Rainbow family (tree, permits, snow)

[tekape]

Abe,

Personally, I thank you for your explanation, as I have yet to hear from anyone who is actually considered a "Rainbow"...

I think it's great that you and yours are responsible citizens, but unfortunately, it appears (please note my choice of words) that most of those who call themselves Rainbows are not. No, you cannot help the freeloaders "tagging along", but you can also tell them to straighten up and fly right, if for nothing else than to bring a better reputation to the Rainbows.

Again, thank you for your response, it does give me a better look into your world, albeit a skewed one.

[icequeen2008]

OK I guess I am behind the times what the heck is a rainbow family? Never heard of it.

[BABsMom]

I'll just be brief...comparing your "organization" to Jesus...oh boy. Interesting. And haven't you ever heard of "Clean As You Go"? If your "people" are being jailed for staying too long to "clean" then it's probably because you have a "gathering" and don't provide the appropriate things necessary to keep the area clean, which YOU are required to do so because it's a public area. I guess if it were the state that needed to provide the necessary equipment to keep it clean, we wouldn't have people being fined for littering b/c there would be a trash recepticle at every street corner and down the interstate.

Here's a question for you...where do you get the funding for your free food and music, and when someone doesn't offer a truck, how do you pay the "great expense" to haul YOUR trash away??? Just wondering.

Originally Posted by AbeYonder

Dear Friends;
I am a life long member of the Rainbow Family, and my children have all been raised within the Rainbow Family. I attended my first gathering when I was 21 and now I am 62. I have a doctorate level education and I own a 100 acre tree farm. Tree hugging is my cash crop, and I live year around in the woods and I don't have indoor plumbing. I have grey hair and a white beard and I don't stink, don't do drugs, and my children all have good professions. Two of my sons are helicopter pilots, two work on the pipeline, and one works for the BLM as a specialist, and they are all Rainbows.
I see a lot of bias and prejudice about Rainbows because people will identify Rainbows with all the freeloaders, bums and drifters that are attracted to these gatherings. The gatherings are entirely free to all and to anyone, lots of free food and free fun and free music attracts lots of freeloaders. That is just fine. If you thing these freeloaders give your town a bad name, just look at the bad name it gives to us; but that can't be helped.
Jesus experienced the same thing.
Free to all a healing stream, some will come and be healed, many will not, but will come for the loaves and the fishes.

Peace, love, and the practice of American freedom and complete democracy by consensus in tribal counsel is what Rainbow is all about. Anyone, even the least, man, woman, or child has an equal voice in the tribal counsel.
Once a year a gathering is held on public lands to meet on our day of independence and pray for world peace; after that a counsel is held to discuss any vision that anyone has. Sometimes it goes on for days, while others are busy cleaning up the camp; and in places where local harassment does not prevent it; every sign of habitation will disappear. The trails will disappear, and not even a gum wrapper nor a cigarette butt will be found anywhere the Rainbow encampment was.
There have been other times and places where the Rainbow Family were run off, fined, or jailed for staying too long to clean up the place. The current 2008 gathering near Pinedale is now experiencing and has been experiencing a lot of resistance to its attempts at clean-up; such as local refusal to provide a dumpster or allow dumping in local landfills, so all the trash and things left behind have to be taken to far off locations at great expense.
As of today, some generous individuals have provided rental trucks to haul away all the trash and things left behind.
In all free countries the world over the Rainbow family gathers on whatever that country calls its day of independence. In Mexico the gathering is held on May 5. In other countries at different times, and in some countries the gatherings are still illegal and unannounced.

I pray that this brief explaination will help you understand more about the Rainbow Family. If you have any questions or comments you may email me personally or reply in this forum.---Abe Yonder

[tekape]

Originally Posted by icequeen2008

OK I guess I am behind the times what the heck is a rainbow family? Never heard of it.

feel blessed that you haven't had to deal it....they have really caused a lot of havoc in Wyoming this year (and previous years)....they claimed this year that the Forest Service was shooting rubber bullets at their children....all while 400 or so of them were attacking 10 officers with rocks and sticks....you can find a link to the stories at the Casper Star Tribune website (just google them)....

[teriehl]

When are they going to be in Wy and where?

[ElkHunter]

You know. Believe in what you want to and I will honor and appreciate that.

I have no better appreciating for somebody that stands up and does what they want.

But, as we used to say in the military. Don't tread on me. Don't even think about it. Come here, visit, that's ok. But don't think that 7000+ won't make a mark on my back yard. It will, and I will hate you for life. Am I wrong? I don't think so. You made a mark on my life and I have the right to hate you and kick your ass every time I see it.

I'm not sure if I should hate like I do. But I do. I am truely sorry, but you come and **** up my land, then say that you are justified, is wrong. Dead wrong. Sorry for my language, sorry for your visit.

[teriehl]

I like to see those pictures.

Originally Posted by WyoMama

As far as you having to haul your own garbage, we all have to haul our own out no matter how big our party is. Why should you be different?

2. Trails don't "disappear" in Wyoming. They are there for a VERY long time whether by foot, horses, bicycles or ATV. That is the nature of our terrain in Wyoming. Not like back east where you can drive & drive over an area & the grass grows so fast you can't even tell. 2-3 times over the same trail & you have a semi-permanent 2-track.

3. If you overstay your welcome - isn't that from your lack of planning? Anybody who has access to a computer - as you do, Abe, can find out how long you are allowed to stay on public land & any permits, etc. you may need.

In summary, don't blame the towns / counties for not providing dumpsters as a problem - that is you OWN problem to take care of, just as it is for the rest of us. Don't think trails don't stay - they do for a LONG time. And as far as being jailed for staying too long, sounds like lack of planning. And I have never known somebody in Wyo to be JAILED for overstaying their allotted time in an area. My son helped clean up after a Rainbow gathering in Pinedale a few years ago & has pics. Maybe you need to be more responsible for the "freeloaders" & "bums" you attract & apparently increase your mess & litter. Since you allow everybody you need to take on the responsibility of cleaning up all of them as well.

What is this - discussing "visions"? Are these Peyote visions? or what? You talk about praying for world peace & compare your plight to that of Jesus. If you know anything about what Jesus says to his apostles, he says he "is not part of this world and neither shall you be" in order to truly follow him. What he means is that until man understands that man cannot govern man (that is GOD'S job) then there will continue to be war & not peace. So you compare yourselves to Jesus' plight, yet you recognize & celebrate on the countrys' days of independence. Is hypocritical. Man will always want to be over other men & countries - I think world history has proven that as much as it can be proven.

[tekape]

Originally Posted by teriehl

When are they going to be in Wy and where?

they come the first week of July

[WyoMama]

I wish I had the pics to post - are my son's & he has moved 3 (or 4???) times since he took them & he is not sure which carton they are in in his garage. He only has 1 day off a wk & I'm not going to be the one to ask him to find the envelope that has those particular pics in them. But here was an article I found tonight. Missoulian: Wyoming officials not happy with Rainbow Family cleanup after woodsy gathering<br>Posted on July 31 - are still cleaning, but you can BET that you'll be able to see where they were for years to come.

[snowman0u812]

did they have to get permits to have their "festival"?