Mr Lighting, you’re right, it is VERY good that there’s a space where these things like this can be talked about rationally and openly.
I don’t think that it needs more people doing drugs responsibly, though, but less people being irresponsible with them.
Like you said about people remembering 9/11 but not remembering the (hundreds of) peaceful demonstrations. It seems that violence and spikiness is always remembered a lot more than any peace that we have had. At the Newbury By-Pass, there were always tales of clashes between the protestors & security, but where we were, the security were sound and helped us a lot. Admittedly, we lost and they won, but on the ground, many of the people whose views were (and probably still are) contradictory to ours would still listen with open ears, as we would to their beliefs also.
I tried (quite some time ago, now) to opt out of society and live a lifestyle which I believed would help me out physically, mentally and spiritually by going and living on the road for a while, then I got a bit lonely and went to stay on a commune for a couple of months. This opened my eyes to what having an ‘open-mind’ is all about.
Most days, you would hear an argument about something be it business or politics.
“I’m right.”
“No, I’m right.”
etc…
This is isn’t freedom of belief.
It should have been
“I’m right.”
“Nice one, so am I.”
I was hovering about Party Vibe for some time before I became a member, and part of the reason I did is because I assumed (rightly, so far) that no-one would tell the hippies to fuck off.
Much as they may hate to admit it, party people are the new hippies. Do what you want, when you want, how you want – trying all the way to ensure everyone is happy and nothing gets hurt.
I wonder what would’ve happened if the Grateful Dead played techno…
