"Seattle firefighters arrived to treat the wounded and officers handcuffed the suspected gunman, marching him through the crowd. His face bloodied, the man was taunted by many in the crowd, some of them throwing trash at him.

One man got into the suspect's face, screaming, "This is a peaceful event!""

What a sorry excuse for a human being. Who the fuck would bring a gun to Folklife?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20080524/450flolklife_shooting_12.JPG

Do you get it yet?

Expect the hippies to start retaking our city from wannabe gangbanger punkasses.

I'm trying to picture a mob of hippies kicking out all the wannabe gangbanger punkasses, and I'm having a tough time.

Also, would the REAL gangsters get a free pass? Maybe the hippies and real gangsters could form an alliance against the wannabes. That would be cool.

oh wait, you expected hippies to be better, 'cause you have a one dimensional and unrealistic view of what they are - or were- in this case...

people make waste. it happens. the point is when it is finally cleaned up what happens.

right?

Drum circles are an American abomination, and they don't come from any country, don't come from where bongos or djembes or congas or any other ethno-specific traditional instrument or music comes from. Drum circle = lack of understanding/respect for all the beautiful drumming traditions this world has to offer. Pseudo-melting pot abomination. But it makes white people feel good about themselves! Hooray white people! We ought to praise their multicultural misappropriation!

This incident wasn't in a drum circle, but nearby where people happened to be playing drums. It happened in a massive throng of kids smoking pot in the grass... about 40 yards from where people were playing music.

The ground looked dirty because 500 people got up and ran like it was a soccer riot, leaving all of their shit on the ground at the same exact moment. Many were unable to retrieve their shit due to the police taping off the area.

Sarcastic idiots posting trash on the Internet about innocent people being shot = assholes.

Questions?

I've been participating in the DRUM CIRCLE on the lawn northeast of the International Fountain for twenty-five years. There is ALWAYS a drum circle there during Folklife. This is a place where percussionists and their fans gather and where ALL SKILL LEVELS ARE WELCOME to join in and participate. Get it? FOLKlife, as in all us "folks" making music and art.

If highly skilled percussionists want to perform on one of the stages, then they need to submit demos and go through the normal process of applying to perform. If they want to perform as buskers and not be joined by "icky white people", then they need to do so SOMEPLACE ELSE besides the lawn northeast of the International Fountain. Of course, any and all levels will be warmly accepted by long-time Folklife drummers at the usual spot next year and every year.

Oh, and drumming is part of EVERY human tradition, dating back to prehistory. My Native American ancestors and family were/are drummers. So were the ancestors of the Germans, the English, the Incas, the Spanish, the...well, you get the idea. Many of the participants at the drum circle "looked white" to your discerning eye, but were from Latin American performing groups visiting for Folklife. I know because I spoke with several of them. Great drummers, too.

Get over yourself. Please.