The Alternative
(Page 5 of 6)
September/October 1970
By Michael Bennett
Many communes have been troubled by crashers who are not a part of the commune. Ideally, there would be accommodations for visitors, but due to the lack of space, some restrictions may be necessary. Pedro said "it depends on your mood – sometimes you get mad at everybody and throw everybody out . . . sometimes it's OK". Sara: "Somebody who isn't welcome here wouldn't want to stay"; Finley: "Opinions vary from people who feel that all doors should be open all the time to those who feel all doors should be closed as far as private living space is concerned. Friends are helpful once we can get ourselves together . . . When we're not together, the ideas of other people only make confusion. Problems are worked out by virtue of living together and the process of caring for each other. This is the compassionate revolution."
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The ratio of men to women (3:1) is a problem felt equally by men and women. I asked Gypsy if the women had anything like a WLF group to discuss their specific problems.
"Women's Lib. is a word that really turns a lot of people off, and a lot of the media on Women's Lib. is calculated to turn people off . . . We decided to rename it Women's Celebration . . . We want to have a skills-exchanging program . . . (to) learn from each other carpentry, electricity, driving a stick shift . . . "
I asked her if she would like to see a better men-to-women ratio: "Yeah, I think if it could be managed . . . It would be better for me!"
This brings up the sexual problems that are bound to occur in such living arrangements. One of the communards stated that there was hardly any sex going on, at least in the communal room. Many of the other members didn't have much to say on the subject and felt that it was a matter of individual taste. Some felt that the sexual atmosphere should be freer, with everyone having the chance to sleep with everyone else, or that no two people should couple off, because this would exclude other members from relating to these people in an open way. This, though, has not been discussed communally and might be a problem that will emerge in the near future.
The last person I spoke to at length was Jim, a fellow from Chattanooga who had only been in the North for three months. I asked him how he felt about living in the North:
"The North is a lot less paranoid, and if you have long hair you don't have to worry about it. I've never been in a situation where I could walk down the street, like in the East Village, and see all those people with long hair, and all those people freaking out . . . and they just walk right on along and they don't worry about it . . . In the South when you're walking along with long hair, you're constantly suspicious, people screaming out of windows at you . . .I just feel relaxed . . . I'm still in the process of getting used to it."
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