I need some intelligent responses

Hey everyone,

I'm doing a research paper for college on the hippie movement. More specifically, how it has evolved and the impacts that the movement has had on America. I'm also going to post a poll soon. But for now, I need insight from the hippies that were there in the movement's beginning phases. Any stories, opinions, or comments will be greatly appreciated!!

 

One thing is true for sure--when a country's youth is unhappy, especially when they are really pissed off and outraged about an issue--the whole country is going to be affected. The problem is getting enough kids to react.
I started protesting in 1967, when I was 14.
Today's kids have a lot of distractions that we did not have. We had only half a dozen television channels,no video games or computers, and very little money, so we had a lot more time to notice what was really going on in the world. What we did have was music, and much of our music was about social issues. That made us think. Recording artists were a big part of the reason that I, for one, began to take notice of what was really going on in the world.
Take civil rights, for example. A white kid in an American suburb might have gotten well into their teens back then without ever seeing a black face outside of a pancake mix commercial or an old movie that depicted the stereotypical, subservient Negro. Enter the Beatles. They were going on an American tour, and we kids found out that when they were touring the South and they were told that the black kids attending the concert would be required to sit in the back rows, the band informed the owners of the venue that they would not perform if all the audience, black and white, were not allowed to sit in any section they chose. For the first time ever, there were black faces in the front row at a music concert featuring a white band, and that made an impression upon us. That made us begin thinking about how black people were treated in this country and that made us angry, because it was obviously wrong. It was like the people who had been kidnapped and dragged here in chains were now resented for being here and were treated as if they were less than human even though they had long since been liberated from their subservient roles and should have been treated just like everybody else. A lot of white kids began joining the black folks who were demonstrating their outrage by means of freedom marches. When these white kids started joining the civil rights marches, white America started sitting up and taking notice, and I think that the fact that white kids jumped in to show their support really helped the movement.
We still have far to go, but when I was a kid, if an interracial couple walked down the street, not only would everyone have stared, but a few people would have most likely spit on them or thrown mud, garbage, or maybe a rock. Really. Now, hardly anyone notices, and that is progress--progress that was, I believe, definitely assisted by teenagers who noticed the problem and chose to become involved.
There are plenty of problems in our world today, from pollution to deforestation to the American occupation of Iraq...kids today--not so much the kids who are on this site and will read this, but kids in general--do not seem to be all that outraged about it, as long as they have the latest video game or designer clothes, they seem cool with the worlds' troubles. Maybe it's because they have too much, or maybe it's because the video games and television shows and movies they see have desensitized them some, but whatever the reason is, the fact is that they need to become aware and become upset enough to do something to change things.
A lot of the kids who protested with me gave up a long time ago and tossed their protest signs aside to become doctors, lawyers, corporation heads, or factory owners.There are those of us, however, who refused to sell out and who are thrilled to see a new generation of young hippies picking up the torch and carrying on.
I for one am proud of these kids and thankful that they noticed what we tried to do and are willing to give it another try. I hope with all my heart that they will stay true to their beliefs and continue to work towards the changes this world needs. I for one am depending upon that.

 

Wow, what a wonderful post, angel. That almost brought me to tears. I really love your perspective on things, especially on the "new young hippies".

 

Wonderful! Thank you very much Angel! I agree with you, and your statements work pretty well with my thesis. I hope you don't mind if I quote you? =)

 

Not at all, be my guest. Good luck with it!

 

angelgodiva’s post was beautiful! Angel and I are the same age and we were both active during the Summer of Love.

There was a political revolution going on and a social one that paralleled it. There was a revolution in consciousness. I think that we (the youth of the 60’s) were looking for something more meaningful than the contemporary philosophy had to offer. I looked to eastern philosophy and native American philosophy for answers. I wasn’t alone in my search. These ideas were part of the hippy culture. There was spiritual revolution going on. We were saying no the religions of the day.

I went to a few love-in’s back in ’67 where people of all races were together sharing whatever we had with each other. Whether if it was a joint of a bag of Cheetos- I would take one and pass it down. We shared what we had with eachother. The vibe was that we were all “one”. We were a nation without borders. We were all in it together. I truly felt that I was among my tribe.

Acid was sacred to some. It was a doorway to perception. A perception that cut to the truth of who we are as beings living on the Earth. I saw the presence of god in all of creation while on acid. We had a desire to get back to the earth and find a new way of living. I eventually lived on a commune. For a few years- it was heaven.

Needless to say- this had our parents freaked out and the way we looked had our parents freaked out too. They were the generation that had lived through the great depression and valued their possessions. We on the other hand had never gone without. We had the luxury to look for something other than material survival for meaning. It was culture clash.

I think that time eventually ended the hippy revolution. The next generation rejected our ideals and wanted to disco instead.

 

ya man old hippies never died and young hippies never will.
my biggest source of resistance is my dad... and i just keep on pushing and someday he'll come to terms with the fact that i'm not goin to grow up like he did... he grew up in a very prejudice family... once he made our whole family move to a different table in a restaraunt just because of an interacial couple who was sitting across the room.. very embarassing for him to do that.. i sat there and cried for them and for the embarassment he caused our family... he's trying to make his hate spread to my heart but i keep knocking down his attempts... i feel that this is my personally most important goal to achieve is to make him realize that his hatred is wrong...

 

((((((Angel))))))

I've missed you!!! So glad to see you back!!