside and passed an already-tightly-packed glass bowl to Moondoggy, who admired the handiwork as he listened. "He goes by the name Wintersweet. He was caught asking around for alcohol, and ogling Morningwind's breasts. We've run through the usual procedures -- 24 hours of counseling with hempen whippings, hourly forced psilocybin munchings, and harsh incense."
"Well, I'll tell you what, pretty momma," Moondoggy intoned in a strained voice, trying to retain as much smoke in his lungs as he could -- then, a moment later, handed back the bowl and released a denk plume into the night air. "If I break him by dawn, let's you and me head down to the brook and you can dance to my latest tabla ragas."
Solstice raised the glass bowl to her lips and took a lascivious pull. Then she winked and, in a similarly strained voice, said with a smile, "Far out." Moondoggy strode past her as she burst into a massively harsh coughing fit.
Inside the Family Corrective Counseling Camp, all such pleasantries were dismissed as Moondoggy immediately saw Wintersweet tied with hemp rope to the hemlock tree.
"You're gonna wish you were back in Babylon, brother!" Moondoggy barked.
"Oh, shit, man!" Wintersweet watched desperately as Moondoggy reached into his buckskin vest and pulled out a pair of shades with perfectly circular mirrored lenses and put them on. As Wintersweet uselessly uttered incoherent cries for mercy, Moondoggy grabbed a fistful of shrooms from the hand-woven palm leaf and river grass basket on the hand-carved cedar table which held all the Implements of Correction. Moving with the grace of a wolfhound, Moondoggy shoved the shrooms into Wintersweet's mouth and forced him to swallow.
"Hey, man," came a languid voice from the corner. Moondoggy turned -- it was Morningwind, gloriously nude except for a daisychain anklet, and her hempen bracelets. "He was asking for liquor and he keeps glancing at my breasts -- teach him a lesson, brother!"
Moondoggy nodded. "Right on. Right on." He turned to Wintersweet. "You think you can come to the national gathering and hassle people for booze?! Not cool, brother!"
Wintersweet gurgled passively as Moondoggy began a ceaseless, vicious volley of kidney punches. Morningwind absentmindedly swayed to the distant drumbeat....
Rainbows ate a friend of mine. We all had a place in NYC and after it split up, some went to VT, some went to CA, and he just disappeared.
He showed up in VT about a year later all hippied out with a buncha Rainbow people who were having a gathering that the local LEOs were not too happy about, but since a big chunk of the VT population is a few steps away from going Rainbow at any given moment no one cared.
I only knew him from his tattoos. He had manky little dreads and this long scruffy goat thing hanging off his chin and he was wearing hippy clothes. He was a skinhead when I saw him last.
He said he'd done some acid at some show and woke up four states later with these people. And he just stayed with them.
But, from my few experiences with them as a group, their 'leave no trace' policy refers to leaving no trace of unsullied ground--and 'welcome home' is usually followed by a hopeful did you bring the rent money? We're outta drugs/ food/ something essential to survival.
Of course there are great people there, and there are....others. And it's the others that screw it up for everyone else.
kinda like yahoos.
He showed up in VT about a year later all hippied out with a buncha Rainbow people who were having a gathering that the local LEOs were not too happy about, but since a big chunk of the VT population is a few steps away from going Rainbow at any given moment no one cared.
I only knew him from his tattoos. He had manky little dreads and this long scruffy goat thing hanging off his chin and he was wearing hippy clothes. He was a skinhead when I saw him last.
He said he'd done some acid at some show and woke up four states later with these people. And he just stayed with them.
But, from my few experiences with them as a group, their 'leave no trace' policy refers to leaving no trace of unsullied ground--and 'welcome home' is usually followed by a hopeful did you bring the rent money? We're outta drugs/ food/ something essential to survival.
Of course there are great people there, and there are....others. And it's the others that screw it up for everyone else.
kinda like yahoos.
"Life is like a box of razor blades. Sharp, shiny, and good for removing unwanted body hair"
Simon of the Playa
"Simon of the Playa" probably smacked it right on the head with his summary. I attended once and was conned in to attending a second time. Oh, the agony! I still hate drum circles. I hated the whole event and hate for me is a very strong word. Many people do not bring any food or water. They usually try to set up the Gathering some where near a meadow for the peace circle on the 4th of July.
There is usually a water source such as a stream. However, bathing or doing anything in the stream is or water source is usually rightfully prohibited to keep people from polluting or damaging fish habitats. However, you will see many people routinely bath using soap in the streams right next to "KEEP OUT OF THE WATER" signs.
They rely on volunteer kitchens which seem to usually be set up close to a shitter aka latrine. Of course, this leads to many people getting very ill. There are many kitchens run by Christians and Hare Kirshnas who are there to simply "recruit" or reach out. The event seeks to separate people who choose to drink or do other "hard" drugs in a separate camp. However, mushrooms, e, acid and pot are completely acceptable if you are into that thing. However, god forbid someone you see you with a bottle of liquor!!
I'm not also one to be comfortable crapping or using the bathroom right up in front of people. The latrines are sometimes very public and are without cover. They discourage walking out in the woods and crapping for health reasons, but as mentioned above, have no problem setting up next to a kitchen...
And yes, strangely enough sometimes it isn't such a "peaceful" place. The year that I was there a man attacked his sister and her dog with an axe.
I'm also not one for pseudo spiritualist crap constantly being rammed down my throat and trust me, there is plenty of that.
My favorite thing is the barter circle where people set up there wares for trade. In fact, the whole thing seems to very big on trade and don't be surprised when a smelly, unprepared hippy asks if you might be willing to trade your Kelty tent for a bag of shitty rocks or shoddy "magical" crystals.
It's just a very strange and hypocritical place. I think that dog who shit in the center of the "peace circle" on the fourth of July pretty much summed it up.
There is usually a water source such as a stream. However, bathing or doing anything in the stream is or water source is usually rightfully prohibited to keep people from polluting or damaging fish habitats. However, you will see many people routinely bath using soap in the streams right next to "KEEP OUT OF THE WATER" signs.
They rely on volunteer kitchens which seem to usually be set up close to a shitter aka latrine. Of course, this leads to many people getting very ill. There are many kitchens run by Christians and Hare Kirshnas who are there to simply "recruit" or reach out. The event seeks to separate people who choose to drink or do other "hard" drugs in a separate camp. However, mushrooms, e, acid and pot are completely acceptable if you are into that thing. However, god forbid someone you see you with a bottle of liquor!!
I'm not also one to be comfortable crapping or using the bathroom right up in front of people. The latrines are sometimes very public and are without cover. They discourage walking out in the woods and crapping for health reasons, but as mentioned above, have no problem setting up next to a kitchen...
And yes, strangely enough sometimes it isn't such a "peaceful" place. The year that I was there a man attacked his sister and her dog with an axe.
I'm also not one for pseudo spiritualist crap constantly being rammed down my throat and trust me, there is plenty of that.
My favorite thing is the barter circle where people set up there wares for trade. In fact, the whole thing seems to very big on trade and don't be surprised when a smelly, unprepared hippy asks if you might be willing to trade your Kelty tent for a bag of shitty rocks or shoddy "magical" crystals.
It's just a very strange and hypocritical place. I think that dog who shit in the center of the "peace circle" on the fourth of July pretty much summed it up.
Hmm.. hehe
Ha. This is what it's all about.
Police Attack Kiddie Village, Rainbow Gathering '08
Police Attack Kiddie Village, Rainbow Gathering '08
Maybe you've forgotten the disinformation they used to spread about burning man before they got their extortion payoffs.
Go visit ruby ridge.
Then read about the promotions the people involved got, after being caught obstructing justice in a spree murder.
Burning man would be facing the same thing now, as the rainbow gatherings, if the same principles had been followed.
The same repression is still there waiting for any of us.
Force= Anything that compels people to change their behavior against their will.
Anything.
Go visit ruby ridge.
Then read about the promotions the people involved got, after being caught obstructing justice in a spree murder.
Burning man would be facing the same thing now, as the rainbow gatherings, if the same principles had been followed.
The same repression is still there waiting for any of us.
Force= Anything that compels people to change their behavior against their will.
Anything.
- Kinetik V
- Posts: 1652
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- Camp Name: Sanctuary West
Pssst, Miss Iso....hockey games have 3 periods.
Discussions in various forums could lead someone to believe that there will be some after-effects from the Rainbow incident that will influence federal Law Enforcement (LE) responses at BRC this year. Every year the eplaya sees people saying that LE will be more vigilant than before...this is one year where those warnings may carry additional weight. In short...if the LE presence feels overly oppressive, you can thank the Rainbows for pushing (federal) LE over the tipping point away from tolerance.
Discussions in various forums could lead someone to believe that there will be some after-effects from the Rainbow incident that will influence federal Law Enforcement (LE) responses at BRC this year. Every year the eplaya sees people saying that LE will be more vigilant than before...this is one year where those warnings may carry additional weight. In short...if the LE presence feels overly oppressive, you can thank the Rainbows for pushing (federal) LE over the tipping point away from tolerance.
Kinetic V
~~~~~~
I bring order to chaos. And I bring chaos to those who deserve it, wherever that may be.
~~~~~~
I bring order to chaos. And I bring chaos to those who deserve it, wherever that may be.
In what way have they affected the general benevolent attitude?Kinetic V wrote:Pssst, Miss Iso....hockey games have 3 periods.
Discussions in various forums could lead someone to believe that there will be some after-effects from the Rainbow incident that will influence federal Law Enforcement (LE) responses at BRC this year. Every year the eplaya sees people saying that LE will be more vigilant than before...this is one year where those warnings may carry additional weight. In short...if the LE presence feels overly oppressive, you can thank the Rainbows for pushing (federal) LE over the tipping point away from tolerance.
Ha. I know all about gatherings. Just because it's a good place to escape "trouble" from the feds doesn't mean it is a smart choice. Besides when has escaping the FEDS been even possible? I've been conned into going to two of these wretched things and they are always THERE. I know some hippies who go every year and complain constantly about there presence. They are going to be there and there isn't really a way to get around that. I'm sorry but tens of thousands converging even on BLM land anywhere in this country is easy to track.
Privacy? Well, there is tons of desert BLM land and it doesn't burn like a forest full of kindling. The Ocala Rainbow fire wasn't the first fire attributed to Rainbows either.
Their attitudes towards law enforcement or any government agency are amazingly antagonistic also. There is nothing peaceful about it. It's even funnier that they are surprised that they are being shot with pepper spray paint balls.
Heck, there is even a video of that too...
Privacy? Well, there is tons of desert BLM land and it doesn't burn like a forest full of kindling. The Ocala Rainbow fire wasn't the first fire attributed to Rainbows either.
Their attitudes towards law enforcement or any government agency are amazingly antagonistic also. There is nothing peaceful about it. It's even funnier that they are surprised that they are being shot with pepper spray paint balls.
Heck, there is even a video of that too...
The Nationals are held usually on BLM LAND.gyre wrote:I wouldn't know.Apollonaris Zeus wrote:You mean National Forests.gyre wrote:Yes.
I think they always meet for nationals in a national park or national forest.
Never in a National Park!
And I don't think its ever been held in a National Desert?
......?
AIIZ
I've only been to one.
I thought they had used parks before, but I don't know.
It is always a very isolated area.
Maybe I have been told of small ones held in park areas?
All previous nationals have been in National Forests, I find.
So that does seem to be correct.
Regionals are much smaller and are held anywhere such as beaches, parks and anywhere generally free. Regionals last only a few days versus nationals which can last weeks and some even arrive a month or so early.
Not escaping interference, but protocol is to avoid any reasonable excuse for the federal activity.
I find them overly peaceful considering the illegal activity they continue to experience from the government.
They have as many points of view as burners, making it remarkable they decide anything.
The people doing the hard part of the work stick to their principles and pay the price to do it.
If burning man is seen as truly politically active, watch how long it is allowed to continue.
What do you think happened to the big festivals?
I find them overly peaceful considering the illegal activity they continue to experience from the government.
They have as many points of view as burners, making it remarkable they decide anything.
The people doing the hard part of the work stick to their principles and pay the price to do it.
If burning man is seen as truly politically active, watch how long it is allowed to continue.
What do you think happened to the big festivals?
I smell a hippy :) Besides I never said BM won't go down. It can and most likely will at some point. I'm not an optimist by nature that it will continue for long. I've been attending and been active with BM for 9 years+ and I hold my breath every year. This is one of the main reasons BMORG supports regional festivals.
I'm just anti-hippy that's all.
I'm just anti-hippy that's all.
- Sceloporus
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:14 pm
- Location: a fence in Northern Cal
I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords.. NOT!
i knew there was a reason i didn't go to the
Drainbow Gathering...
well.. a lottsa reasons really.. but yeah.. bummer mannn.
OHHHMMMMMmmmericannnndreeeammmmm..
Drainbow Gathering...
well.. a lottsa reasons really.. but yeah.. bummer mannn.
OHHHMMMMMmmmericannnndreeeammmmm..
Rare? I saw a lot of old timers who have been going for 30+ years. However, they are totally outnumbered by the neo hippies. What does a hippie mean to me?gyre wrote:What does hippie mean to you?
I thought all the hippies were gone by '68?
There may be a rare sighting at a rainbow gathering.
I have been called a yippie once or twice.
Well, I know one qualification would be someone who goes to a rainbow gathering and <i>likes</i> it...
- ragabashpup
- Posts: 763
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 11:27 pm
- Location: Suck It!
Okay so what were they doing this year that brought the cops out in such force. I dont recall seeing much violence on the side of the police but I know those cops must have been scared shitless by the hundreds of rainbow gatherers (don't know what they are called) following them out of the woods screaming at them, threatining them, cursing them. Just because they are trying to do their jobs.
Thankfully, I did not attend. However, as mentioned above I have gone twice. It is customary to heckle police and rangers by screaming, insulting or generally acting like a wild ape in their presence...
They do catcalls all over the forest when they are spotted...
They are called "brothers" and "sisters" or so they refer to each other as so.
They do catcalls all over the forest when they are spotted...
They are called "brothers" and "sisters" or so they refer to each other as so.
If you are not sure whether or not you are a hippie then maybe this test is for you...
http://elitemrp.net/hippytest.shtml
;)
http://elitemrp.net/hippytest.shtml
;)
- ragabashpup
- Posts: 763
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 11:27 pm
- Location: Suck It!
Yes, same here. YES, I know there are bad cops, but there is also bad doctors, bad teachers, bad bosses and just bad people in general. I have job shadowed two police officers for 8 hour shifts each. It was very interesting to pick their brains about things. It changed my entire outlook in good ways and in bad ways. They are people and people are imperfect. In a job like that you may start out with good intentions but they may fall to the wayside as you become jaded and desensitized. However, there is also many good cops. I can see both sides. I don't trust them but I can totally see where they are coming from.
Side note: I have also met *VERY* friendly police at BM who really into it and got on a waiting list every year to go. However, this doesn't mean I trust the police or anyone that has anything to do with government or authority.
Side note: I have also met *VERY* friendly police at BM who really into it and got on a waiting list every year to go. However, this doesn't mean I trust the police or anyone that has anything to do with government or authority.
Re: I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords.. NOT!
How would they enforce it?Sceloporus wrote:Do drainbows have a firearms ban?
I walked into a concert in dc once carrying a four foot longsword.
(You may be unaware, but they have some sort of weapons restrictions there.)
One security guard says to the other, "Can he do that?"
The other guy says, "You tell him."
I won't even try to describe what my date from bc was wearing, but it included buccaneer boots to the crotch, mail, a silk cape, numerous weapons and that bc anarchist attitude.
Dorium, not very specific.Dorium Lux wrote:Well, I know one qualification would be someone who goes to a rainbow gathering and likes it...
I hear everyone in norcal is a hippie anyway...