U.S. National Legion?!

[Magnus]

Hehehehe...ok Marsh, I'm going to devil's advocate you, since you started this! :lol:

"most of us want to have some kinds of fighting reenactments... correct?"

That's a broad statement...and without polling every member from every roman group it's insubstantiated. I think that most of the vocal members from RAT or RAG are interested in combat reenactments...but I don't feel they're representative of the actual number of reenactors out there, nor the varied wants of all the different kinds of reenactors.

"Is this the time period everyone wishes to fight in?"

I think it's a collective "no" to this one. I can't see anyone ditching their republican, late imperial etc. etc. gear for the simple reason of NFS combat at an event. It's far too much money to have a second set of equipment dated to the 1st century or so as well as whatever era you're preference lays with.

"I wonder... where could we start to do R_E_E_N_A_C_T_I_N_G??? Not the dog and pony shows to "edjakate the publik," but I mean reenactments in the sense of tacticals like Lafe?"

Hmmmm...speaking on my own behalf, I really have no desire to "pretend" to be Tiberius Magnus...my days of role playing ended long ago (I used to love D&D...he hee!). Tactical is something I did back in the army...that was a job (even though I enjoyed doing it!). Now, given that this is a hobby why would I want to make it into something competitive or serious?

My big issue with this though is the labels. (To use my best agent smith voice)...I haaate...labels. To me labelling an event or group as being "combat" or "display" is sewing the first seeds of division. It's one thing to technically label it based on era, or geographic as it pertains to history, but why base it on group philosophy? Why must we have just combat type events? Or label them as such? As Gaius stated we should be having as much variety as possible.

I hate to use them as an example, but when it comes to diversity, the SCA has a pretty good system going. You have the merchants, the fighters, the nobles, and the people that just like to get dressed up and prance around. They all interact (somewhat well) together, and everyone's happy. No one element is selectively isolated by being shown they are different. In fact, from what i've seen, being different is a good thing.

So, as it pertains to your post Marsh...you said "And if you don't wish to do this kind of event, we shan't drag you, screaming, away from hearth and home, just don't go!"

This is exactly what I mean about dividing Roman Reenacting. So if a group comes to Lafe (sorry to use it as an example Caius), and isn't interested in NFS combat, or "reenacting/role playing", are they turned away? Are they treated with derision because they're idea of a fun hobby doesn't fit the mould that you have created for it in your mind? You'll actually lose interest this way. You'll have less and less people coming to your events than say, if it was open to everyone. In fact, there's absolutely no reason why the people doing the NFS combat couldn't go on their own, do their thing, while the others do theirs. Especially if the land is big enough wherever the event is held. They do it at that SCA event in PA.

How can we have even the idea of a "national" legion when this is the groundwork we're laying for specific events?

Then your next line...you kind of contradict yourself by saying let's see what we all have in common. :wink:

So i'm not sure where you stand....not that it matters, this is all academic...but I think if we're actually going to go anywhere as a "group" regardless of local, we can't do so by pointing out where and how we're different. It's not even worth mentioning, because really, it doesn't matter.

I know you agree with me on this Marsh...that it's a hobby. But I think it's important that we respect people's differences in how they perceive and thus actually "do" it, and by all means, not dissallow their participation because of these differences.