Missouri group hangs by hooks for fun, neighbor objects

Sunday, October 16, 2011

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A Springfield group that meets monthly to hang in the air from hooks threaded under their skin is looking for an indoor venue for their pastime, after a neighbor objected because the group was hanging from a tree within sight of his house.

The Anti-Gravity Relaxation Organization of Springfield has been meeting monthly since August at a home of one of the members. They hang by hooks threaded under the skin of their backs and knees from a tree in the home's yard.

That's not far from where Aaron King lives with his family, including two young children. He says he doesn't want the group to be banned, but he thinks they should hold their suspensions someplace where others can't see them, The Springfield News-Leader reported (http://bit.ly/ppdbuu) .

"My concern ... is that I don't think anyone should be forced into a situation where they have to view this activity, or keep their kids inside so they don't see it," said King.

He has discovered that there is no local or state regulation to stop AGRO from practicing body suspension in public. He's been told that if the group isn't charging for the activity, it isn't required to be licensed.

"I'm not trying to stop them from doing it, or stop people from watching by choice," he said. "I'm just concerned about where it's allowed to happen, really."

A co-founder of the group, Shane Shields, acknowledges that body suspension isn't for everyone.

"There is pain involved with it, but the pain's really not as bad as it appears," he said. "For some people it's very spiritual, for others it's just something that's fun."

King contacted Springfield councilman Nick Ibarra, who has asked the city law department to draft an ordinance addressing the practice.

"There is a delicate balance of property rights here," he said, noting that he doesn't want to infringe on tattoo or piercing businesses or dictate what AGRO members can do in their backyard. "At the same time they're doing it in full view of all their neighbors."

Ibarra said he hopes the ordinance, which will be modeled after one from Anoka, Minn., will ensure health and safety standards while balancing the interests of all involved.

"If they don't mind doing it inside a private residence or business, I don't think there will be any problem with what I want to do," said Ibarra. He worries complaints could move "from neighborhood to neighborhood" if outdoor suspensions continue.

Shields said AGRO's members are willing to make some concessions but he doesn't think outdoor suspensions should be totally banned.

"(King) had never come over to talk to us about it," he said, adding that the first the group knew of the complaint was when a police officer showed up at an Oct. 1 gathering. "Had we known there was any kind of issue ... we would have had no problem taking it down for the day."

Shields said the group is looking for an indoor venue to hold its monthly meetings.

He said the group isn't opposed to regulation "whatsoever when it comes to the piercing side of it and the rigging side of it."

"We are totally fine with that because this is something you can get hurt doing, especially if it's not done properly."

Shields said the group plans to check with neighbors before selecting any future sites for outdoor meetings, but he thinks that should remain an option.

"We're not out there to upset anybody or anything like that, but we do like doing it outside and we're not hurting anybody," he said. "At the same time, we understand it's something people don't see every day."

Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com

More like this story

JCLifer 1 year, 8 months ago

People like this nosy neighbor need to mind their own business.

Spankthefed 1 year, 8 months ago

Inappropriate for public viewing, take it indoors, or out of view, sad that they have to be told, common decency....or should we say uncommon these days, should be more than obvious.

tonto 1 year, 8 months ago

Spanky, why, exactly, do you call this "inappropriate"? There is nothing in the article that suggests it is obscene or dangerous to anyone besides the members of this group. "Hilarious" might be a more descriptive word for a bunch of people hanging themselves in a tree.

All I can get from the article is that it is odd, and a neighbor didn't like it. If we are going to start calling everything we don't like inappropriate for the outdoors, let me go get my big long list of things I don't like.

NoMoBigBro 1 year, 8 months ago

So you would be ok with your young children watching people hanging from a tree in a backyard with hooks in their skin? Yea, I guess it's not like children emulate adults in any way.

tonto 1 year, 8 months ago

NoMO, please read JMO's comments below. Then visualize that scene a little bit - big people hanging from cables with big hooks in their skin.

If your kids can see than and still think it would be fun, and they are dumb enough that they would shove large hooks through their skin so they could hang from a tree, you've got more serious problems than just odd neighbors.

NoMoBigBro 1 year, 8 months ago

I didn't say they were wrong. I just wondered if you were ok with your kids seeing that. I got my answer. And my kids are not 'dumb enough' to try that, but thanks for the inference. But your statement confuses, you seem to be ok with it, yet call my kids 'dumb' if they were to want to try it.

JMO 1 year, 8 months ago

When you get right down to it, you just can't dictate what goes on on other people's property. If you don't approve of smoking or drinking or eating red meat, you can't stop your neighbors from holding a BBQ, having a kegger - (noise levels being okay that is) or sitting out on their patio chain smoking. You may disapprove of PDA's, but you can't stop them from necking in their hot-tub (so long as they aren't obscene). Heck, if you are an athiest you can't make them take down Xmas decorations. If you are a Christian, you can't stop someone from building a pagan alter in their backyard. They can curse and toss around racial slurs in their own backyard with little ears on the other side of the property line, which I actually think is worse than what these guys do. These folks aren't hurting anyone but themselves.

I'm pretty open minded, but I admit, I wouldn't really be happy about it, but I honestly think the best a thing a person could do in this situation is talk to their kids and ask the neighbors to be sensitive to little eyes.

BTW - doubt Tonto meant your specific children NoMo.

Incidently, has anyone seen anyone doing this? It's kinda weird and shudder-inspiring, but not that bad, really.

NoMoBigBro 1 year, 8 months ago

I think we pretty much agree on this. It really comes down to the point of people taking personal responsibility with their actions and how it may reflect and affect others. I think that has been lost over the years. I also think that this group is now aware of that and are willing to adjust where they perform their actions. Cudos to them! I've seen this before and it is quite odd to me and yea, it kind of makes you shudder. I guess it's kind of like, if a nudist group wanted to have a meeting and held in someone's backyard. The act of being nude in and of itself is not obscene, but it's probably something that should be done with a bit more privacy. Again, it's all about personal responsibility and respecting the rights of others. I'm saying stop what you like doing, just be considerate of when, where and how you do it so we all can get along. And I think this group is willing to do that.

NoMoBigBro 1 year, 8 months ago

"I'm NOT saying stop" (where's the edit button?! Sheesh.)

JMO 1 year, 8 months ago

The nudists would have problems with indecent exposure laws. This is more like a really hairy, fat guy mowing his lawn in a speedo. Not indecent, but not something I want to look at.

Actually, I'd rather look at the hanging people. :)

asb 1 year, 8 months ago

The words lynching and voluntary don't usually go in the same sentence. Doing it for fun seems maladjusted to me, but long periods of self induced pain are common in many mainstream churches. Many religious behaviors seem mental, even if accepted as spiritual. I would no more want my kids watching this than a group of bloody flagallents praising Jesus, it's just too powerful an image for the young.

JMO 1 year, 8 months ago

It's been a few years since I studied it, but I suspension was a native american religious practice, at least among some tribes. Not for me, I'm not a fan of pain, but different strokes. I suppose if my son was little, I'd rather he not be playing in the back yard while someone was hanging in a tree, but I can't imagine why it would be subject to some law or regulation on their own private property. I doubt a little kid would emulate that. After all, it HURTS. And most kids aren't going to want to shove a big hook thru their body.

They sound like pretty reasonable folks really; willing to work with the neighbors and police. It's kind of sad that people are so wary of others these days that they have to send the police rather than simply asking nicely, but truthfully, I doubt I'd have knocked on the door either - I'd probably leave a note.

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