I'm one of the Santa Cruz music crowd...one who knew Bob a bit, took one of his workshops, and yet is not terribly surprised at his death by his own hands. What does surprise and dismay me...other than the allegations which have been backed up in private on our local scene (truly horrifying)...what also causes me much pause it the level of vitriol here as well as the insufferably irrelevant rants from people who seem to have multiple axes to grind. I can understand initial disbelief; none of us wants to have to believe this stuff; but folks who are really close to the center have posted here and at Santa Cruz.com, and they have used their real names, thereby putting their lifes' reputation on the line. Meanwhile, a major majority of those posting here do so behind bullshit handles or as "guests", and a very vocal few waste hours of keyboard time on wholly irrelevant and obscure and incomprehensible rants that say a lot more about the posters than about the central issue here.

To quote my old friends Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, "Please don't dominate the rap, Jack, if you've got nothing new to say."

I, as much as anyone here, would like to know more in the way of real information. The allegations are shocking and are a sobering reminder that we all should be watchful and mindful. Sexual abuse of minors is all too rampant, and it does often take years...decades...to come to the fore.   All you have to do is look at all the abuse cases...hundreds if not thousands...involving priests over the past thirty or more years. Those cases alone should help anyone understand the points of view of victims which start in deep shame and then go to denial...an arc that leads to great psychological pain for a lifetime.

And in the meanwhile, blather about other allegedly abusive musicians (drugs, whatever...) doesn't have much to do with what started this thread.

And yes, the word on the folkie street in Santa Cruz is that there is more to know and there is fire where there has been smoke.

Rick Turner

yeah, real name...