From Portable 202
Goines' account of a protest is shocking. If so many people were against the government, shouldn't it have been obvious that they had a good idea? Hundreds of college kids getting shuttled from protest to an army barracks... really? Wouldn't it be easier for police to disperse the group instead of charging every single one of them, imprisoning them in an army barracks until bail could be paid? This is the signs of a tyrannical, power-hungry government. I can only hope that the current counterculture will have an easier time than these poor people, who had to deal with all the bureaucratic red tape. However, if this did happen again today, I doubt the governemnt would get away with it.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Rules of the Game When You're Busted
From Portable 205
This little how-to guide on being approached/questioned/arrested by the police is an interesting look into the life of an active countercultural hippie. It was obviously printed before the Miranda Law (anyone who watches Cops can recite it from beginning to end)-- I almost forgot that there was a time when cops could arrest people without reading them rights or informing them of the reason of arrest. This how-to also promotes a calm response to arrest: cooperate, politely refuse searches, and, if you are arrest, DO NOT RESIST. I do think that people are often needlessly arrested by mistaken, dumb, or power-hungry cops, but the bottom line is that they have the power, and you only hurt your chances of getting off by acting out. Plus, most of the time, the cop is just doing their job, even if he is being an ass; just be polite and refuse to commit to tests, searches, or statements. In a civilized world, these matters are solved with logic and debate between you, the DA, lawyers, and Judges-- the way it should be. Anyone who decides to make the issue physical deserves being punished-- including the police, if physical intervention is warantless.
This little how-to guide on being approached/questioned/arrested by the police is an interesting look into the life of an active countercultural hippie. It was obviously printed before the Miranda Law (anyone who watches Cops can recite it from beginning to end)-- I almost forgot that there was a time when cops could arrest people without reading them rights or informing them of the reason of arrest. This how-to also promotes a calm response to arrest: cooperate, politely refuse searches, and, if you are arrest, DO NOT RESIST. I do think that people are often needlessly arrested by mistaken, dumb, or power-hungry cops, but the bottom line is that they have the power, and you only hurt your chances of getting off by acting out. Plus, most of the time, the cop is just doing their job, even if he is being an ass; just be polite and refuse to commit to tests, searches, or statements. In a civilized world, these matters are solved with logic and debate between you, the DA, lawyers, and Judges-- the way it should be. Anyone who decides to make the issue physical deserves being punished-- including the police, if physical intervention is warantless.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Hey, Mr. Newsman
From Portable, page 199.
Kampf's work is alluring to the political activist in me-- it has a Son of Liberty vibe to it, I think (well, if you ignore the mentions of Commies-- he never says that he isn't, though he is "fighting for his freedom"). One part in particular, I think, symbolizes the problem the hippies were facing: "Yes, my hair is long, and I haven't shaved in days, (2x)/ But fighting for my freedom/ While clean-cut kids just look the other way." At this time, you could go along with the culture (the clean-cut kids) and work with the system, or be in the counterculture ("my hair is long") and work against the system. The last stanzas are timeless, though, and presents a strong truth: "But you don't need no tuxedo/ when you're fighting for the rights of man." Democracy is made of up every man, not just those who are within accepted society; and without every man, democracy falls (look what's happening now!).
Kampf's work is alluring to the political activist in me-- it has a Son of Liberty vibe to it, I think (well, if you ignore the mentions of Commies-- he never says that he isn't, though he is "fighting for his freedom"). One part in particular, I think, symbolizes the problem the hippies were facing: "Yes, my hair is long, and I haven't shaved in days, (2x)/ But fighting for my freedom/ While clean-cut kids just look the other way." At this time, you could go along with the culture (the clean-cut kids) and work with the system, or be in the counterculture ("my hair is long") and work against the system. The last stanzas are timeless, though, and presents a strong truth: "But you don't need no tuxedo/ when you're fighting for the rights of man." Democracy is made of up every man, not just those who are within accepted society; and without every man, democracy falls (look what's happening now!).
'71
What caught my interest the most is the page on "The Trial of Oz." Oz, apparently, was an underground magazine (or set of magazines, I'm not sure which) that had somewhat lewd images and art that the British government considered smut-- but Miles points out that "the contents of the magazine were so tame that the Soho sex shops would not have stocked it. In reality, it was an attempt by the authorities to curb the growth of the underground press and to stop tthe spread of pernicious ideas about sexual freedom, the rights of school children, and other hippie notions" (374). It kinda reminds me of Larry Flynt's problems-- fighting first amendment rights and obscenity charges-- but this is so much milder than Hustler (especially since Oz is supposed to a collection of drawings and maybe some written work, not graphic nudity in photographs). I understand the need for moderation of public images-- billboards, newspaper ads, etc-- but when it comes to private publications that consumers have a choice to buy, I can't see how the government has any basis in moderating it. It's like that Christian Parent Network, or whatever it's called, trying to get Family Guy off the air because of a recent bawdy episode: they want to regulate TV to fit their morals, when it's easy enough to block the show or station, change the channel, or pay attention to children so parents know what they're watching.
I was very interested in the section of Jim Morrison-- like many lovers of The Doors, I see Morrison as "the American poet," and I've watched countless movies, biographies, and "behind the music"-style VH1 shows on The Doors and Morrison. His death created many conspiracy theories-- that he killed himself, his girlfriend helped him kill himself, his girlfriend killed him, etc. As the quote at the top of the section says, "'The sad death of Jim Morrison leaves a few unaswered questions. What were the full circumstances surrounding his death and why have they not been revealed?' International Times..." (364). I didn't know, though, that it's thought that he snorted heroin, mistaking it for cocaine-- that brought up images from Pulp Fiction that were so startling and sobering (the wife of the mobster-dude snorts heroin, thinking it was coke, and had to be rushed to a dealer's house for a shot to the heart of adrenaline). Another idol of mine, Kurt Cobain, has conspiracy theories related to his death, too-- mostly because of it's suspicious nature (he supposedly shot himself with a double-barreled shotgun in the attic of his vacation home's garage). I still think Courtney Love killed him; I personally despise her just because of it.
I was very interested in the section of Jim Morrison-- like many lovers of The Doors, I see Morrison as "the American poet," and I've watched countless movies, biographies, and "behind the music"-style VH1 shows on The Doors and Morrison. His death created many conspiracy theories-- that he killed himself, his girlfriend helped him kill himself, his girlfriend killed him, etc. As the quote at the top of the section says, "'The sad death of Jim Morrison leaves a few unaswered questions. What were the full circumstances surrounding his death and why have they not been revealed?' International Times..." (364). I didn't know, though, that it's thought that he snorted heroin, mistaking it for cocaine-- that brought up images from Pulp Fiction that were so startling and sobering (the wife of the mobster-dude snorts heroin, thinking it was coke, and had to be rushed to a dealer's house for a shot to the heart of adrenaline). Another idol of mine, Kurt Cobain, has conspiracy theories related to his death, too-- mostly because of it's suspicious nature (he supposedly shot himself with a double-barreled shotgun in the attic of his vacation home's garage). I still think Courtney Love killed him; I personally despise her just because of it.
Wanted: Hip Cops
From Portable 207
This poster is absolutely amazing. "We know it's a heavy trip, but there are more than 30 vacancies on the Berkely Police force. If hip people do not apply and go on to fill those vacancies, we'll get more of the same old stuff and have the same old hassles!... We want PEACEmen, not POLICEmen." This is the most peaceful way to protest known to man: work within the system. A grassroots effort, starting from the smallest form of government power (police), can lead to widespread change in the end-- though it looks to me that it's "been a long time comin" (CSN), in that not much change has occurred in the government since the '70s. I also really like the stipulations for applicees-- I think I'd agree to these rules, too. One must be: be sane, like children and other "growing things" (haha), gentle before aggressive, non-discriminating, and accepting of minor indescrecions ("people should be free to live their own lives if they do not harm others"). With a law- and moral-abiding police force like this, I'd imagine that crime would decrease significantly-- if people are being respected by the law, perhaps they will respect law.
This poster is absolutely amazing. "We know it's a heavy trip, but there are more than 30 vacancies on the Berkely Police force. If hip people do not apply and go on to fill those vacancies, we'll get more of the same old stuff and have the same old hassles!... We want PEACEmen, not POLICEmen." This is the most peaceful way to protest known to man: work within the system. A grassroots effort, starting from the smallest form of government power (police), can lead to widespread change in the end-- though it looks to me that it's "been a long time comin" (CSN), in that not much change has occurred in the government since the '70s. I also really like the stipulations for applicees-- I think I'd agree to these rules, too. One must be: be sane, like children and other "growing things" (haha), gentle before aggressive, non-discriminating, and accepting of minor indescrecions ("people should be free to live their own lives if they do not harm others"). With a law- and moral-abiding police force like this, I'd imagine that crime would decrease significantly-- if people are being respected by the law, perhaps they will respect law.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
'70
"'We may have lost the battle, sweets, but the war is far from over.' --A Christopher Street bar 'queen' to the New York Times after the Stonewall Riot, July 1969" (340).
Yet again, the '60 counterculture inspires another human rights movement: gay rights. What this so-called "queen" says is true for the millions of gay people of America: in 1970, they had a long fight ahead of them. Even today, gay rights are still being fought for and against: in California, Proposition [h]8 was recently passed, banning the year-long allowance of gay marriage in the state. In this day and age, when we're supposed to be open minded and socially liberal, as most people recognize that personal choices shouldn't really be judged by the state, gay marriage was struck down by the uber-liberal, ultra-celebritied California. Now, citizens are forcing the CA govt. to look into the support for Proposition [h]8 to prove the the Mormon Church was more than a little bit involved, as they claim to be. Several people, myself included, believe that this was a move by the Mormon Church to denounce citizen's rights to personal choice and legal partnership; to me, this is the same as the opposition to the Civil Rights Movement-- they didn't think Black people were worth equal rights, and now the subject has turned from Black to gay.
The next subject is Kent State and more police brutality. Miles says it best: "The order was given for the National Guard troops to disperse the crowd. The troops retreated to the top of a slope, then opened fire on the unarmed crowd. Sixty-one shots were fired in thirteen seconds, killing four students and wounding nine" (342). In a way to calm the protests and riots that took place after this, Nixon's Commission on Campus Unrest reported, "'In May 1970, students did not strike against their univiersities; they succeeded in making their universities strieagainst national policy...nothing is more important than an end to the war in Indo-China. Disaffected students see the war as a symbol of moral crisis in the nation which...deprives even law of its legitimacy'" (342). Thanks, Prez, the government-- the one you're in control of, supposedly-- opened fire and incited violence for four years on unarmed, non-violent protestors, and now you say they're ok? Now you say that they're only exercising their right to protest? Where was this discussion when the riot in Chicago happened? Where was this discussion when troops opened fire on a peaceful protest, leaving "four dead in Ohio" (CSNY)?
The most important question, though, is whether this would happen today. Again, I'm a Libertarian, which typically places me in the non-violent category, but I'm also extremely, extremely disappointed in how things are being run in this country. Mores from the '50s are still being pressed, and organized institutions-- religion, political parties, business-- run the country, not the people. I'm not a Communist, their idea is starting to sound better than this mockery of Capitalism and Democracy-- at least Communists say they're communists, not practicing Socialism under the name of Democracy (*cough* Barack Obama). I have these beliefs, and I see myself marching in a few years-- it's going to come down to that, I steadfastly believe-- and being shot at by my fellow countrymen. The Man is still in power and the Man will not allow anyone else to share it, and he will hide behind his publicity moves to make people believe He really cares-- oh, but, so sadly, he doesn't. The Man wants power, and he's gonna take it from you.
Yet again, the '60 counterculture inspires another human rights movement: gay rights. What this so-called "queen" says is true for the millions of gay people of America: in 1970, they had a long fight ahead of them. Even today, gay rights are still being fought for and against: in California, Proposition [h]8 was recently passed, banning the year-long allowance of gay marriage in the state. In this day and age, when we're supposed to be open minded and socially liberal, as most people recognize that personal choices shouldn't really be judged by the state, gay marriage was struck down by the uber-liberal, ultra-celebritied California. Now, citizens are forcing the CA govt. to look into the support for Proposition [h]8 to prove the the Mormon Church was more than a little bit involved, as they claim to be. Several people, myself included, believe that this was a move by the Mormon Church to denounce citizen's rights to personal choice and legal partnership; to me, this is the same as the opposition to the Civil Rights Movement-- they didn't think Black people were worth equal rights, and now the subject has turned from Black to gay.
The next subject is Kent State and more police brutality. Miles says it best: "The order was given for the National Guard troops to disperse the crowd. The troops retreated to the top of a slope, then opened fire on the unarmed crowd. Sixty-one shots were fired in thirteen seconds, killing four students and wounding nine" (342). In a way to calm the protests and riots that took place after this, Nixon's Commission on Campus Unrest reported, "'In May 1970, students did not strike against their univiersities; they succeeded in making their universities strieagainst national policy...nothing is more important than an end to the war in Indo-China. Disaffected students see the war as a symbol of moral crisis in the nation which...deprives even law of its legitimacy'" (342). Thanks, Prez, the government-- the one you're in control of, supposedly-- opened fire and incited violence for four years on unarmed, non-violent protestors, and now you say they're ok? Now you say that they're only exercising their right to protest? Where was this discussion when the riot in Chicago happened? Where was this discussion when troops opened fire on a peaceful protest, leaving "four dead in Ohio" (CSNY)?
The most important question, though, is whether this would happen today. Again, I'm a Libertarian, which typically places me in the non-violent category, but I'm also extremely, extremely disappointed in how things are being run in this country. Mores from the '50s are still being pressed, and organized institutions-- religion, political parties, business-- run the country, not the people. I'm not a Communist, their idea is starting to sound better than this mockery of Capitalism and Democracy-- at least Communists say they're communists, not practicing Socialism under the name of Democracy (*cough* Barack Obama). I have these beliefs, and I see myself marching in a few years-- it's going to come down to that, I steadfastly believe-- and being shot at by my fellow countrymen. The Man is still in power and the Man will not allow anyone else to share it, and he will hide behind his publicity moves to make people believe He really cares-- oh, but, so sadly, he doesn't. The Man wants power, and he's gonna take it from you.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
'69
Barry Miles really knows how to interest me from the very beginning: in this chapter, he opens with a quote, under the heading 'Power to the People', about Janis Joplin by Etta James, when she describes Joplin as "an angel who came and paved a road white chicks hadn't walked before" (304). This, I think think, is very true--Joplin was the first white woman, in the crowd of crooners like Joan Baex and folksy girls like Joni Mitchell, to really delve into soul and rythm&blues. Anyone who listens to her can hear the heartbreak, the intensity of her emotion-- even at Woodstock, when she sounded particularly shrill and, well, obviously doped up on something way more powerful than pot, you can hear how emotionally involved she is in the music and how passionate she is about performing. Using the style performed by many amazing Black singers, Etta James as only one example, Joplin touched soul and showed the world that it takes passion and soul, not skin color, to perform it.
As with the last chapter, Miles couldn't leave my happiness be and had to introduce another horrible act by our government at Berkely. There was unused land on Berkely campus, so a bunch of people got together and made it a park. The head of the college bulldozed it in response, and when the people protested this insane act (apparently Berkely would rather have dirt and destruction over a garden and playground for kids), the State moved in. Like MIles says, "Any reasonable administration would have negotiated with the park builders and permitted them to use the land until funds for student dorms were available" (309). Instead, they threw tear gas and shot at them with buck- and birdshot, wounding many, hospitalizing 100, and killing at least one person. Really, government? Some people build a park and, since it wasn't technically theirs, you're going to just bulldoze it and incite violence? To me, this sounds like the government is afraid of change and People Power (the subheading of this section), two things that made America great in the first place. Oh, that's right, People Power is the little thing that keeps government from having all the power-- and the government needed it all to fight the Commies, right? A great way to support a fascist government-- I have a class on teh Holocaust, and we have been studying how Hitler put himself into power. Know what he did? Basically the same things Communists do-- take power from the people and install it all, completely, in the state. Wonder where we're headed if that doesn't change... soon.
This came to mind while writing this. It's from "Power to the People" by John Lennon.
Say you want a revolution
We better get on right away
Well you get on your feet
And out on the street
Singing power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
I guess what these posts have proven is that I'm only really interested in the political aspects of the '60s. The rest of the chapter talks about Woodstock (yay!), Altamont (boo! Hell's Angels are not dependable security), the Sexual Revolution (yay!), and John Lennon (eh. He masked his Communism with his support of the Hippie movement, which I think is devisive and dishonest...but I like his music, so there's some argument for a yay! rating). These parts are still very interesting, but as a blog writer, I seem to be taking the political route-- and I really enjoy that. It's helping me understand and solidify my political beliefs.
As with the last chapter, Miles couldn't leave my happiness be and had to introduce another horrible act by our government at Berkely. There was unused land on Berkely campus, so a bunch of people got together and made it a park. The head of the college bulldozed it in response, and when the people protested this insane act (apparently Berkely would rather have dirt and destruction over a garden and playground for kids), the State moved in. Like MIles says, "Any reasonable administration would have negotiated with the park builders and permitted them to use the land until funds for student dorms were available" (309). Instead, they threw tear gas and shot at them with buck- and birdshot, wounding many, hospitalizing 100, and killing at least one person. Really, government? Some people build a park and, since it wasn't technically theirs, you're going to just bulldoze it and incite violence? To me, this sounds like the government is afraid of change and People Power (the subheading of this section), two things that made America great in the first place. Oh, that's right, People Power is the little thing that keeps government from having all the power-- and the government needed it all to fight the Commies, right? A great way to support a fascist government-- I have a class on teh Holocaust, and we have been studying how Hitler put himself into power. Know what he did? Basically the same things Communists do-- take power from the people and install it all, completely, in the state. Wonder where we're headed if that doesn't change... soon.
This came to mind while writing this. It's from "Power to the People" by John Lennon.
Say you want a revolution
We better get on right away
Well you get on your feet
And out on the street
Singing power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
I guess what these posts have proven is that I'm only really interested in the political aspects of the '60s. The rest of the chapter talks about Woodstock (yay!), Altamont (boo! Hell's Angels are not dependable security), the Sexual Revolution (yay!), and John Lennon (eh. He masked his Communism with his support of the Hippie movement, which I think is devisive and dishonest...but I like his music, so there's some argument for a yay! rating). These parts are still very interesting, but as a blog writer, I seem to be taking the political route-- and I really enjoy that. It's helping me understand and solidify my political beliefs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)