On Why

This year at the gathering in Pennsylvania, I meet a brother who had been reading this blog. His feedback was that this blog provided lots of practical information but didn't explain why. I thought about that comment and he was right, I don't always get into the whys on this blog. So on the new blog for the 2011 gathering, I'm going to try to address the why. However, since there were a bunch of whys asked at this year's gathering that went unanswered, I'll try to do them here.

Shanti Sena Council - someone wanting to discuss Shanti Sena issues during Vision Council was told this wasn't the place or time. He asked where the Shanti Sena Council for issue de jur was and no one responded.

Why? - Most Shanti Sena Councils happen as the situation is happening. Sometimes they happen a bit later after people have had a chance to calm down. It usually depends on the issue. If the issue is someone trying to do something that is contentious, then the council happens then and there with who ever is there. There is no list of people who attend Shanti Sena Councils. All family who sees an issues unfolding can choose to take part (or not) in the scene or the council on the scene.  July 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 there is Main Council which is a great place to bring up any issues of concern including things like sanitation, Shanti Sena issues, domestic issues, etc.  Even if Main Council may not "resolve" the issue, talking about it helps educate everyone on the issue we as a family are facing. It also allows sharing of many ways of lovingly handling issues.

People keep wanting to call the cops and many of us keep saying no.

Why?  - One of the purposes of the gathering in my opinion is for us to learn how to resolve our issues peacefully.  We are responsible for our gathering. That doesn't mean that everyone at the gathering needs to deal with every issue, but that some bellies have to deal with everything that needs dealing with.  It means we use creative imagination to finds ways to maintain "Peaceful Respect" which can including, but is certainly not limited to oming, bubbling blowing, drumming, playing sports, sharing food, teaching and learning, counciling, walking with people, and the list goes on and on. As far as I'm concerned, the only time we should involve the cops is a death of any kind, any crime where the victim wants to press charges, and rape (provided we have a victim or a victim's parents willing to press charges). When people pose a danger, we can tail them by keeping 3 or 4 kind gentle people following them around the gathering (at least 25 feet away). This will insure that no one gets hurt. It also tends to discourage people from staying at the gathering. 

No Soap in or Near the Creek (including Dr. Bronners)

Why? - Biodegradable means that the substance in question will break down and biodegrade in the soil.  There are organisims in the soil that make this happen.  Nothing biodegrades in water, it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces and pollutes the water (Yes even Dr. Bronners).  By the way, in most desert ecosystems the soil is too dry to support the organisims necessary to biodegrade anything including kitchen scraps.  When gathering in the desert, please take out all biodegradable items and compost them in your own personal compost pile.

Cops arresting brother at Main Circle

Why? - The cops write tons of BS tickets to people on their way into the gathering for things ranging from failure to use a turn signal to minor amounts of marijuana.  Most of these tickets require a mandatory court appearance. If you do not show, the judge issues a federal bench warrant for your arrest - which means anywhere in the USA if a cop runs your ID, you're going to jail.  My personal perspective is that if we keeps things mellow, liked happened at Dinner Circle on July 2 and 3, the cops either leave with no one or leave with someone (like happened on July 2).  When things don't stay calm, other people end up getting arrested for interfering with an officer and that charge is generally far more serious than the failure to use turn signals.  The goods news about July 2 was that the brother who they took out during Dinner Circle had gone to court and done everything he was supposed to do. Because this family stayed calm, the cops were able to stay calm and verify their warrant, which they did and then they let the brother go.  If people had been all upset and in their faces, that brother would have spent the weekend in jail and missed the 4th.