Talkin' 'bout my generation

[HydrogenBond]

The 1960's generation was philosophically a blend of religion's greatest hits, but primarily Christian and eastern philosophy. "All you need is love", love one another. The eastern influence looked into alternate reality on other planes; strawberry fields where nothing is real, lucy in the sky with diamonds, purple haze inside my brain, teenage wasteland.

It was the "love" generation, with flower power, blended with eastern alternate reality, induced with meditation and drugs. Christ said, blessed is the poor. The style was unbathed, no money, with christ-like long hair and beards, robes, simple tattered clothes with patches, commune living.

They did not trust the "man", or anyone who was over 30, who was part of the "system". That system was materialistic and superficial. They were gray clones. Ironically " man", was the greeting among those, who were not the man. "Teach your children well, their father's health will slowly go by". They staged peaceful demonstrations, based on the passive resistance of another spiritual leader, Ghandi. They were often met by the "man" with military might. Some of the movement got violent, but for the most part, they used flowers instead of guns. The passive resistance and love softened many of the adults, until the flower children appeared to be a light for the future.

The "man" lowered the drinking age, because the flower children were so adult at an early age. The "man" also did away with the draft, so the love generation could lead the way to peace. This was how it was, until the war ended.

After that, with nothing to center the flower children, the movement started to break apart, as the older vocal members became part of the new system. Marijuana was being aggressively pursued, with good success, driving up the price, until cocaine started to be at the same price point. Cocaine was a far more aggressive alternate reality, no longer connected to love. The flower children became disco children, with a new clean polyester uniform and a snaggle tooth chain instead of a peace symbol.

[lemit]

Originally Posted by HydrogenBond

The 1960's generation was philosophically a blend of religion's greatest hits, but primarily Christian and eastern philosophy. "All you need is love", love one another. The eastern influence looked into alternate reality on other planes; strawberry fields where nothing is real, lucy in the sky with diamonds, purple haze inside my brain, teenage wasteland.

It was the "love" generation, with flower power, blended with eastern alternate reality, induced with meditation and drugs. Christ said, blessed is the poor. The style was unbathed, no money, with christ-like long hair and beards, robes, simple tattered clothes with patches, commune living.

They did not trust the "man", or anyone who was over 30, who was part of the "system". That system was materialistic and superficial. They were gray clones. Ironically " man", was the greeting among those, who were not the man. "Teach your children well, their father's health will slowly go by". They staged peaceful demonstrations, based on the passive resistance of another spiritual leader, Ghandi. They were often met by the "man" with military might. Some of the movement got violent, but for the most part, they used flowers instead of guns. The passive resistance and love softened many of the adults, until the flower children appeared to be a light for the future.

The "man" lowered the drinking age, because the flower children were so adult at an early age. The "man" also did away with the draft, so the love generation could lead the way to peace. This was how it was, until the war ended.

After that, with nothing to center the flower children, the movement started to break apart, as the older vocal members became part of the new system. Marijuana was being aggressively pursued, with good success, driving up the price, until cocaine started to be at the same price point. Cocaine was a far more aggressive alternate reality, no longer connected to love. The flower children became disco children, with a new clean polyester uniform and a snaggle tooth chain instead of a peace symbol.

That's the oversimplified definition of Baby Boomers and the sixties I'm opposed to. For several years I thought I had been a complete outsider because, according to the theory, since I could remember the sixties I couldn't have really lived through them.

Then books and documentaries began to appear, reminding people that the Civil Rights Movement, the Free Speech Movement, the Anti-War Movement, the Women's Movement, and the Environmental Movement (in kind of chronological order) were the tangible and lasting products of the sixties. The counterculture affected the popular culture, but political action changed the world.

Those of us who demonstrated, organized, published, burned and built, and fought for a new society still have a lot of work to do.

I'm no longer an investigative reporter, but I'm still a community organizer. (I used to think it was very strange that people admired the organization of ants, since for every two ants pulling a scrap of food one direction, there will usually be two or more pulling it in other directions. I now envy the ants.)

I came late to the counterculture. Maybe that's why it's easier for me to dismiss it. But I have trouble thinking that the contributions of those of us who stayed sober were less than those who didn't.

Oh, also, I've read some credible theories that the Anti-War Movement collapsed after Kent State (and the long-forgotten Jackson State) sorted out those who were afraid to fight. The back-to-the-earth movement seemed to gain a lot of supporters then, long before the end of the war. Those of us who were trying to lead the various movements could no longer find followers and either went underground or turned to community organizing in the hope of creating long-term change. We seem to have had some success, but there are still a lot of ants pulling the other direction.

--lemit

p.s. Since Jackson State has been forgotten, it might be good to look at JACKSON STATE MAY 1970. These students weren't hippies. They weren't narrowly focused on Civil Rights. They died for citizens of another country and for the honor of their own country.

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by HydrogenBond

The 1960's generation was philosophically a blend of religion's greatest hits, but primarily Christian and eastern philosophy.

Methinks someone has had too many Owsley tabs...

YouTube - Mario Savio: Sproul Hall Steps,...

To me, freedom of speech is something that represents the very dignity of what a human being is. ... It is the thing that marks us as just below the angels,
Buffy