TREE ISLAND—It’s probably too easy to poke fun at Chris, a chili farmer who says “dope” a lot and brought to Utopia not just an acoustic guitar, but glass-blowing equipment. Which makes it that much more surprising -- and satisfying -- when dude steps up at a group meeting and offers something of a brilliant proposal for their budding justice system.
Mike proposed two rules that Utopia live by, which everyone agreed on:
- No violence
- No threats of violence
But what to do when someone breaks either of those two rules (or “agreements,” per Nikki)?
Enter Chris. From “something he read once,” a thoughtful, cogent suggestion: Whenever a Utopian does something wrong, he or she is forced into the middle of a group circle. But instead of being castigated...they’ll be celebrated. Complimented. No hate -- just “love, put back in them.” Everyone knows how broken the American penal system is, so why not turn the whole thing on its head?
Sure, maybe it’s a little hippie-dippie. But if Utopia isn’t a place to dream, what is?
UTOPIA. It’s always on. Jump into the live streams here, or get the app.
