Today a judge in Alameda County Superior Court ruled the hippies could continue their nine month occupation of the oak trees near Memorial Stadium. The University wanted them removed because of health and safety issues. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The university asked for the court order Monday when police found several propane tanks in the tree houses. There have also been an increasing number of excrement and urine spills from the tree-sitters’ buckets, UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said.

If they want to be more in tune with nature, instead of using propane tanks the hippies could use more earthy ways of staying warm and cooking. They should make wood fires.

“We have a long tradition of honoring and protecting free speech on this campus, but we also have to protect the safety of the students, community and the people in the trees,” said Mogulof. “This is becoming a small village, and we’re seeing all the same sanitation and safety issues you see in any small village.”

While it is funny the oaks and associated tree people are now a “small village,” it is also sad. When did it become permissible to trespass and occupy someone else’s property for nine months?

A Solution

If we are going to revert to an older village based system, maybe more people should see and experience this way of life. The hippies want the fence removed so maybe they should get their wish. With the barrier separating the people suddenly gone, things will proceed very quickly. When tens of thousands of football fans are around the stadium on Saturday they can directly interact with the tree people. They can learn about each other’s way of life and values. It would be a great opportunity to experience the differences between the cultures of tree-sitting and football. The hippies will sing combiya and the football fans will chant the classic “Give um the Axe.” However the two sides resolve their differences, it will be without the lawyers and courthouses the modern world has forced upon their natural ways. Isn’t that what everyone wants? A solution where both sides can express their feelings face to face in a natural setting.

Until this dream becomes a reality, the occupation of the oaks by hippie tree-sitters will continue.