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Check out the interviews.
Okay, it’s not actually day 43, but
looking around at the walking wounded (myself included) on this Sunday afternoon
it sure feels like 43 days. Let’s look at the vital statistics for today:
Ninety-five degrees and not a cloud in the sky; the Bonnaroo fragrance, a lovely
mixture of dirty stinky hippies (everyone is a dirty stinky hippy by Sunday at
Bonnaroo), garbage and portojohns heated to 120 degrees, is in full bloom; and
the Bonnaroo site is doing a very impressive imitation of the Great Plains
during the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s. Sunday at Bonnaroo is always the day
when I wonder what the hell I was thinking coming to a cattle pasture in Middle
Tennessee to listen to music with 80,000 of my closest friends. And yet… I saw
Mavis Staples under the blessed shade of The Other Tent and was transported to
another place by the songs and the exuberance of the crowd. Mavis showered us
with love and we gave it right back. Bonnaroo is a place of extremes. Perhaps
that’s why I keep coming back.
The extreme environment today makes
it all the more impressive that we continue to have a steady stream of people
coming to PlanetRoo and to our booth. They just keep coming and gladly sign our
petition to the music industry, mug for the camera for our photo petition, and
listen as we explain the victories and challenges as we try to protect our
Southern forests. And what an eclectic crowd of people it is! Today I talked
to a deep ecologist, a professional forester and a die-hard libertarian all
within a few minutes of each other. Each one had a very different perspective
on the issues of logging and paper production, but they all signed the petition
(the libertarian signed after I told him that we don’t focus on government
policy).
It won’t be long before Bonnaroo
2007 becomes memories and stories of Bonnaroo 2007. I’ve got a few to tell that
will become my little thread in the tapestry of memories and stories coming out
of a cattle pasture in Middle Tennessee. Dogwood Alliance is threaded through that tapestry as
well. People who never heard of us have now heard of us. Some will visit the
website and become e-activists. Some will talk about us to their friends. Some
will become members. The circle grows.
I want to give a big shout out to
the campaign staff, interns and volunteers of Dogwood Alliance who made our
presence at Bonnaroo possible, especially Eva Hernandez, our Campaign
Organizer! Eva put it all together and held it all together throughout the
weekend. Scot, Trevon, Melissa, Ryan, Amber and Brent were also warriors for
the cause and hung in there through the heat and the late nights. Finally,
thanks to the staff and volunteers of Bonnaroo who put so much into making
PlanetRoo a vibrant and loving little oasis for all the non-profits and the
people who visited us!
Bonnaroooooooo!!!
Sid
Cullipher
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