Slab organization

[socal]

Bad moon on the rise for slabbers. People that took over Salvation Mountain trying to organize Slab City community, form a charitable organizations and take slabs off state's hands. Not sure any good can come of this.

Socal

[Beentherefixedt]

drsteve wrote:

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

drsteve wrote:

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

But there are many serious problems that should not be overlooked or glossed over here under the false notion of freedom

That definition of freedom approves of "allowing" the mentally ill to live under a bridge in a cardboard box because they don't like the mental institution.

I am not sure how the mentally ill living under bridges relates to the slabs???

I am also not sure quite how to understand your comment. Maybe you can expand on it?

I was agreeing with you.

One of the main rationales used by those who backed deinstitutionalization was that these people should be free to choose whether they were treated for mental illness or not, even if their condition impaired their ability to make an informed choice, or to effectively care for their own needs.

It sounds like a fair number of the people who end up living at the slabs fit that description.

Thank You. I thought that might be the case but rather than jump to conclusions I wanted to check first. As one of the posts above shows it is very easy to misunderstand or misread what is written in this media.

And I agree with you that the slabs seem to be a place where a number of people may be dealing with some mental issues for sure. But we can only speculate.

[Beentherefixedt]

garyhaupt wrote:
Beentherefixedthat...."fell into your trap?" Is that what you were trying to do? Trap someone? geeezus....what a waste. Imagine if you were trying to be helpful? Or nice, even. Now, when I see you have written something, I shall just scroll on by, knowing you are setting "traps".


Gary Haupt

Once again you have misrepresented or misunderstood what I wrote. The "trap" I wrote about was not one of my doing at all but rather the trap anyone can fall into by not reading something carefully enough and then responding from the heart or gut instead of a more reasoned approach.

It's kind of like the same trap one falls into when they don't read the assembly instructions on that new purchase carefully enough and end up wishing they had. That trap exists without anyone having to "Set it" for you.

I regret you misunderstood me.

[drsteve]

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

drsteve wrote:

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

But there are many serious problems that should not be overlooked or glossed over here under the false notion of freedom

That definition of freedom approves of "allowing" the mentally ill to live under a bridge in a cardboard box because they don't like the mental institution.

I am not sure how the mentally ill living under bridges relates to the slabs???

I am also not sure quite how to understand your comment. Maybe you can expand on it?

I was agreeing with you.

One of the main rationales used by those who backed deinstitutionalization was that these people should be free to choose whether they were treated for mental illness or not, even if their condition impaired their ability to make an informed choice, or to effectively care for their own needs.

It sounds like a fair number of the people who end up living at the slabs fit that description.

[garyhaupt]

Beentherefixedthat...."fell into your trap?" Is that what you were trying to do? Trap someone? geeezus....what a waste. Imagine if you were trying to be helpful? Or nice, even. Now, when I see you have written something, I shall just scroll on by, knowing you are setting "traps".


Gary Haupt

[Beentherefixedt]

drsteve wrote:

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

But there are many serious problems that should not be overlooked or glossed over here under the false notion of freedom

That definition of freedom approves of "allowing" the mentally ill to live under a bridge in a cardboard box because they don't like the mental institution.

I am not sure how the mentally ill living under bridges relates to the slabs???

I am also not sure quite how to understand your comment. Maybe you can expand on it?

As a historical fact many thousand of people in this country from the beginning of the 20th century (and before) were wrongly committed to mental institutions. The cases of Wyatt v. Stickney (1972) and Wyatt v. Aderholt (1974) challenged the conditions of hospitalization for those with mental illness and developmental disabilities, leading to significant reductions in the institutions' populations this was the basis of all further laws to move to "deinstitutionalization" an already growing movement in the US and abroad.

I think the treatment of the mentally ill has much more to do with the lack of funding by congress than it has anything to do with freedom.

My comments on the slabs here and in previous threads are meant to bring a balance to those that write about it as if it is some kind of utopia of freedom and carefree life which I think is a huge disservice to those that know nothing about it and is frankly a complete whitewash of a place with serious problems.

Happy New Year.

[drsteve]

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

But there are many serious problems that should not be overlooked or glossed over here under the false notion of freedom

That definition of freedom approves of "allowing" the mentally ill to live under a bridge in a cardboard box because they don't like the mental institution.

[Beentherefixedt]

garyhaupt wrote:
"In addition, no matter how I feel about certain behaviours or the freedom to engage in them I think that anyone who is drinking beer regularly at 7am with a joint is someone with a substance/alcohol abuse problem...typically those folks are troublemakers on some level at some time and make others lives difficult. Reasonable recreational use and those that engage in it are usually NOT troublemakers. IE most people drink alcohol and many millions use Marijuana responsibly but they are not the ones who wake up and light up first thing and crack a beer open. You have to question what the mental and psychological place a person like that is in and if it is a healthy addition to any community."

What poppycock...who here hasn't at least wanted to have beer at 7am? But didn't cause mamma was gonna have something to say. And there-in lies the beauty of the Slabs...no one is pestering you because you are having a beer..or a joint. THAT is a sound of freedom that many enjoy....silence.


Gary

Ah! you fall so easily into the trap of not reading carefully. As you well know "wanting" to have a beer at 7am is one thing... actually doing it and actually having one DAILY accompanied by a joint are vastly different things.

As I CLEARLY pointed out. One is recreational. The other is a lifestyle/addiction with all it's accompanying problems.

If you are going to take me to task at least read carefully what I write.

And from what I could see the slabs are bereft of "beauty" as the word is normally used. It is a sad, ugly place. FREEDOM is never a word I would use to describe it. It is has much more in common with the average refugee camp. (Of which I have been to several from Africa to Thailand and Bangladesh)

Are there good people there? Of course. But there are many serious problems that should not be overlooked or glossed over here under the false notion of freedom

[drsteve]

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

...anyone who is drinking beer regularly at 7am with a joint is someone with a substance/alcohol abuse problem...

Or they are a third shift worker relaxing before they hit the sack.

[garyhaupt]

"In addition, no matter how I feel about certain behaviours or the freedom to engage in them I think that anyone who is drinking beer regularly at 7am with a joint is someone with a substance/alcohol abuse problem...typically those folks are troublemakers on some level at some time and make others lives difficult. Reasonable recreational use and those that engage in it are usually NOT troublemakers. IE most people drink alcohol and many millions use Marijuana responsibly but they are not the ones who wake up and light up first thing and crack a beer open. You have to question what the mental and psychological place a person like that is in and if it is a healthy addition to any community."

What poppycock...who here hasn't at least wanted to have beer at 7am? But didn't cause mamma was gonna have something to say. And there-in lies the beauty of the Slabs...no one is pestering you because you are having a beer..or a joint. THAT is a sound of freedom that many enjoy....silence.


Gary

[Beentherefixedt]

socal wrote:

fla-gypsy wrote:
There is a difference between freedom and anarchy.

Fla-gypsy you ever been here to the slabs? Not sure where you get anarchy from but whatever. In fact if anything a number of these folks are dependent on uncle sugar for their care and wellbeing. I'm not but many are and yes there are people here not liking big brother but most of the polls indicate this to be true nation wide. Anarchy? That's a joke.

Socal

I am familiar with the slabs. But I have to say that the residents have really brought this on themselves. Poor sanitation, garbage, no respect for their environment, graffiti, and while it may not rise to the level of Anarchy it does in some ways meet the definition of anarchy which is the absence of rules and law.

In addition, no matter how I feel about certain behaviours or the freedom to engage in them I think that anyone who is drinking beer regularly at 7am with a joint is someone with a substance/alcohol abuse problem...typically those folks are troublemakers on some level at some time and make others lives difficult. Reasonable recreational use and those that engage in it are usually NOT troublemakers. IE most people drink alcohol and many millions use Marijuana responsibly but they are not the ones who wake up and light up first thing and crack a beer open. You have to question what the mental and psychological place a person like that is in and if it is a healthy addition to any community.

All freedoms have an opposing and integral responsibility inherent in that freedom. So if you have a right to free speech...you have the responsibility not to yell FIRE! in a theatre or commit slander or libel.

In other words "Freedom" means having a set of rules built in.

The slabs want to pretend they are freer than the rest of the country but many are trapped there economically and socially...that is not freedom.

[garyhaupt]

So many negative comments from people that have never been.

Slabs..so named because of the concrete slabs that were the floors of Quonset huts at a short lived Marine base.

Thousands? Oh at least that. Scattered all over the place. Some in apparent loose groups..they will even have a kitchen, of sorts, to just parked in the desert.

There is a definite un-kempt look about the place. People are pigs...you have seen that around the campgrounds you all have been in. And dump stations. The Slabs is that and more.

Lots of homeless..and people with some pretty $$ RV's too. The attractions are...free, and no one bothers anyone. And then there are the petty thieves that are everywhere, anyway. And, just to add some interesting humans to the mix, there are artists, and 'papered' people. Engineers, designers, musicians...you name it..it's there, or has been there.

Some of the folks at the East of Jesus compound have a pretty interesting relationship with the Seal base, just a bit further into the desert.

If you go..and just drive around staring and pointing your critical finger, you will find everything you seek. If you go...get out of your rig and just talk to some folks? You might get your eyes opened.


Gary Haupt

[socal]

Older topic and I've been to the slabs this year first time in about 3 years. That said I'm over at Hot Springs now. The slabs seems to be dying the Chamber of Commerce allowed dumping and water for $10 but they have closed, the rest area I believe call two rivers that had free dumping and water is closed. Still residents out there and still unorganized so it would appear not much came from this Slab City Community Group. I personally think that's hot springs is much cleaner but I do somewhat miss the freedom the Carefree attitude at the slabs. Hot Springs has the town of Holtville not far from here about seven miles and you can take on water and dump your tanks are for a fee of $12. And on that note Hot Springs is not free either the LTVA charges $180 cash for the season. I imagine the slabs will continue to continue but it appears to be going downhill. I wish those folks well.

David
Hotsprings

[Raften]

If we don't get rain in CA this winter there will be many more places like the Slabs. Spent a interesting New Years week there awhile back.

[socal]

fly-boy wrote:
Been to the Slabs many times- You may even find us at the Range tonight. 🙂 The place and the people there should simply be left as is-

Slab City should be way down the list of issues to be addressed in a country with as many problems as we currently have!

Range has music tomorrow night, Saturday. See you there.

Socal