Tuchux

[Dottie Elliott]

I worked in Security all week at Pennsic filling in the many hours that had
no volunteers.  I know what the security folks on duty think happened.  I
heard from someone at the chirugeons what they saw as results from the
various alledged beatings.  However, only a FEW people know what happen,
Dusty, Ygraine and Vlad and the 1 or 2 witnesses (from Vlad's I think) that
saw it.

Basically as I see it since the witnesses were from Vlad's they are not
impartial. There were no other Tuchux to back up Dusty (the tuchux) but all
the Tuchux are accepting his side of the story.

Whether the woman was beaten or not, Dusty really believed the woman was
being beaten.  That he choose to act on that perception is admirable.
However, he choose the WRONG way to protect her.  There are many things he
could have done to protect her without committing felony assault with a
deadly weapon.  After everyone was determined to be ok, Dusty and Vlad were
immediately ask to leave from what I understand and they did so.

I really don't think this particular incident between Vlad's and the Tuchux
was related in anyway to the week long altercation between the 2 groups.
However, when it became more than just Dusty and Vlad (when the 2 groups
members got involved), the Coopers were concerned of reprisals and more
incidents.  There had been a number of problems between the 2 groups all
week.  Its unfortunate that both their traditional camping spaces are so
close together.  I was down at Vlad's while that group was packing and saw
the yelling, etc going on between the 2 groups.  It was VERY unpleasant
with the Tuchux doing things to provoke Vlad's members and Vlad's members
obligingly responding with yelled insults, etc. I understand completely why
the Coopers were concerned.  There was a very real feeling that 'something
bad was going to happen' between the 2 groups.  Relocation of one of the
groups would not necessarily have stopped this. The Coopers could have just
ask one group to leave to stop that but which would you choose? To be fair
they ask both groups to leave and GAVE them a refund.

It wasn't really fair to ask them all to leave. BUT there were hot heads on
both sides actively participating in this dispute and escalating things. If
the groups had left it at Dusty and Vlad leaving and not started the verbal
wars, perhaps they would not have been ask to leave.  Vlad's left before
the appointed time. Some of the Tuchux left.  The rest had a big party and
a big bonfire and the last Tuchux didn't leave until late Saturday night.
Now the tuchux say it was their supporters who came in and did all that,
but they didn't have to let them in, did they?  And it certainly didn't
help their image. The party had a very definite DEFIANCE about it.

This was a very unfortunate incident that got out of hand.  The Coopers had
real concerns about what might happen and did what they thought best to
stop more incidents.  As far as I know neither group has been banned from
next year and I don't think they should be.

It put a damper on my finally days at Pennsic and other people's as well. I
hope both groups are moved next year as far apart as possible.  Traditional
camping spaces are no longer important when 2 groups can't get along.

Clarissa