\t\t\t\t
This chapter reviews some of the major events of the hippie movement.
\nThese events defined the nature, objectives and results of our counter-cultural
\nassault on the establishment. Anyone who participated in these events shared
\nat least some of the hippy beliefs, and should consider themselves a part
\nof history.
\n
Antiwar Protests<\/font><\/b>\n<\/p>\n War does not determine who is right – only who is left.<\/b> <\/center><\/p>\n The strength and power of the Peace movement was nowhere more evident They could also justify using heavy handed, sometimes brutal tactics
\n
Bertrand Russell<\/p>\n
\nthan during the numerous antiwar protests staged around the country. Students,
\nteachers, women, children, veterans, writers, singers, activists, pacifists,
\nradicals, even parents and grandparents took part in the effort to end
\nthe war in Vietnam. Although many of these protesters would never be considered
\nhippies at home or work, the leaders of this country, and the conservative
\nelements all chose to derisively label the participants hippies. Indeed
\nif desiring an end to war and speaking your mind made you a hippy, so be
\nit. This labeling only served to further divide the country. If hippies
\nare looked down upon, then by labeling all the protesters thusly, politicians
\ncould safely assume that they didn’t represent the REAL America, and ignore
\ntheir opinions.\n<\/p>\n
\nto breakup peaceful demonstrations by denying the required permits to march
\nor assemble, thereby turning the right to protest into an illegal act.
\nMany thousands of young people were arrested, and now have criminal records,
\nand many of those have lifetime scars and injuries as a result of the beatings
\nthey received at the end of a policeman’s baton or a guardmen’s rifle butt.
\n
Millions of mind guerrillas… <\/b>
\n
Raising the spirit of peace and love, not war. <\/b>
\n
John Lennon (Mind Games)<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
Students spearheaded the antiwar movement, since they were the ones
\nwho were being drafted and dying in Vietnam. The SDS, Students for a Democratic
\nSociety, helped organize and coordinate protest activities in cities around
\nthe country. They held teach-ins on university campuses informing students
\nabout what was really happening with the war, and how to protest effectively.
\n
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son. <\/b>
\n
Creedence Clearwater Revival (Fortunate Son)<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
Students seeking to avoid the military draft and service in Vietnam
\nhad few options. Student Deferments were cut back drastically. It was next
\nto impossible to get Conscientious Objector status. Some students burned
\ntheir draft cards in protests then evaded the draft by running to Canada.
\nAs veterans came back from ‘Nam, either because their tour was up, or due
\nto injury, they began to take part in the anti-war movement, and many threw
\ntheir medals over the Capitol’s fence.
\n
A thousand people in the street. Singing songs and carrying signs… <\/b>
\n
Buffalo Springfield (For What it’s Worth)<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
Almost all the protests were relatively peaceful. Many arrests were
\ndue to the sit-ins taking place on government or private property. Since
\nPeace was the highly sought goal, peace was the way to achieve it. More
\nradical elements did try to stir up trouble. This was partly due to desperation,
\nbut also because some radicals had revolutionary ideologies, which required
\nan armed struggle to succeed. The Black Panthers and the Weathermen struck
\nfear in the hearts of many with their violent tactics. Most hippies did
\nnot support their dubious methods.\n<\/p>\n
How successful was the anti-war movement? It certainly raised awareness
\namong all Americans, especially the media. Unfortunately our government
\ndidn’t know how to end it and still save face. So it continued to drag
\non, while the peace talks went nowhere.\n<\/p>\n
It was amazing just how many years and casualties it took before the
\nU.S. government finally stopped the war and withdrew from Vietnam (1973).
\nOur country was unable to accept defeat, and still refuses to admit just
\nhow big a mistake was made in Vietnam.\n<\/p>\n
This brings up the question, what does it take for the people of a democratic
\ncountry to legally protest government policy and be heard and acknowledged
\nby our elected officials, and not be oppressed and silenced? Since the
\nvoters never get to set policy, how can we change it if we feel it is wrong?
\nDon’t say to elect someone different! When was the last time a candidate
\nlived up to his\/her campaign promises (what few they bother to make anymore)?\n<\/p>\n
Why do those who protest and those who organize protests automatically
\ncome under government scrutiny, have their private lives invaded, have
\na classified file listing their every move, and likely have their personal
\ncorrespondence monitored?\n<\/p>\n
These actions serve two purposes. To limit free speech and persecute
\nthose who practice it. This hasn’t changed since the war days. Yes, now
\nwe have the Freedom of Information act, but that hasn’t stopped the federal
\nand local governments from spying on individuals simply because they speak
\ntheir minds, and protest the activities of the government. There are hundreds
\nif not thousands of government employees who do nothing but monitor and
\nsift through the personal lives of American citizens.\n<\/p>\n
Why does the government feel so threatened? Well, there are terrorists,
\nand conspirators, and drug dealers who break laws. But I’m discussing activists
\nwho protest government policies. Nowadays if something is illegal, and
\nyou choose to protest that fact, it is assumed that you are engaged in
\nor promoting an illegal activity, and therefore warrant closer scrutiny.
\nJust the act of opposition to government policy is now being looked upon
\nas illegal activity itself. That puts us one big step closer to dictatorship,
\nand Big Brother.\n<\/p>\n
We set policy and govern based on numbers, money, and statistics without
\nregard to the needs and feelings of the people behind the stats. This is
\na great failing of our emerging technocratic system. Once upon a time our
\njustice system actually examined the person who committed a crime and looked
\nat the circumstances, the person’s contributions to society, testimonies
\nof friends, etc. before sentencing. Very often people would be let off
\nwith a warning. Now we have mandatory minimum sentences, which treat people
\nlike a statistic, not human beings, thus making a mockery of justice.\n<\/p>\n
We must reform this system before it gets further out of hand. Government
\nhas too much power over individuals. Agencies are given mandates that conflict
\nwith civil rights and the right to privacy. Our leaders seek to protect
\ntheir own interests and positions at whatever cost to individual freedom.
\nThis is not how our system is supposed to work. We have it within our power
\nto change this. The safeguards built into our system by the Bill of Rights
\nand the legal system must be used to protect our common interests. We must
\nexercise the power we have been granted. We must become a self-governing
\nnation, or lose our freedoms to a Police State.
\n
Ken Kesey, the Hell’s Angels and the Acid Tests<\/font><\/b>\n<\/p>\n You’re either on the bus or off the bus.<\/b> <\/center><\/p>\n Ken Kesey, the bestselling author of One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest In 1964, Kesey gathered together his Pranksters and loaded them into Then, one day in August 1965, Hunter S. Thompson (author, Fear and Loathing Incredibly, the Angels fell under Kesey’s spell (like everyone else), Kesey along with his Merry Pranksters inspired and coordinated the Acid The Acid Tests<\/b> Kesey promoted the LSD trip as a new way of experiencing everything. The Acid Tests inspired Stewart Brand, who produced the Trips Festival
\n
Ken Kesey<\/p>\n
\nand Sometimes A Great Notion, was at the forefront of the Psychedelic Movement.
\nHe participated in some early LSD experiments at Stanford University, and
\nmanaged to abscond with some of the drug, which he used to turn-on everyone
\nhe met. At his place in La Honda, California, Kesey hosted a ongoing party
\nof friends who called themselves the Merry Pranksters.\n<\/p>\n
\na bus (now an icon of the Hippy movement) with the destination sign reading
\nFurthur. They took off on an LSD fueled psychedelic cross-country journey
\nthat spanned not just a continent but two social movements, the Beats and
\nthe Hippies. This bringing together of such personalities as Neal Cassady,
\nAllen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac with Kesey, Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert
\n(Ram Dass), was a symbolic passing of the torch from one movement to the
\nother.\n<\/p>\n
\nin Las Vegas), rolled in, escorted by a gang of Hell’s Angels. Kesey welcomed
\nand treated the Hells Angels as individuals, not representing some kind
\nof threat. As usual he turned them on to LSD (the first time for them).
\nAlso at Kesey’s place that fateful day were Allen Ginsberg and Richard
\nAlpert, two of the more gentle philosophers of the beat\/hippy\/psychedelic
\nmovement. You’d expect some kind of fireworks with such a mix of energies
\nand ideas.\n<\/p>\n
\nand thus began a long relationship (4 1\/2 years) between the Hells Angels
\nand the Hippy Movement. It was defined by Hell’s Angels providing security
\nand bodyguards for many hippy events, rock stars and concerts in those
\nyears. There is little doubt the Hell’s Angels were heavily involved in
\ndistributing the drugs that many hippies consumed during that period. The
\nrelationship soured after the disastrous 1969 Altamont concert where they
\nprovided security for the Jefferson Airplane and the Rolling Stones. A
\nman waving a gun was killed right in front of the stage, by the Angels,
\nwho were absolved of responsibility. The film Gimme Shelter was used in
\nevidence and it’s clear the Angels were just doing their job in a very
\ndifficult situation. The incident was just one of many violent episodes
\nthat year.\n<\/p>\n
\nTests (see below). Kesey had several brushes with the law, went on-the-lam
\nin Mexico, and returned to face the music. Kesey and the remaining Pranksters
\nnow take his famous bus on an annual tour around the US and England. They
\nare followed by an ever growing entourage of hippies.\n<\/p>\n
\n
The famous Acid Tests were put on by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters
\nin the mid-60s in California. These psychedelic happenings evolved into
\nthe San Francisco scene leading up to the Summer of Love. What Kesey did
\nwas mix together music, acid, and light shows into a potent brew of mind-expanding
\nphantasmagoria. Many attending these acid parties took LSD for the first
\ntime. Word got out and the acid tests drew more and more people.\n<\/p>\n
\nHis psychedelic bus, the parties at his house, and the acid tests were
\nall experiments with mind expanding anarchy. Those who participated in
\nthese events were true adventurers, explorers of the unknown. It’s hard
\nto measure the impact of these events, but we were soon to see some of
\nthe results surfacing in San Francisco (see below). Kesey eventually held
\na graduation ceremony for the core Acid-Test participants. They were given
\na certificate verifying they had survived.\n<\/p>\n
\nparty in San Francisco in January, 1966. It was a three-day festival of
\nmusic at Longshoreman’s Hall with dancing and a light show that would simulate
\nan LSD experience without LSD. Kesey and the Merry Pranksters showed
\nup, (along with the Grateful Dead, and lots of real acid) as this was the
\nmost public of the acid tests. The success of this event inspired Bill
\nGraham to start holding these parties on a regular basis at the Fillmore
\nAuditorium.
\n
Be-In, San Francisco 1967<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n <\/center><\/p>\n It was billed as a Gathering of the Tribes, the First Human Be-In. On This was a highly charged, symbolic event that brought together the Many who participated in this seminal event look back and remember a
\nJanuary 14, 1967, 50,000 beautiful people gathered at the Polo Grounds
\nto listen to Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, Richard Alpert (Ram Dass),
\nDick Gregory, Jerry Rubin, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder talk about
\nlife, love, enlightenment and peace. San Francisco rock bands the Grateful
\nDead, Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service entertained
\nthe crowd. The diggers were there handing out free food, some of which
\nmay have been laced with LSD.\n<\/p>\n
\npolitical, spiritual, literary, musical and shamanic leaders of a generation.
\nAt the time it seemed like a good thing to do. Just get together and experience
\nthe vibes. Looking back we can see that it was a chance for us to view
\nour numbers, to feel our power, to communicate our love, and to outline
\nthe agenda for a movement. That was the subtext. Allen Ginsberg said we
\nshould use our flower power peacefully. Timothy Leary said we should
\nturn-on, tune-in and drop-out of the social program. Jerry Rubin encouraged
\nus to get active on the political stage. Ram Dass urged us to Be Here
\nNow and find enlightenment in the moment. The musicians made us dance
\nand reminded us that life can be fun.\n<\/p>\n
\nspecial light that surrounded them during the Be-In. Inside this collective
\nexperience in the light there was a tremendous feeling of community, togetherness
\nand oneness. But then the light faded and they found themselves back in
\nthe park, listening to music, separate once again. But that feeling was
\nto linger as winter led to spring\u2026.
\n
Monterey Pop Festival: 1967 June 16-18, 1967<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n <\/center><\/p>\n Billed as Music, Love, and Flowers, the Monterey Pop Festival was Organized by Lou Adler and John Philips of the Mamas and Papas, with The event turned out to be the biggest rock concert of its day. It was For three days the fans were treated to some of the best music by young Pete Townsend and Jimi Hendrix got in a fight over who would follow Ravi Shankar played a mesmerizing three-hour set that saw the audience Monterey Pop was made into a movie which initially had limited success
\nthat and so much more. Festival attendees were urged to Dress as wild
\nas you choose. This was the first big rock festival, a showcase for the
\nWest Coast music scene. 200,000 showed up for the three-day non-profit
\nevent in California at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, the site of the
\nannual Monterey Jazz Festival.\n<\/p>\n
\nthe help of rock impresario Bill Graham and others, Monterey attracted
\nthe cream of musical acts. It was Paul McCartney who suggested both Jimi
\nHendrix and The Who (in their first American concert). Other performers
\nincluded Eric Burdon & The Animals, Simon & Garfunkel, Canned Heat,
\nBig Brother & The Holding Company with Janis Joplin, The Steve Miller
\nBand, The Byrds, The Jefferson Airplane, Ravi Shankar, Buffalo Springfield,
\nThe Grateful Dead, Scott McKenzie, and of course The Mamas & The Papas.\n<\/p>\n
\na prelude to the larger rock festivals to come in later years. The crowd
\nwas treated well, the event was highly organized and ran pretty smooth.
\nHawaiian orchids were handed out at the gate, ushers showed people to their
\nseats, and a special batch of purple Owsley acid was available. A typical
\nSan Francisco light show added to the psychedelic feel of the festival.\n<\/p>\n
\ncreative talents at their peak. Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin made rock
\nhistory as they both blew the crowd away with music that touched our souls.
\nBefore Monterey, they were almost totally unknown in the U.S. But Janis
\nJoplin was the first to steal the audience’s heart with her rendition of
\nBig Mama Thorton’s blues tune, Ball and Chain. No woman singer before
\nor since has been able to pierce your heart with emotion like Janis.\n<\/p>\n
\nwhom. Pete lost the coin toss, so his band went on first, smashing their
\nguitars, their instruments and the stage for their patented climax. Jimi
\nneeded no such stunts. He wooed the audience with his mastery, his control
\nover every sound possible from a guitar. His soulful, yet gut wrenching
\nsound tore through virgin ears and immediately everyone knew, that music
\nwould never be the same. But just to top Townsend, Jimi set his guitar
\non fire – after making love to it.\n<\/p>\n
\nrespond with a very long standing ovation. His performance instantly made
\nhim an icon of Indian music. Some bands like the Byrds and the Mamas and
\nthe Papas were about to breakup, and their performances reflected the discontent.\n<\/p>\n
\non its first release. Now it’s considered a classic documentary of the
\nperiod thanks to the premiere performances of Janis & Jimi. The Festival
\nalso inspired other promoters to book multiple acts at large outdoor venues,
\nas the psychedelic rock scene swept the country. It succeeded due to the
\nprofessionalism of the organizers. As the precursor to Woodstock, it showed
\nthat there was a big market for outdoor concerts. And it was just the beginning
\nof a summer to remember\u2026.
\n
The Summer of Love: San Francisco, 1967<\/font><\/b>\n<\/p>\n If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear a flower in your <\/center><\/p>\n San Francisco has always had a different attitude marked by tolerance. Things really started to develop when Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters By 1967, things were really coming together, the music, the drugs, and
\nhair.<\/b>
\n
John Phillips\/Scott McKenzie (If You’re Going to San Francisco)<\/p>\n
\nDuring the late 1950s and early ’60s, it was a bohemian hangout. Jack Kerouac,
\nAllen Ginsberg and other writers, artists and musicians lived and partied
\nhard in places like North Beach and across the bay in Berkeley. In 1964,
\nthe University of California in Berkeley was home to the Free Speech Movement.
\nSo it was the perfect setting for a revolution in style, attitude, and
\nconsciousness.\n<\/p>\n
\nheld Acid Tests in the area in 1965. These parties where Electric Kool-Aid
\n(spiked with LSD), psychedelic music by the likes of the Grateful Dead,
\nand the first light shows appeared, was the spark that lit a thousand candles.
\nThose candles lit many more at events like The 1966 Trips Festival which
\nadded guerrilla theater, mime performance, and body paint to the psychedelic
\nritual.\n<\/p>\n
\nof course thousands of beautiful people. That year started with the Gathering
\nof the Tribes, the first Human Be-In. Businessmen in the Haight began
\nto realize that there was something going on in the city that was attracting
\nthousands of young people. They decided to actively promote the upcoming
\nsummer as The Summer of Love to give business a push.
\n
Made up my mind to make a new start. <\/b>
\n
Going to California with an aching in my heart. <\/b>
\n
Someone told me there’s a girl out there <\/b>
\n
With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair. <\/b>
\n
Led Zeppelin (Goin’ to California)<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
San Francisco is one of the most magnificent cities in the world. Golden
\nGate Park is the cultural heart and gathering place. Just off the park’s
\nPanhandle, lies the Haight district. What a scene it was in 1967, with
\nfabulous psychedelic music, light shows, free flowing drugs, new fashions,
\nand young people everywhere. Haight-Ashbury tried to accommodate the influx
\nand developed according to the needs of these cultural pioneers. Many of
\nthese hippies were runaways, and usually broke. Free clinics, free food
\n(thanks to the Diggers), free clothes and crash pads all helped what was
\nan overwhelming situation. Since the vibe was loving and sharing, you can
\nadd free sex and drugs into the mix.\n<\/p>\n
But the hype went too far. They started doing Greyhound tours of the
\nHaight. Small town straights looked out of the bus windows upon something
\nso alien, it was like visiting a colorful, cosmic zoo, complete with running
\ncommentary. The media played it up, and the kids came in droves to be a
\npart of the scene.\n<\/p>\n
On June 16th, the Monterey Pop Festival drew national attention by showcasing
\nthe San Francisco sound with groups like the Grateful Dead, Big Brother
\nand the Holding Company with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the Jefferson
\nAirplane. Both Janis & Jimi were relatively unknown until their legendary
\nperformances at Monterey. On June 21st the hippies held a Summer Solstice
\nparty in Golden Gate Park. By June 25, the day the Beatles debuted the
\nsong, All You Need Is Love on T.V., 100,000 flower children were gathered
\nin the Haight-Ashbury area living it. On July 1st, the Beatles LSD inspired
\nSgt. Pepper album hit # 1. On July 7th, Time Magazine’s cover story was
\nThe Hippies: The Philosophy of a Subculture. On August 7th, George Harrison
\npaid the Haight a visit with his wife, Patti. On Aug 26th, Jimi Hendrix’s
\nAre You Experienced? hit the charts.
\n
Surely something cosmic was happening. (Please read the chapter The
\nAstrology of the Hippy Movement for a possible explanation of the forces
\nat work during the summer of 1967).\n<\/p>\n
The Haight at its peak was the center of an LSD fueled revolution in
\nconsciousness, music, art, fashion and lifestyle. The novel experiments
\nthat were tried during these years were not failures. They opened doors
\nthrough which we discovered our true selves and our common humanity. Sure
\nthere were bad trips, rip-offs, diseases, run-ins with authority, but these
\nwere isolated incidents and a small price to pay for being part of a revolution.\n<\/p>\n
Within a few years, the media attention moved away, and so did many
\nof the hippies. Some went back home, some moved to communes around the
\nstate, some traveled to other hippy havens. There was a gradual decline
\nin the Haight Ashbury area, but today it’s come back somewhat and now it’s
\na nostalgic tourist attraction and once again a hippy mecca.
\n
The Democratic Convention: Chicago 1968<\/font><\/b>\n<\/p>\n Our demonstrations shall be entirely peaceful….<\/b> <\/center><\/p>\n It was to be a peaceful demonstration against the continuing War in Each night, America watched as the airwaves broadcast the events from Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman’s Yippies did threaten to roar like wild
\n
We are not seeking a confrontation.<\/b>
\n
David Dellinger, leader of National Mobilization to
\n
End the War in Vietnam and planned protests in Chicago.<\/p>\n
\nVietnam and the fact that the Convention was a farce, since the outcome
\nhad been predetermined. Earlier that year, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert
\nKennedy had been assassinated. With our popular, peace loving leaders gone,
\nthe nomination of Hubert Humphrey, and rejection of the peace platform
\nwould be another serious blow to activists.\n<\/p>\n
\nChicago. The whole Democratic Convention and the nomination of Humphrey\/Muskie
\ntook a back seat to the events unfolding on the streets outside. Yippie
\nleader, Abbie Hoffman had called for 500,000 protesters to demonstrate
\nin Chicago. In response, Mayor Daly had 12,000 policemen stationed around
\nthe Convention center. He got another 6,000 National Guard; 7,500 U.S.
\narmy troops; and 1,000 FBI, CIA & other services agents to deal with
\nonly 10,000 unarmed peaceful protesters who showed up.\n<\/p>\n
\nbands through Chicago and spike the city’s water supply with LSD. But
\nthese were just the usual media grabbing pranks they used. Tom Hayden,
\nRennie Davis, leaders of the SDS and David Dellinger were the organizers
\nof the larger protest. All these men were later part of the Chicago Seven
\nconspiracy trial.
\n
The Whole World is Watching!<\/b>
\n
Chant on the streets of Chicago during the 1968 Democratic Convention,
\nas the police were beating the demonstrators, passersby, and the media,
\nwho broadcast it all.<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
Apparently, there was a planned conspiracy to teach the demonstrators
\na lesson. On the one hand the protesters were ordered out of the park where
\nthey gathered. On the other hand all the streets leading away were blocked
\nby bayonets and machine guns. It’s clear the strategy was to surround and
\nbeat the shit out of the demonstrators. First hand reports indicate the
\nunflinching brutality that was meted out not only to the young protesters,
\nbut also to reporters, cameramen, and passersby. Priests and ministers,
\nand even Allen Ginsberg had come to ensure that the protests were peaceful.
\nBut the anger rose as the police tactics and violence took their toll.
\nMore demonstrators turned out each day, but each day they were met by more
\npolice and National Guardsmen. It was a police riot that appeared on TV
\nand was witnessed by millions.\n<\/p>\n
Humphrey lost his presidential bid, no thanks to the way the events
\nin Chicago were handled. Mayor Daly also faced a lot of fallout, and lost
\nsome power. The Yippie and SDS leaders went on trial for conspiracy and
\ninciting riots. The trial became a stage where Abbie Hoffman and Jerry
\nRubin satirized the whole hypocrisy. The conspiracy charges were dropped,
\nand the inciting a riot convictions were overturned on appeal. The heavy-handed
\ntactics by law enforcement in Chicago convinced many militant factions
\nthat we were at war. They soon adopted more violent ways, using bombs to
\nget their message across.\n<\/p>\n
It seems that violence begets violence, and our society is one of the
\nmost violent on the planet. Hippies use non-violent means to protest. However
\nit has been shown that when the use of force is applied to break-up peaceful
\nprotest, the cycle of violence increases on both sides. Apparently the
\npowers that be have learned this lesson to some degree. Thanks to the preponderance
\nof recording devices, and events like the beating of Rodney King, it’s
\nbecome somewhat easier to see that the perpetrators of violence are brought
\nto justice, regardless of what kind of uniform they wear and that the victims
\nare compensated.
\n
Woodstock 1969<\/font><\/b>\n<\/p>\n The New York State Freeway’s closed, man. Far out! <\/b> <\/center><\/p>\n Possibly the most defining moment of the Hippy Movement was the Woodstock This event marked the peak of the flower power\/hippie movement. Prior
\n
Arlo Guthrie at Woodstock<\/p>\n
\nMusic Festival, held on Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, New York on Aug 16,
\n17 & 18, 1969. Despite organizational problems and major hassles, it
\nlived up to its billing of Three Days of Peace and Music.\n<\/p>\n
\nto Woodstock, there had never been a concert with 70,000 people, much less
\n500,000. Originally planned to accommodate about 100,000 people, organizers
\ndid their best to deal with the growing horde.
\n
Good morning! What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000.<\/b>
\n
Wavy Gravy of the Hog Farm<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
But it was the horde itself, along with a few groups like the Hog Farm
\nand the Merry Pranksters who kept things under control. There were few
\nif any policemen on the site, and surprisingly they weren’t needed! There
\nwas no violence either at the festival or in the surrounding communities.
\nNo burglaries either. The worse crime seemed to be trespassing which most
\npeople did to get to and from the site.
\n
We all sang the songs of peace <\/b>
\n
Melanie (Lay Down)<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
The big attraction of course, was an outstanding music event. On the
\nbill were Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, The Jefferson Airplane,
\nCrosby Stills & Nash (in their second public performance), The Grateful
\nDead, Santana, Joe Cocker, Ravi Shankar, Richie Havens, Creedence Clearwater
\nRevival and many more popular musicians of the day.
\n
We must be in Heaven<\/b>!
\n
Wavy Gravy<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
The flower children didn’t let the heat, rain and mud dampen their enthusiasm.
\nLike the organizers, they too were unprepared. Some had to walk 20 miles
\nto get to the site since the N.Y. Thruway was closed. Many didn’t bring
\nenough food or drink for three days, and it was nearly impossible for trucks
\nto get to the site to resupply the vendors. To get through, they shared
\neverything, their food, their drink, their drugs, their shelters, even
\ntheir clothes. They stuck it out, got off on drugs and each other, grooved
\nto some of the best music ever, got lost in space, and found themselves
\npart of a magical moment in the history of a movement.
\n
The people of this country should be proud of these kids<\/b>
\n
Bethel Chief of Police<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
Woodstock, like the sixties themselves can never be repeated again.
\nAttempts to capture the spirit and feeling fall short, leaving us to wonder
\njust what was it about this event, and the people involved that made it
\nso special.
\n
Tragedy at Altamont<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n <\/center><\/p>\n On Dec. 9, 1969, the Rolling Stones, put on a free concert to mark the The poor planning of this event led to some major problems. First, a The film Gimme Shelter documents some critical events at concert.
\nend of their highly successful American Tour. At the last minute, the location
\nwas changed to Altamont Speedway, a drag strip 40 miles east of San Francisco.
\nThe program included Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash
\nand Young, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Dead (who decided not to play),
\nand the Stones.\n<\/p>\n
\nraceway is not the best venue. Secondly, the stage was built quickly, and
\nit was low and close to the audience. Lastly, the Hell’s Angels were chosen
\nto provide security and were paid with $500 in beer. When 300,000 people
\nshowed for the event, it was very crowded.\n<\/p>\n
\nIt’s clear that the crowd was in an unusual frame of mind for a concert.
\nThe happy, smiling beautiful people seemed to be outnumbered (at least
\nnear the stage) by zombie like space cadets. The scene was tense as the
\nAngels had their hands full trying to keep people from rushing the stage.
\nMarty Balin of the Jefferson Airplane got in the middle of things and was
\nknocked out by an Angel. The overall vibe wasn’t improved when the Rolling
\nStones took the stage. Their selection of music included violent songs
\nlike Street Fighting Man and Sympathy for the Devil.
\n
And as I watched him on the stage,<\/b>
\n
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.<\/b>
\n
No angel born in Hell,<\/b>
\n
Could break that Satan’s spell.<\/b>
\n
And as the flames climbed high into the night,<\/b>
\n
To light the sacrificial rite,<\/b>
\n
I saw Satan laughing with delight,<\/b>
\n
The day the music died.<\/b>
\n
Don McLean, (American Pie)<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
During the Stones’ performance, a man started towards the stage waving
\na gun. The Angels showed no mercy and the man was killed. Fearing a riot,
\nthe Stones continued their set, but left quickly afterwards. Charges against
\nthe Angels were dropped, as it was justifiable homicide. The Angels were
\njust doing their job.\n<\/p>\n
The tragedy at Altamont might’ve been avoided with better planning.
\nWas the fact that it was a free concert contribute to events? Were there
\nsome bad drugs that added to the overall negative vibe? Did the location
\nat a motor speedway make the situation worse. Was it too crowded? Did Altamont
\nmark the end of the innocence for the Love Generation? These questions
\nremain unanswered.\n<\/p>\n
There is no doubt that all the publicity surrounding the concert contributed
\nto the decline in festival type events. Certainly the relationship between
\nthe Hell’s Angels and the hippies soured.
\n
Kent State Massacre, 1970<\/font><\/b>\n<\/p>\n Tin soldiers and Nixon coming, we’re finally on our own.<\/b> <\/center><\/p>\n On April 30, 1970, President Nixon announced that he would expand the What made students mad was the fact that if the war expanded, our chances
\n
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Ohio)<\/p>\n
\nwar by invading Cambodia. This set off campus protests nationwide. Being
\nthe good student activist, I attended one at my school. I remember students
\ngetting very angry. I know I felt more emotion than I’d experienced in
\na long time. Instead of winding down the war, it seemed like we were getting
\ndeeper. We had been told for years, that unless we win this war, the evil
\ncommunist system would spread throughout Southeast Asia. Now it appeared
\nthe domino theory was right, but it was the U.S. doing the invading.\n<\/p>\n
\nof getting drafted increased. Also it seemed all our protests for years
\nhad been in vain. Nixon and the military machine were going to do whatever
\nthey wanted, regardless of how millions of Americans felt.
\n
All protesters should be put into concentration camps.<\/b>
\n
Ohio Attorney-General Paul W. Brown<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
The situation on college campuses was getting serious. But at Kent State
\nUniversity, in Ohio, a series of events led to the calling in of the National
\nGuard. Kent State was actually more conservative than other campuses in
\nOhio, but the invasion into Cambodia alarmed students everywhere. On May
\n2nd the ROTC building was torched. Firemen attempting to control the blaze
\nwere stoned, and their hoses slashed. The Guard arrived hours later. The
\nauthorities assumed it was outsiders, particularly the SDS, that was stirring
\nup trouble. There were anonymous threats to the town’s water supply and
\nto businesses. Curfews were set and when crowds of students assembled,
\nthe Guardsmen were used to break them up. The governor said he would use
\nany force necessary to quell the disturbances.
\n
When trouble-makers have long hair, use bad language and go <\/b>
\n
barefoot and even destroy property, they have to be stopped<\/b>
\n
Resident of Kent, Ohio after massacre<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
The students quickly resented the tactics being used against them. They
\nresisted by having sit-ins, yelling obscenities and a few threw rocks at
\nthe Guardsmen. Students were roughed up and some were bayoneted. On that
\nfateful May 4th, Guardsmen opened fire for 13 seconds killing 4 students
\nand injuring 9 more with 61 bullets. The bloody news was on every newspaper’s
\nfront page and TV news broadcast accompanied by the image of a young woman,
\nkneeling over a student bleeding to death, crying. Her anguished faced
\nechoed the feelings of a whole generation pleading and questioning\u2026. Why?
\n
More should have been killed.<\/b>
\n
Resident of Kent, Ohio after massacre<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
The reaction of students was nationwide. One third of U.S. campuses
\nwere involved in America’s first student strike. One hundred thousand students
\nmarched in Washington D.C. to protest the shootings and the Vietnam War.
\nOn Wall St. in New York, construction workers (hardhats) attacked antiwar
\ndemonstrators. And 10 days after the Kent State massacre, police at Jackson
\nState killed two students during violent demonstrations.
\n
The four victims did nothing that justified their death. <\/b>
\n
They threw no rocks nor were they politically radical.<\/b>
\n
Investigation into the Kent State incident<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
There were many investigations into the shooting, each reaching different
\nconclusions. There were claims by the National Guard that there was a sniper,
\nthat they were surrounded, that they were out of tear gas. An FBI investigation
\nfound all these claims were baseless (thousands of pages of this report
\nare still classified, and unavailable for public view). A county grand
\njury whitewashed the event placing all the blame on the students and University
\nadministration, and commending the National Guard’s actions. Ohio’s Governor
\nrefused to testify as to his role, though many held him responsible for
\nthe tragedy.\n<\/p>\n
Some believe the whole event was a criminal conspiracy that involved
\nmany people going way up the federal chain of command. The Nixon Administration’s
\nreluctance to investigate and subsequent conviction of Attorney General
\nJohn Mitchell for obstructing justice, and Nixon’s own Watergate scandal
\nfurther supports the contention that this was just one more dirty trick.
\nSome contend that Yale University was originally the target of the lesson,
\nbut a refusal by the Chief of Police there to cooperate made them choose
\nKent State.
\n
…an open wound on the American Conscience.<\/b>
\n
The Christian Science Monitor<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
The fallout from the massacre deepened the huge divide between generations.
\nThe War in Vietnam had found its way into America’s heartland. This single
\nevent and the judicial, political, and social response highlighted just
\nthose very things that students were protesting. The insensitivity towards
\ncivil rights, the suppression of legal protest, the resorting to violence
\non the part of the government, the politicizing of the judicial process,
\nthe misuse of power, the cover-ups and conspiracies of corrupt leaders
\nall typified the hypocrisy and lack of ethics in our system.\n<\/p>\n
Eventually a settlement was reached in a civil suit brought against
\nthe guardsmen, the Governor and others by the surviving victims and parents
\nof the deceased. An apology was issued. A gymnasium was built on the massacre
\nsite despite protests by students and parents of the victims. New rules
\nnow define how law enforcement behaves on college campuses and in confrontations
\nwith protesters. But really, just how much has changed? Has the system
\nimproved, or has it just gotten better at hiding abuses of power?
\n
First Earth Day: 1970<\/font><\/b>\n<\/p>\n There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew.<\/b> <\/center><\/p>\n In 1969, the Santa Barbara oil spill shocked the nation as images of Students were already organized to protest the Vietnam War and the draft.
\n
-Marshall McLuhan<\/p>\n
\ndead seagulls and fish covered in oil splashed across our TV screens and
\nnewspapers. In those days no one was prepared for oil spills. There was
\nno special equipment to contain the oil, mop it up, clean the beaches,
\nor save the animals. We could only guess at the long-term consequences
\nof such spills. New wells were popping up along the California coast. Suddenly,
\neveryone realized the threat to wildlife, fisheries, and beaches that such
\ndevelopment entailed. It was another unfortunate event that focused America’s
\nattention on the environment.\n<\/p>\n
\nSo they were the ones to mobilize for a new cause (it really wasn’t new,
\nit’s just the timing was right). Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson got the
\nidea to organize students and hold environmental teach-ins at schools across
\nthe country. Denis Hayes, a Harvard law student was named national coordinator.
\nThe first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. Twenty million people
\nparticipated, making it the largest organized demonstration in history.
\n
Look at mother nature on the run in the 1970’s<\/b>
\n
Neil Young (After the Gold Rush)<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
I remember in New York City, students were let out of classes early
\nto participate in the many events planned all over the city. They closed
\nFifth Avenue to cars for the events. 100,000 people showed up for an ecology
\nfair in Union Square. There were demonstrations against polluting companies.
\nPollution of the land, air and water were primary on the agenda. Some people
\norganized neighborhood clean-ups and planted trees. Congress shut down
\nand folk singer Pete Seeger sang at the Washington Monument. Public speeches,
\nparades, marches, rallies on college campuses, and teach-ins raised awareness
\nof our imperiled ecosystems.\n<\/p>\n
Earth Day got the ecology ball rolling, and by the end of the year the
\nEnvironmental Protection Agency was established and the Clean Air and Clean
\nWater Acts were passed into law. The momentum continued as new environmental
\norganizations like Greenpeace and Earth First! were created while membership
\nin established conservation groups like the Sierra Club mushroomed.
\n
It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but
\nrather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country
\nand mankind its citizens.<\/b>
\n
Baha’u’llah<\/p>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
In later years we became aware that the problems of the environment
\nare global in scale. Overpopulation, ozone depletion, global warming, deforestation,
\nand species extinction, are serious problems we all share. In response
\nEarth Day went international, and on the 20th anniversary in 1990, 200
\nmillion people in more than 140 countries participated in events that focused
\non saving the rainforests, eliminating hazardous wastes, recycling and
\nacid rain.\n<\/p>\n
President Clinton has bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom to
\nGaylord Nelson for his concern and involvement in environmental issues.<\/p>\n
Posted by: skip
\nViews: 58799
\nTopic:1<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hippies from A to Z by Skip Stone Landmark Hippy Events Part II This chapter reviews some of the major events of the hippie movement. These events defined the nature, objectives and results of our counter-cultural assault on the establishment. Anyone who participated in these events shared at least some of the hippy beliefs, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hippies-from-a-to-z"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=257"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}