Rainbow Family Gathering - Colorado

**Riverkilt** · 30th June 06, 09:22 AM

Sorry KKT,

Not me. Still down in the canyonlands. After talking it over with the couple who invited us to tag a long, and gathering info, we decided that it just wouldn't be as relaxed and kicked back for me as we'd hoped. Been clean and sober much too long, and worked with too many strung out people in crisis, that it would probably trigger me either to say something "unRainbow" or get sucked into "working" instead of relaxing.

So gonna hang out in Page for the funky 4th of July parade, festival in the park, old time car show, and always more than expected fireworks show. That's one advantage to living in what the Navajos call "The land where trees don't grow" - can still have fireworks without setting anything other than scrub sage on fire.

A friend just called and invited us to go upcanyon with her on her boat this weekend too. So at least will be on the river for sure.

Ron

**Kilted KT** · 30th June 06, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by Riverkilt

Sorry KKT,

Not me. Still down in the canyonlands. After talking it over with the couple who invited us to tag a long, and gathering info, we decided that it just wouldn't be as relaxed and kicked back for me as we'd hoped. Been clean and sober much too long, and worked with too many strung out people in crisis, that it would probably trigger me either to say something "unRainbow" or get sucked into "working" instead of relaxing.

So gonna hang out in Page for the funky 4th of July parade, festival in the park, old time car show, and always more than expected fireworks show. That's one advantage to living in what the Navajos call "The land where trees don't grow" - can still have fireworks without setting anything other than scrub sage on fire.

A friend just called and invited us to go upcanyon with her on her boat this weekend too. So at least will be on the river for sure.

Ron

I hear you there...I'm getting to that point myself, where the indulgences of the young and irresponsible no long appeal to me...and the actions of those "partaking" would definitly cause me to say something... well... abraisive. Anyway, the land up there looks beautiful, enjoy and have fun!!

**Caradoc** · 30th June 06, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by Kilted KT

and the actions of those "partaking" would definitly cause me to say something... well... abraisive.

Looks like it may not be just you who might find them a little abrasive.

They apparently didn't follow the process to get their permit for a large gathering, and have taken to threatening the rangers to make sure the event keeps going.

**Caradoc** · 30th June 06, 10:01 AM

Hippies beat back US Forest Service officers

**Riverkilt** · 30th June 06, 10:10 AM

From what I've read they NEVER do the permit thing, just hand their hat on the contituional right to peaceful assembly.

With just one road in sound like it could get comfrontational. But to camp amid bark beetle stripped trees is silly.

Think I'm also hesitant because most of the hassles I've had when kilted were with drunk or loaded folks...

As with most groups espousing peace and love the land sharks and crazies seem to move in and take advantage of tolerance.

Better kilted on the river for me.

Ron

**Caradoc** · 30th June 06, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by Riverkilt

As with most groups espousing peace and love the land sharks and crazies seem to move in and take advantage of tolerance.

They're not the first group to have problems like this, where the core values of the gathering are subsumed by those who see it as a great place to go get stupid.

**Kilted KT** · 30th June 06, 11:09 AM

I think this quote sums it up...

""Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe." -Frank Zappa"

...where all good causes and ideals wind up victims of it's member's own stupidity.

**Caradoc** · 30th June 06, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Kilted KT

...where all good causes and ideals wind up victims of it's member's own stupidity.

In many cases, I don't believe it's the members that cause the problems. It's the hangers-on and "fringies" who show up to party without having any ties whatsoever to the group's core ideals.

**Kilted KT** · 30th June 06, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Caradoc

In many cases, I don't believe it's the members that cause the problems. It's the hangers-on and "fringies" who show up to party without having any ties whatsoever to the group's core ideals.

good point...the original members are usually not the issue...the subsequent generations of "members" start the issues...greenpeace is a great example, where the founder quit because they got too ...hmm.... "out there".

I'll digress there, sounds like I'm on the verge of getting political..

**mattexian** · 30th June 06, 07:35 PM

I previously refrained from commenting about this, because I still have slightly bitter memories of when the Rainbow Family visited SE Texas several years ago. (It's at least 15 years since they "visited.") IIRC they camped in the Angelina NF north of where I live, and made the place unuseable (and unwelcome) to anyone else while they were there, and left a helovalotta garbage strewn about when they left. Stoned and drunk seemed to be the order of the day and they didn't make any friends while they were here. I was in Boy Scouts back then, loved camping and backpacking and love East Texas and these folks looked to be USING the woods as somewhere to get wasted and calling it "communing with Nature, man."

You're definitely better off spending the weekend anywhere away from them.

Matt in Tx