The folkie/trad folks seem to be a pretty mellow crew, and the cops in the communities where I've been have been either unaware or completely respectful. Heck, in Wyoming, one of our state troopers was in a couple of the jams I attended regularly.

The police are not really the problem, many individuals are helpful, but they do have to follow the law. The law just has built-in age-old fears and beliefs. Nationally, I feel that we want to be able to 'just do it' but something is holding us back from being able to hold our music as the vital part of the community, that we really know it to be and appreciate so much when we see it in other lands.