120 citations, seven arrests at Rainbow gathering

The U.S. Attorney's Office agreed to reduce fines and drop criminal liability charges filed Monday against more than 50 people attending the annual Rainbow Family gathering in the Santa Fe National Forest near Cuba, N.M., according to one of the pro bono attorneys representing the defendants.

[Sam Atakra]

Ridiculous. This is just an excuse like Burning Man for people to gather and use illegal drugs.

[Coco]

I agree with the ridiculous part.

[Milton Deemer]

Why is this a threat to you? Let them alone.

[Mismo]

Today is going to be a negativity battle between the gypsies and the locals.

[cheezle]

Let the dopers do their dope.

[HeadRest]

It’s all about the first amendment. The right to peaceful assembly.

[Tony in Oregon]

Funny, "locals with beer between their legs..."
These early efforts at discouraging attendance never work.
We are coming, we are bringing dollars for Cuba, NM.
Loving you!

[Nero]

American Hippie culture is a symptom of a society that has had way too much free time since WW 2. Their never never land leisure life is the fruit of 13 generations of extremely hard work. Let alone the centuries of careful stewardship of the land that REAL Indians or tribal people practiced.
It's a nice vacation from modern post industrial reality, nevertheless.
These are the quaint swan song bohemians before the MAD MAX reality sets in - if we do not mobilize to rebuild America fast.

[ted]

HeadRest wrote:

It’s all about the first amendment. The right to peaceful assembly.

Any larger number of people is going to have a negative effect on the local ecology and environment. The Rainbows need a central authority and a dedicated site like Burning Man. This idealistic leaderless community is unworkable.

[Tom Hyland]

America... "Land of the Fee, Home of Behave"

[Time for a change]

Why does so many people in this country complain about what other people want to do with their life. Some peolpe like working at Los Alamos building bombs, some people like to enjoy nature and just appreciate life.....either way stop dictaking how people should live their life an maybe you will have time to enjoy yours....

[MsObvious]

I've seen the devastation caused by the Rainbow family in the Wyoming forests - why does the Forest service tolerate it. Local Families visiting Venado Park can look forward to finding trash piles, condoms and drug paraphernalia on their next visit.

[Sam]

MsObvious wrote:

Local Families visiting Venado Park can look forward to finding trash piles, condoms on their next visit.

At least they are not multiplying too fast!

[KaT]

and that's why you'll be there Sam?

[NativeReader]

The Rainbow Family may be the most peaceful hippies around, but the fact is there is so many of them all at one, congregating in Forest Service lands, which usually has signficant outstanding resource conditions, that are degraded and abused by the 2 - 3 weeks that these thousands of happy hippies are present. Deliberately or unwittingly, damage or adverse impacts often result. That many people do create human waste issues, food processing issues, tranportation issues, potential water quality issues and solid waste issues for the local community.

these guys are a pain. they need to hit up a developed park area, where appropriate facilites are available, and leave the pristine natural resources alone. they are more than welcome to visit these areas, but not in such numbers.

[Gnarlodious]

Quit picking on the hippies, will ya.

[In Santa Fe]

How come all of the Envirowhackos arent raising hell over the damage 15-20000 people will be doing to the forest...Instead,they like to target tax paying fishermen,hunters and off-road enthusiasts who are for the most part,LEGAL!

[And]

we think we are being oppressed?

[the article]

says the attendees are street people and some are millionares. aaah, i don't think so. they are all street people.

[i really]

NativeReader wrote:

The Rainbow Family may be the most peaceful hippies around, but the fact is there is so many of them all at one, congregating in Forest Service lands, which usually has signficant outstanding resource conditions, that are degraded and abused by the 2 - 3 weeks that these thousands of happy hippies are present. Deliberately or unwittingly, damage or adverse impacts often result. That many people do create human waste issues, food processing issues, tranportation issues, potential water quality issues and solid waste issues for the local community.
these guys are a pain. they need to hit up a developed park area, where appropriate facilites are available, and leave the pristine natural resources alone. they are more than welcome to visit these areas, but not in such numbers.

like what you're saying. They may be peaceful but their filthy too. Their gross and they don't have any safety, sanitation qualities what so ever. they think because their peaceful they can be filthy? i'm peaceful too but i don't take that to mean that i have a right to damage the Nation Forest the way these people do.