Before you bash "hippies" read here.

This is in response to another thread about "hippies" with alot of "hippy" bashing. I figured this deserved its own thread.

Its obvious that most of you have never heard of the rainbow family whatsoever.

I've never heard of them till after katrina. I'm from just east of new orleans and my town of 70,000 people got completely destroyed. 30,000 houses were completely underwater for over a week.

Most people don't know that the Rainbow Family were feeding the Soldiers and people in New Orleans before the government even knew what to do with themselves.

Most people don't know that the rainbow hippies were in my hometown serving 3 hot (healthy) meals a day, giving out free clothes, free internet, free bikes, free toys. . Without any government help whatsoever. Everyone lived in camping tents. Unlike some other government agencies like Americorps.. There was no pay, no college scholarship, no air condition but everyone worked 16 hours a day, washing dishes, gutting houses, and cooking. I started to volunteer with them cause it was dam fun. At night when the work was done, there was drum circles, fire spinning, and some drinking usually. lol The next day, everyone would do it again. After about 6 months there, it was time to close up shop. People in my town that were apprehensive of the hippies being there at first, were in tears when it was time to leave.

After that, about 7 of us made the track to Buras, Louisiana to open up a new kitchen. Buras is where Katrina made landfall. (by this time the relief became a non profit) We were the first relief people down there. We set up our tents and gutted out an old YMCA. There was no electricity, and no faucets. We took showers in the fire hydrants outside and ate by candlelight.

Before you know it, we had free washers and dryers, free internet cafe, 3 free meals a day, free clothes, and even free live music. Volunteers came from everywhere. Here is a video I helped film. A volunteer put it all together.



So how can these dirty lowlife good for nothing hippies do all this when the government cant?

They've been doing this stuff at rainbow gatherings for the last few decades. And they have quite a network of supporters.

I decided to go to the national rainbow gathering in 2006 in Steamboat springs, Colorado, to see what it was all about.

I believe the Rainbow Family calls itself the largest organization of non members in the world. Noone is in charge but everything runs amazingly smooth. Every year during the week of the 4th of july people from all over the country (and the world) meet in a National Forest (usually in a different state every year) to play music eat and be merry. Admission is free, no money is exchanged through the whole event, all of the food is free (and there is a ton of it), there is a trading circle if you'd like to trade things, if you have a cigarette you give a cigarette, if you need a cigarette you can get a cigarette.

Alcohol is allowed but usually a mile or 2 away from the gathering (this is called A camp). This is the only place in the whole gathering where there is any sort of violence (alcohol of course). Thats why its so far away.

There is no security, everyone looks out for eachother and all problems are solved by the group. The only problems are usually caused by the cops.

Right when you get to the gathering you are met with heavily armed forest rangers. Who threaten you with searches and tell you that you are at an Illegal Gathering. They say that you can be given a ticket at any time for gathering without a permit. Of course everyone goes and people do get tickets. The forest rangers ride around on horses through the whole event, looking for anyone being naughty. (I talked to a few, and I think they like it deep down since most of them follow the rainbow gatherings every year). There is quite a bit of harassment there. I believe if you don't pay the fine its a felony since its federal land.

One of the main points of the gathering besides to have fun, is to affirm the constitutional right to assemble.

After the cops blocked the entrance to the rainbow gathering in 2006 the hippies made the cops with their machine guns and their horses back up and hightail out of there, by forming a circle around them. (not totally peacefully but there are alot of vets there)



There were about 20 kitchens there. There is a punk kitchen, there are a couple christian kitchens, a kitchen that just serves coffee all day, a kitchen that just makes pizza, a kitchen that makes pizza all day, a jewish kitchen, a krishna kitchen, a kitchen that serves tea and has chess.

Everyone is super nice, I believe there were about 20k people there. Hard to tell though. Everyone is accepted and noone is turned away.

On the 4th of July, everyone is silent the whole morning, then at noon (i think it was noon) everyone holds hands and makes the biggest circle you've ever seen and OM's for peace. After that everyone gets down and parties with good food and good music. I met doctors, lawyers and just about every other kind of person I can think of.

Again this is not like burning man, there are no permits involved, noone is in charge (the cops really hate the fact that there is noone to point the finger at).

After it was over everyone cleans up and takes all the trash out. After the colorado gathering, except for a few trails, you couldn't even tell 20k + people had been there. Some of the rainbow people even reseed the trails.

So before you go bashing hippies, realize that one day maybe they'll be in your hometown feeding you and giving you clothes to wear. You never know. Personally I think its a huge bright spot that people of all faiths and races can come together in peace in this time of divide and conquer tactics by the powers that be.

reply to post by mayabong

I'd love to attend one of those gatherings one day! Thank you so much for posting this; maybe it will show the hippie haters that not all of us are lazy, selfish drug addicts. I loved the video of the 2006 gathering, where those people stood up to the armed forest rangers. It's refreshing to see a peaceful (well.. peacefulish) protest that actually yielded results.

Anyways..

Awesome post, star and flag for you!

I have a few questions. You mentioned "drum circles". Is that like a Native American drum? If so, do natives sing at it? Also, is there drinking around the drum or people that have gotten drunk?

Originally posted by Skid Mark
I have a few questions. You mentioned "drum circles". Is that like a Native American drum? If so, do natives sing at it? Also, is there drinking around the drum or people that have gotten drunk?

Usually the drum circles aren't native american drums but lots of Djembe's and stuff like that. Not really sure if I understand your 2nd questions. At the rainbow gatherings noone is drunk at the drum circles (at least noone is drinking in public its a rule that people follow).

when I was volunteering after katrina though, people would drink sometimes at night (not eveyone really considered themself a rainbow person. People would come from all over the country just to help)

Flood liquor was common. Residents in my hometown would raid gas stations or grocery stores that got flooded, and they'd bring alcohol to the volunteers as a gift of thanks. lol.

Originally posted by mayabong


Usually the drum circles aren't native american drums but lots of Djembe's and stuff like that. Not really sure if I understand your 2nd questions. At the rainbow gatherings noone is drunk at the drum circles (at least noone is drinking in public its a rule that people follow).

when I was volunteering after katrina though, people would drink sometimes at night (not eveyone really considered themself a rainbow person. People would come from all over the country just to help)

Flood liquor was common. Residents in my hometown would raid gas stations or grocery stores that got flooded, and they'd bring alcohol to the volunteers as a gift of thanks. lol.

edit on 7-12-2010 by mayabong because: (no reason given)

Thanks for clearing that up for me. The reason I asked if people drink at the drum is I'm Native and dance at powwows. The drums used for the powwow are treated with respect and no drinking is allowed. Some non-native people buy Native drums and don't treat them right. To them, they're just things. To us, they're living entities and treated with respect. I know it may sound silly or hard to understand but that's the only way I know to describe it. I was just curious if that was the type of drums used, and if so, if they were being respected.

Thanks man.

Your story really gives e hope for the future.

Hippies Rule !

reply to post by mayabong


Hey!

Yeah, I know some of those folks from the ARRR

www.facebook.com...

They were one of the first groups to respond to Katrina. Many of the same folks have been in and out of Haiti now doing similar work. It's inspiring and empowering to know that WE can hep OURSELVES.

Which is what the Rainbow gatherings have always taught me. It's basically the best living experience of 'anarchy' I've ever experienced. Not like my experience in Seattle in 99, or other big protests, that feel staged and counter-productive in their juvenile attempts at destruction. A Rainbow Gathering can offer the opportunity for an individual to experience their own potential, and humanity's potential--people co-operating to create a functioning system of 'self government'.

Yes, there's the drugs and the crazy 'hippies' and the like. That is a part of it, for sure. But there are many, many layers to the onion, and they generally expose themselves to those who se intentions guide them in that direction.

Like the experience of Love, a Gathering can be tough, challenging, dirty and frustrating. But it can also be immeasurably rewarding, inspiring, and healing at the same time. Like life.

This year it will be held in Washington State from approx. mid june to mid july. Come if you feel called. Stay long enough to really experience it. You wont forget it.

www.welcomehome.org...

reply to post by Skid Mark


There's definitely a bit of Native American/First Nations fetish-izing at a Gathering. But it is much, much, much more than just a hippie gathering of people pretending to be "Indians". Go and check one out if you get the chance!

Also, alcohol is 'prohibited' at Gatherings. It stays, for the most part, in "A Camp" which is sort of a crusty, bitter shell surrounding the nougat-ey, sweet candy center. For the most part, alcohol abuse remains there. Dont go there at night unless you want to get in a fight.