Kind of confused..whats going on

Well ok I am confused...I was gonna start making plans to go to WV (eithe rby bus or driving) but I am seeing all this stuff about being blockaded and needing to get there quick...Whats going on?

I read the other threads but am kind of confused...

We could only be there for the actual gathering becuase of work...if we show up the day before will this be too late??????

 

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In the end, the forest service can't do anything but cooperate with 15,000 peaceful campers, but until critical mass is reached there will be harassment, so those already present want others to come early to shore up the group.

Please don't be worried about the asinine scare tactics - they are just trying to intimidate us into naming a "leader" and signing permits - to gather on public land in the United States(!)

 

Some of the long-time Rainbow 'vets' here may disagree with me, but if this is your first Gathering I would almost recommend *not* showing up early the way it seems to be going right now. Correct me if I'm wrong but if someone's first experience with Rainbow is showing up to a blockade and getting tickets and citations and fines, they very well may get soured on the whole idea and never go back to one.

The encouragement to show up ASAP is, in my opinion, directed at those who have *some* experience with Gatherings and are willing to practice a sort of 'civil disobedience' to stand up for rights guarunteed to everyone under the Constitution... and all acts of civil disobedience include the inherent knowledge that you may have a 'penalty' to pay for your beliefs. If you feel strongly enough about this (without ever having been to a gathering) then by all means - go! But I don't think anyone will blame you for waiting.

This kind of stuff doesn't usually happen, at least not on this scale. Just thought you ought to know that too.

It is still pretty early in the game, and the way I see it things will probably straighten out by the time the 'official' Gathering begins. That being said, I am contradicting myself because it's entirely possible that the only way this will be settled is through "critical mass" as FlyingCoyote said: the more people show up, the less they can do to harass the Gathering because nobody wants a riot on their hands (except for Florida). But if everybody waits until the official start date then this won't happen either.

If your work schedule just doesn't permit getting their early, don't sweat it. If your arrival on the official starting weekend is "too late" then something has gone terribly awry...

 

Okay.. Now I'm joining the chorus of "what's going on?" I just saw on another thread that the National Guard is being summoned? Is this just disinformation or is this legit? That's totally fucked if it's true.
I'm sorry but why does it seem these kind of problems only happen in Gatherings down south??

I saw something inserted rather clandestinely in one of the WV newspaper articles online, that "according to published reports" some brother was beaten to death with a shovel by another 'gatherer' for "driving too fast through the campsite". This is peculiar since I've never known a main site to *have any roads going through it* and this sounds particularly like bullshit misinformation / disinformation intended to discourage people from going...

Does anybody know about this "incident" in CA? Complete fabrication or is there some truth to it somewhere? If it IS disinformation that that is VERY WRONG and I hope it stops.

 

ok thanks...I feel alot better about it now...I really really want to attend but want to avoid the whole fine and ticket thing,

And just to clear up a few things...is there a fee to attend? What kind of costs are usually involved in going (besides transportation)

What do you guys usually bring? I assume we should bring food and drinks and clothes and things like that

What is the living situation while your there? Should we bring tents? IS there somewhere we will eb able to shower close by? Especially if they park people dont liek us being there it seems liek it wouldnt be a good idea to leave and come back alot so Im just trying to find out everything now so I can make plans

 

There is *no* fee to attend a Gathering and any event that charges such a fee is *not* a gathering IMHO. There are a lot of people here more experienced than I that could answer your questions very thoroughly but I suspect a good deal of them are not around at the moment. But read the threads here a bit more, it sounds like you need to learn a little more about how the whole thing works. You might also spend a little time looking around this 'unofficial' website:

In my opinion you should approach this like a backcountry camping trip, which includes Leave No Trace principles (e.g. don't pack in what you can't pack out, make all attempts to reduce your impact on the environment, don't camp too close to water because wild game depend on those water sources for survival, etc). Bring a tent and some food. There will be kitchens and you won't go hungry, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra and you can (and probably *should*) donate a little food to the kitchens. Bulk items and staples like rice, oatmeal, etc are usually needed. Check back around before you leave and see if anyone has put the word out for items that are needed.

The Rainbow family has over 30 years of experience providing potable water and digging very sophisticated latrines for their campsites. But there will be *no* showers unless you leave the site; there is usually natural water such as streams and swimming holes so you can use those.. however, DON'T use soap in a natural water source, even if your soap claims to be "bio-degradable". Trust me on this, it's not good and it's also one of the things I see backpackers do all the time without thinking about it. If you need to wash dishes or wash yourself, take a pot of fresh water 50 or 100 feet away from the water source and use *that* to clean up and rinse; don't immerse your sudsy self in an unspoilt mountain stream. Ideally you would *bury* your dirty, soapy water: the soil will help to filter and break down the naughty bits (i.e. biodegrade) much quicker than putting it in a water source.

 

Wouldn't worry too much about the National Guard; the FS has threatened the Family before; it's probaly just another scare tactic.

 

A lot of people bring camp showers; I have been to two nationals where some wonderferul being has set up hot showers. He had a fire going under a big tub of water, a hose & pump system that brought the hot water to a showerhead, and to run the pump he had a bicycle. There was always a line that I saw. To get in line you needed wood for the fire. Then, you took a turn on the bicycle somewhere in line to run the pump for a person showering. Then you might stoke the fire a little down the line. Then it was your turn to shower, and there would be a nice set of donated goods to help clean up. I forget the drainage system. But after you showered, most folks would be happy to participate in the next step of helping the next person in line wash their back. Aah, it was beautiful
And it also is a good parallel for how the whole gathering works. The whole gathering's magic is it doesn't happen unless people, all of their own volition, go. It isn't fun unless some of the folks have visions of how to live large and happy, like the shower I described (also camps, kitchens, theatres, drum circles, etc.). then it doesn't happen unless those who show all give of themselves and make it happen.

These pigs who would stop us are trying a push this year for power. the beauty of rainbow is (supposedly, though it doesn't always work this way) that no one is in charge, and everyone is equal in the running of the show.

Do a search on google or here on the boards for "what to bring" and rainbow gathering and you'll find a lot of tips.

Lovin you

 

hey there,
Just thought I'd share what I know this morning, today at noon there will be a council to hear about alternative sites from the scouts Badger and Markham...things are calm no violence..no National Guard there has been all these rumours flying. Lots of LEOs everywhere States too but they've been friendly for the most part so far. Most family here want to stay at this site we will see what happens today.I will post as soon as I know.
luvin' everyone,
jahmai

 

You answer your own question there

 

i agree not to go too early if your new o gatherungs but by the 23-25th should be good.
i still need to find a way to get there but i've been to many, (i forget how many..heehee) and really need to get there soon, from philly.
the national guard situation has happened before & is never really an issue,m some states had given permission to mobalize if nedded but nothing ever happened.
i think what happens is the cops are told to expecrt 1 thing..& pannic. but ad the gathering gets going they realize that theyre dealling with something else entirely & back off to just being there & a nuisance

 

25th wont be good for a newbie this year,or anyone else that aint commited fully to the cause,just wait for the show,..


the 25th is only 6 days away an we (our family)are movin 70 miles south an attempting to hold land..supplies are low,, a lot of the water pipes are gone,,tis no place for a newbie..

 

Well I live very close to where the gathering is suppose to take place (Elkins) although I really have a vague idea of whats going on if any. The local newspaper is reporting alot of trouble but I don't really know the truth of the situation. I can scan the headlines sometime if you guys want.

 

thanx,, but we have our own media...

luv n lite

 

i love close to the eklins area and theyve called in alot of extra forest service people and stuff to "keep people out" its really funny cause noone else in the area really cares about it. i guarantee if it was a christian group of some type coming in to do this they would be more than welcomed. i am extremely frustrated by this. good luck in coming though

 

and once it gets started your commin fer a visit rite ? to say hi ....ill be there ...just look for the 40ish white guy with long brown hair ....ya cant miss me .

 

well i'm ready to go, but i can wait till its closer to time too, if any of ya first timers wantr to give me a ride (or any family i already know) cone pick me up in philly..lol but for anyone headed to theyre first, it might be good to try connecting with someone whos been to many to get an idea of what they might expect or need this year.
a sorta guide type would be helpful since sometimes the directions require translation (odd things like combinning 2 town names) & once in a while it even helps to give up the directions & follow a bird
i'm ready to go anyytime smeone shows up at my door to take me.. so whovers ready to go..lets go & who cares about the national guard..what are they going to do?
think about how bad they would look if they tried anything major.
but then again when you have a real terrorist in the white house i guess ya can expect anything.