What happened last weekend in Lake Shasta (link to Los Angeles Times article) is when people are disconnected from nature and live separated from the Natural World.
Living our ages old, nomadic way of life for over three decades, we the Mules hold Mother Earth with very high value and respect. We leave no trace wherever we stop for the night.
The article states that “Rangers don’t want to ban the students because their visits stimulate the local economy.”
In May 2014, the Mules were sleeping at night and woken up by federal rangers. Monk was arrested and the mules were impounded because we refused to leave in the dark for our safety. The Rangers refused to let us wait until sunrise.
Even though one 68-year old monk and his three animal companions have high respect for Mother Earth all our lives and never have and will never do something as atrocious as these hundreds of adults at Lake Shasta, our ages old, nomadic way of life is not acceptable in the suburban model, so we are jailed, penalized and convicted for our way of life of living outside all day every day.
However, large groups of college students (who are also all adults and not kids) that descend to Lake Shasta each May is acceptable, because they fit the suburban model by stimulating the economy even though they have no respect for the Natural World and Mother Earth. Their penalty for their behavior is suspension from participating in university’s social activities.
The Mules are still waiting to hear from the 9th Circuit United States Court of Appeals in our appeal to clear our conviction.