In case you aren't familiar with the name, the Rainbow Gathering is an annual meeting of, well, hippies. And, this year, their meeting is at Fallsville, Arkansas. They started arriving over the weekend. It is expected that about 5,000 members will attend. The National Gathering usually draws upwards of 30,000. This is just a kind of regional meeting.
There have also been World Gatherings in such places as Europe, Australia, Israel, Turkey, India, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Brazil, China, Canada, Costa Rica, and many others, and in 2007, they will meet in Bosnia.
They stand for love, peace, non-violence, environmentalism, non-consumerism, non-commercialism, volunteerism, respect for others, consensus processes and diversity.
It is an example of communal living at its finest. There's a little conversation, a little pot smoking (no hard drugs, they say) and a little nudity. There are group discussions about the Gathering's purpose. They all form a big circle, hold hands and sing Kumbuya. This goes on for about four or five days, and then they clean up the area and go home.
So, naturally, they are surrounded by Federal Agents, who search every vehicle going in or out, and keep an eagle eye on the activities as if they think they are watching a bunch of subversives.
I wonder how much this is costing the Department of Homeland Security.
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24 comments:
They stand for love, peace, non-violence, environmentalism, non-consumerism, non-commercialism, volunteerism, respect for others, consensus processes and diversity.
What's not to like?
have they ever caused any trouble? i wonder what would happen if the Federal agents didn't get involved and just left them to it?
gawilli: Right on.
her indoors: This is the first I had ever heard of them, but I have "googled" them, and didn't find any instance where they've caused trouble.
Let's hope the hippies can have their gathering in peace. If they make patchouli a controlled substance then there could be trouble.
I bet I will know some folks from my ill spent university days will be there. You know, I'd go if I were nearer.
*Shakes head* What is wrong with this society?! Ugh.
This is a good metaphor for the suspicion about anything different, isn't it?
peggy: I am so tempted, but I'd never be allowed through the police line.
tink: You know we have to be afraid, be very afraid.
annie: Yes, it is.
peggy: By the way, I'm having a lot of trouble getting my cooments accepted by haloscan. Just don't want you to think I'm not reading your blog.
Betty,
Her Indoors has a really novel idea, don't you think? Just leave them alone. Somebody,quick, call the Justice Department and suggest they dust off their copy of the Constitution. I'm glad it's the First Amendment that I'm thinking of because I'm not sure Gonzales has ever read past the first Amendment to know what it says.
Or if he has read it, would he say,"I have no recollection of that." or " That escapes my memory". I think they better get the AG some Gingko or whatever it is that improves your memory.Let those people alone! About this Administration: "As the cat said when he backed into the electric fan, "It won't be long now."
I guess WE no longer trust anyone. God knows the problems groups that espouse love, non-violence, volunteerism, peace, etc. can present to a nation who has NOTHING else to think about. Let that be a lesson to any peace-loving criminal out there.
I wanna go so i can give out free huggs, and not smoke pot, I am silly enough without it LOL
Betty, guess you read about their scare with the bad bug...they almost had a rainbow burial!
I'm laughing that they are sending out "warnings" about this group. They seem pretty harmless to me.
nancy: That's funny.
joy: Too true.
cazzie: It's all about peace and love.
sister 3: Yes, someone had menengitis, I hear. They got medical people in there in a hurry, though, with cipro for the ones who had come into contact with her.
carmen: I'm thinking the group is just too, too, er Liberal, for comfort, in the gubbmint's opinion.
If a hippie smokes a doobie in the woods, and there isn't a federal agent there to videotape it, did it really happen?
Ah, we have to watch hippies. Goodness only knows what folks that old will get up to.
Please help me to help Al Gore save the planet.
It's very important to keep an eye on those hand holding hippies...they are probably terrorists in disguise or something...ugh.
Hey, I thoght the gay folks used the rainbow as their symbol...do they have to share now?
I'll stand by our famous Arkansas Son on this one.
Doesn't matter what they smoke...as long as they don't inhale!
jay: Hmmmmm. Very interesting.
mayasgranny: Yep. They're probably all Gray Panthers.
dirk: Amen
susan: Seems there are enough rainbows to go around. Remember Jessie Jackson's Rainbow Coalition?
alan: Hello! Nice to see you again. I have a feeling most of the funny cigarettes were being smoked by the younger folks there. Oxygen tanks get in the way with the aging hippies.
Oh this reminds me of the 'Renaissance fair' that we used to go to when I was a wild hippie child. I must write a post about it soon! I found your blog on HI and I will be back!
Can't we all just get along??????????????????????? LOLOL Great post, Betty. And the answer, jay, is NOPE! hugsssssssss
QofD: That's because they know where to get it.
djkirby: Hello. All former wild hippie children are welcome. I'd like to read about your "Renaissance Fair."
lorna: Apparently, we can't. Unfortunately.
They sound wonderful!
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