Can A Burner Bill of Rights Revive Our Culture?

[arthurz]

I’m trying to get to the bottom of something important here that I’d love other inputs on, so please either appreciate the intent behind this long post or ignore it as you wish.

Burning Man is supposed to be an experiment in temporary community, and I thought this community had a culture built on some really amazing shared principles of behavior, such as “radical self-reliance”, “radical self expression”, “leave no trace”, “participate; no spectators”, “decision by consensus”, and “it is ok to ask, ok to say no, and no means no the first time”. Perhaps most importantly, “create whatever experience you want to enjoy so long as you avoid messing up other peoples’ experiences”.

But now I’m reading all these threads about an assault, DPW abuses, Raving Man, takers, burning other people’s art, DMV heavy-handedness, people touching without asking first, where was the art, pedophiles, whether people want to return next year, and the many threads that degenerate into attacking each other or our beliefs, and I’m thinking “what the fuck??!!!” Does anyone “get it”? Do we bring so much anger and frustration from default that it messes up the experiment? Are there really shared principles of behavior here, and are enough people disseminating them to enough people to prevent the culture from devolving into a grand rave?

Last night I read the back of my ticket and the entire survival guide again looking for hope in the form of some expression of these shared principles, and found…rules. Many of the “ten commandments” on the front page can be logically derived mainly from the single principle “don’t mess with other peoples’ experiences” including no driving, no vending, leave no trace, observe fire rules, no disrupting others with loud sound, no dogs, and no firearms. Yet somehow, the core principle itself does not appear to be stated anywhere in the materials handed to every event participant. We see “Respect Public Boundaries” as commandment #2, but nowhere do we see “Respect Peoples’ Boundaries”. No wonder yahoos grab tits without asking; there is no official rule against it yet!!!

I’m no political scientist but I’ll bet that if you start with a few core principles of behavior and let a government translate them into rules instead of teaching the principles, you are bound to end up with an ever expanding rulebook that vainly and insanely tries to cover every new situation - when all you really needed was to ensure that everyone shares a simple moral code to live by every moment. Worse, the rules proliferate in a manner that both ensures stability of that rule-making entity and stifles radical expression from the people. Are all the negative threads symptoms of such an evolution here? Is rule proliferation inevitable, or do we still hope this grand little experiment in community will generate a different outcome than say, Vegas or San Jose?

Instead of more rules, has anyone considered a simple “Burner Bill of Rights” defining our core values that can be presented to every virgin, yahoo, or jaded DPW bad apple to enable their own brains and hearts to control their behavior instead of relying mainly on a rulebook? What would those core principles be? Could we ever agree on them? Do we care enough as a community, or do we collectively spend at least one hundred million dollars a year just to party for a week and then bitch about it?

I propose as Right #1: “Create whatever experience you want to enjoy so long as you avoid messing up other peoples’ experiences”.

If you’ll give me that one, I’m pretty flexible about numbers 2-10...or you can just flame me now for wasting your time and stirring shit up because it won’t mess with my experience today.

Arthur[/b]

[sator]

I'm not gonna comment on the very idea of a Burner Bill of Rights. Others can flame you for that. But your Right #1 is ill-phrased.

“Create whatever experience you want to enjoy so long as you avoid messing up other peoples’ experiences.”

This is nonsense. I have longish dreadlocks. And I can tell you for a fact that several times a day this aspect of my appearance, which I enjoy, messes up other people's experience. To generalize: we cannot predict how others will react to what we do, no matter how benign it might seem to us. Each and every one of us, no matter how "spiritual," no matter how "pure," no matter how "holy," no matter how "kind," "compassionate," "lovely," and "wonderful" mess up other peoples' experience.

Rather, this Right #1 should be phrased:

“Create whatever experience you want to enjoy so long as you avoid messing up other peoples’ creations.”

This too might deserve to be rephrased. And again the very idea of a Burners Bill of Rights deserves critique. But what you gave us before was a Right that nobody could responsibly uphold.

[Ivy]

On another site, a friend of mine posted instead of a "Bill of Rights," a "Bill of Responsibilities," which I thought was way more apropos.

[Simply Joel]

On another site, a friend of mine posted instead of a "Bill of Rights," a "Bill of Responsibilities," which I thought was way more apropos.

ditto

[arthurz]

Thanks for the inputs; do either of you have a pointer to that other site? I'm sure that list would be interesting at least, or maybe awesome! I'd post my list, but I'd rather see others.

I am pretty sure that for anyone in a group to have a right, the group must take responsibility for providing that right, and thus responsibilities and rights are not different things but are intimately connected and mainly a matter of which side of an interaction you are on. So call it a Bill of Responsibilities if you want and it is 100% fine for me - I want the right to expect you to behave responsibly towards me.

There is obviously going to be a lot of interpretation about when one person's experience really interferes with another's - unless you want a rule for every scenario, I suggest principles such as "look at it from the other party's point of view as well as your own" and "be reasonable if someone informs you they really don't like something you're doing".

So, I can not imagine why dreads would interfere with anyone's experience, unless of course you try to strangle me with them...

[Badger]

Yet somehow, the core principle itself does not appear to be stated anywhere in the materials handed to every event participant. We see “Respect Public Boundaries” as commandment #2, but nowhere do we see “Respect Peoples’ Boundaries”. No wonder yahoos grab tits without asking; there is no official rule against it yet!!!

I think that's partly because the 'core principles' in question are ambiguous if not outright nebulous. Trying to define a set of core principles runs the risk of packaging it in a way in which many people looking from many perspectives will readily take exception. Having said that I do believe that many of us have an intuitive idea of what core values lie at the heart of the event - or at least used to. I believe your suggestions listed above allude to some of those core values but Sator's reply make a very good example that not all of us are looking at the event through the same glasses - and that's probably a good thing.

What does sadden me is that there seems to be no effort to counter some of the perceptions that have slowly been leaking into the event over the year. Highest on my personal list is the (seeming) growing perception that Burning Man is about a big ass party in the desert and is[/i] about the music (i.e. a rave) and NOT about community. I think this year serves (in my mind) as the perfect example of having a substantial number of people who don't seem to get that one basic fucking tenant.

Community.

That this hasn't been tackled and brought to the fore - after multiple suggestions to members of the LLC saddens me to know end because in the end I believe that not doing so - not reiterating the basic fundamentals - will be the point at which the event becomes just another spring break Daytona Beach style drink fest with fights, titty grabbing yahoos running roughshod over BRC like so many Visigoths pouring over the hills to sack what remains of Rome.

It sucks.

[Rob the Wop]

like so many Visigoths pouring over the hills to sack what remains of Rome.

Well yah, but at least that sounds fun.

[Badger]

Thanks for the inputs; do either of you have a pointer to that other site?

3playa.cultureshark.net

WARNING: this is a fast board. Lots going on. The board does not suffer fools any better than it suffers whiners. Probably the best way too approach it is to register, and look for those threads actively talking about the event. You might want to refrain from creating any new threads until you get a feel for the place and cluetards looking for lost belongings or missed connections might want to think twice about jumping in with a stupid post as some folks can be ruthless in their replies.

[Ivy]

A more direct link (you'll still ahve to register over there):

http://3playa.cultureshark.net/?view_thread=395&start=1

(In case it's hard to find; i had to search for it myself.)

I understand your point about calling it rights vs. responsibilities--it seems at first like a mere case of verbiage, but i think when you check out the linked list, you'll pick up on the difference I mean.

BTW, I'm not sure if the linked "Bill of Responsibilities" was designed solely for Burning Man, but i do know it was at least partially inspired by BM experiences to some degree.

[primate]

Here's a thought. More rules no matter how poorly, or eloquently phrased, just equal more rules. Personally, the reason that I have been returning to b-man for the last 6 years is because I spend most of my life being responsible and obeying rules and I need a place that I can go once a year where I don't have to obey any rules.

Now when it comes to acting violently towards others I don't really go in for that sort of thing. Basically I think the premise that your rights end at the tip of my nose and vice versa pretty much sum up the basis of any rule worth obeying. As long as nobody get's hurt then it's all fair game.

With that said.
For the last 5 years at the burn I spent most of my time yelling assinine things at the top of my lungs. (Yes I am that guy). Many of my comments got a chuckle from some and I am sure much eye rolling from many. This year however a group of British ( I assume because of their accents) ravers asked me to stop yelling such negative things, because they were rolling and it was ruining their experience. I actually tried to reason with them and explain to them that my body is filled with black goo, and that I have no choice but to yell such things, otherwise I am forced to take the black goo home with me at the end of the event. Which isn't good for anyone.

So here's my question, who's right? If yelling stupid shit is how I get my rocks off and yet if that ruins some one else's good time who's rights trumps the others? I subsrcibe to the theory that he who yells loudest gets heard. So the ravers moved and I kept on yelling.

It seems to me that Burning Man already has way too many rules. Many of which are created to protect idiots from themselves and others (just like they are in any community).

But I thought Burning Man was supposed to be different, not the same. So far it has proven not to be an experiement in community but a microcasm of any larger community.
First it's all based on ideals and there are little to no real laws. People are actually free to do as they please. Then the community grows, a couple of idiots do idiotic things and hurt themselves or some one else. So the community reacts and makes rules to protect the idiots from themselves or others, and this pattern continues usually at about the same rate as the community grows, until it is less about ideals and more about rules and laws.
I'd hate to see that happen to b-man. But it certainly looks like that is the way it is headed.
I remember the first year I went I got a survival guide, that was actually about survival. The last couple years, the survival guide was really just a rule book.
Look, life used to be about survival of the fittest, if you were an idiot and you hurt yourself, you died and you didn't spread your idiot genes. But now we have rules, that protect idiots from hurting themselves and so they are allowed to procreate and eventually one of their offspring grows up to become president. And he goes about the business of making sure that more idiots are able to survive by making more rules. Nobody really wants that do they?

Of course by all rights, I am an idiot and probably should have been killed by my own idiotic actions by now.
So I will end on this note.
My two cents, for the love of God, no more rules please.
Some of us idiots deserve to die.

[Simply Joel]

It seems to me that Burning Man already has way too many rules. Many of which are created to protect idiots from themselves and others (just like they are in any community).

amen brother.

[Ivy]

A few more random thoughts:
(not that I necessarily agree with or advocate these viewpoints, just things that popped into my head)

Agin with the word "rights": I do we or even should we, have any rights at all (not talking about basic human rights or rights extended to us as American citizens, talking speciaifally about BM). People seem to get this notion that they have the "right" to do things--especially regarding BM. I've seen a lot of posts where people feel cheated or out out in someway becuase they have a "right" to attend BM and couldn't go, or they went and were cheated out of their "right" to a good time by yahoos, photographers, laser pointers, whatever. You *don't* have the right to eother attend Burning mNa or have a fantastic time there. These are both things you may choose and put a lot of work into, but they are not inherent rights. I'm not sure a bill of Rights for BM would dissuade these , IMO, misguided beliefs.

Also, to touch on something Badger said re: common ideals etc: I can't cite it, but i seem to recall, reading, hearing, or otherwise rumoring that BM has not and will not print publish or otherwise disclose any sort of list or ideals about what the "event stands for." I can imagine this is for a myriad of reasons: they want all sorts of people to attend, not just ones that subscribe to a narrowly worded philosphy. When you start writing down a creed of beliefs, you are getting in the same bad as other organizations that have specific creeds of belif, like, say, Chrisitianity and other organized religions. Or perhaps it's just thet TPTB have felt that, as with the city itself, things, including what BM "stands for" have changed and will continue to change so they shouldn't be carved in stone. Also, some of the ideals that have been bandied about as "offical" (way loose use of the word there) BM philosphies are somewhat paradoxical: radial inclusion and radical self-expression aren't always cohabiltable. If you include both as your strict definition of BM ideals, what do you do when someone's self expression doesn't inclue everyone? How do you decide which ideal is better to upold? There is a lot of debate regarding this issue goping on right now and neither of these phrases is "offically" a BM covenant.

Sorry to babble, but these are just thoughts that the thread brought up in my head. Not necessarily looking for a response or debate, just pontificating.

[Rob the Wop]

For the last 5 years at the burn I spent most of my time yelling assinine things at the top of my lungs.

You would have made a great Disgruntled Postal Worker. You arrived just 1 year too late.

[DVD Burner]

Thanks for the inputs; do either of you have a pointer to that other site?

3playa.cultureshark.net

WARNING: this is a fast board. Lots going on. The board does not suffer fools any better than it suffers whiners.

Hardly. If anything it produces them.

[DVD Burner]

Thanks for the inputs; do either of you have a pointer to that other site?

3playa.cultureshark.net

WARNING: this is a fast board. Lots going on. The board does not suffer fools any better than it suffers whiners.

And rather slow to progress.

[arthurz]

Here are the first three from that site, which I find brilliantly put:

"1) i will take care of my own person and possessions, and will contribute to doing the same for community spaces.

2) i will not interfere with the experiences of others.

3) i will actively participate in this community, through acts of creation, conversation and support.

i think that's about it. "

The rest of the thread degrades IMHO.

So back to my main point, which is why the hell isn't a short list like this printed on the survival guide instead of a bunch of rules that need a detailed version on page 3?

I can see how calling it responsibilities instead of rights makes it clearer, and clarity is always important in communicating so I'm all for it.

Badger, I love your comments and could not agree more except that difficulty and risk should not stop us from trying. And Primate, I'm ROFL and as much as I hate your obnoxious shouting act, it is not as bad as that damn unicorn car whinnying continuously. Your fears are the same as mine.

I'm going to save this list of three things for next year, as I'll probably organize a theme camp again and at least do my little part to ensure that our virgins and vets alike understand how a few simple principles can change everything.

[Badger]

Some of us idiots deserve to die.

Perhaps.

But some of the regs put in place are for the benefit of those who don't necessarily want you to take them with you when it happens.

[Ibby]

But some of the regs put in place are for the benefit of those who don't necessarily want you to take them with you when it happens.

But mom taught me to share! :wink:

[DVD Burner]

Ibby,


ummm.....your website is hilarious.

[BAS]

Maybe the responsibilities can be boiled down to:

"Treat other people the way you want to be treated, and be honest with yourself about how you want to be treated"?


In any event, one of the U.S.A.'s strengths has been that its founders came up with an extremely short constitution which was deliberately vague enough to be re-interpreted over time as conditions changed. My guess is that keeping what Burning Man is all about vague is essentially the same concept: what Burning Man is about is supposed to change as world conditions change.


Primate: Not having been to Burning Man as of yet, I have not witnessed your yelling act, but it sounds like maybe it is something you should try on a tower out in the middle of nowhere in the playa just to see if people show up, treating it as performance art?

Well, that last run on sentence is probably a good indicator I am staying up much too late yet again....


Brian

[MoisturePup]

I'm not gonna comment on the very idea of a Burner Bill of Rights. Others can flame you for that. But your Right #1 is ill-phrased.

“Create whatever experience you want to enjoy so long as you avoid messing up other peoples’ experiences.”

This is nonsense. I have longish dreadlocks. And I can tell you for a fact that several times a day this aspect of my appearance, which I enjoy, messes up other people's experience. To generalize: we cannot predict how others will react to what we do, no matter how benign it might seem to us. Each and every one of us, no matter how "spiritual," no matter how "pure," no matter how "holy," no matter how "kind," "compassionate," "lovely," and "wonderful" mess up other peoples' experience.

I am ever so curious... how do your dreds mess up other's experiences?

[JRoyale]

I think this year serves (in my mind) as the perfect example of having a substantial number of people who don't seem to get that one basic fucking tenant.

Community.

That this hasn't been tackled and brought to the fore - after multiple suggestions to members of the LLC saddens me to know end because in the end I believe that not doing so - not reiterating the basic fundamentals - will be the point at which the event becomes just another spring break Daytona Beach style drink fest with fights, titty grabbing yahoos running roughshod over BRC like so many Visigoths pouring over the hills to sack what remains of Rome.

It sucks.

A-fucking-men Badger. Burning Man is about a lot things, "Leave No Trace", "Don't be a Spectator", "Do unto other... (an oldie but a goodie)", "Art", "Fire", "Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll", "Bad Craziness at Impossible Speed" and I could go on and on. Clearly not everything mentioned applies to everyone that goes, but they are all important parts to Burning Man.

But all of those things are just secondary to what makes Burning Man special - the People. That is what it is all about. If you're around good people than life is good.

And it saddens me that every year the "Community" part of Burning Man seems to erode. Personally, I've been retreating back into my camp a little more each year as Burning Man as whole seems to be less and less special each year. It seems that higher and higher percentage of the community at large seems to be yahoos or frat boys or people who just plain don't get it. And so we've literally begun building barricades to keep out the bad. We put up a fence across the front of our "lot" this year. Next year we will completely surround our camp with a trash fence. Not to keep trash in, mind you, but to keep trash out.

I'm not sure exactly how the BMOrg can address this problem, but it really should be their number one concern. I do think moving to a more democratic type structure would make the BMOrg more responsive to the issues. Perhaps modeling ourselves after the Sierra Club (a non-profit) and enfranchising only those that have been to the playa at least twice. Maybe that is too elitist or not elitist enough.

I don't know...but I do know that there is a core group of people (several thousand or so) that are the ones that really make up the "Community" - these are people that I'm interested in interacting with. It is this group that makes Burning Man so special and I don't believe they are really being listened too by the powers that be.

JR

[andi]

In case you didn't know (and all the previous posts seem to say that none of you know), Larry and the gang has come up with a set of "10 Guiding Principles", you can find them here: http://regionals.burningman.com/network_principles.html and these have been around since earlier this year. You will have to blame bad communication as to why more people don't know about them.

Andi

[Token]

The whole issue with responsibility is the alien nature it holds in US society. We don’t like responsibility; we seldom defend it and often try to dodge it.

Rights on the other hand are defended quite vigorously; free speech, privacy, guns, abortion...

If you look at one of the most successful rule books ever written, the US Constitution, it's magic is mainly in the rights it represents, not the obligations.

One might say that our nature is such that we will only accept responsibility if it is presented as privilege/rights.

I'd say a blend of both would do the deed. For every responsibility hitch it with an equal dose of rights.

Example:
Too many beer cans in the potty -> JOTS removes TP at 8pm from potties. - Defend you right to wipe ass, especially if you rode your bike to the JOTS.

-T

[Bob]

Four words: RTFM. The survival guide points out US and local law relevant to the event, and the rest of the rules, responsibilities, and pseudo-rights are moving targets that change over the years in response to the agencies and other factors.

"Rights" would only favor those who wish to memorize them and yammer about them endlessly on BBSs and email lists. Those of us who think it's utterly stupid to discuss at best, and trending toward cultishness at worst, are left out of the picture. Burning Man is a business, and they grant you whatever the fuck they want as permissible by law in return for the ticket fee. Larry will let you know what rights you have, and thank you for your interest.

[BlueBirdPoof]

Some of us idiots deserve to die.

Perhaps.

But some of the regs put in place are for the benefit of those who don't necessarily want you to take them with you when it happens.

Or possibly the event.

[stuart]

In case you didn't know

well, I guess that puts an end to the endless 'spirit of burning man' arguments. Even if some of those tenets are mutually exclusive.

Radical Inclusion
Radical Self-reliance
Radical Self-expression


pick two

[BlueBirdPoof]

The whole question seems oddly phrased to me. "Cultures" are far more organic and robust than "Bills of Rights."

YMMV

[III]

indeed.

in fact, when you have some people setting up rules, and others fighting for "rights", it seems that you've lost that community spirit.

oh, and crush on stuart for the "pick 2".

[spectabillis]

To roam free upon the open lands of playa.

Of Sun's blinding life they collect into the hovel of shade. Of night's cold void they share into the womb of fire. All, to be born again upon Sun's return.

These, who answer to Burners, open to all ugliness from the social disgust of exclusion and normalcy. Night's embrace of fire forged thier mantra: FREEDOM of voice, of thought, on inclusion, and of action - for all. These who dreamed upon an open land, in desert, would grow.

A growth upon open hearts and hands to those born of concrete. Those children who answer to Freedumb, of automobiles and pavement, of stale coffee in morning commutes, of suburban gridwork in powerlines and conviance stores, of commercial dreams in amusement-park life. The Freedom's mantra: land of the free, home of the beige, with liberty and justice to those who can afford it.

The Burners look upon the Freedumbs with horror in being overrun. Of this land and placement of heart has too much openness. The Freedumbs upon being accepted, inbred behaviour of being enclosed had bred them a burden of structure. Chimpanzees now arming themselves with beer and cameras. Founded on open access, too much openness, too much access.

Can Burners defend themselves against their own? This place of founding on freedom has too much. Cannot sever a limb in crying "No, that's not the kind of freedom we allow."

Paradox of hope. Rules, rules about forming rules, structure not escaped. Acceptance of Freedumbs has captured themselves.