Hippies and Anti-War Protesters Were Right

Graduating high school in 1964, the “hippie movement” was becoming a force. As the war in South Vietnam began to escalate, the hippie movement grew. Young men, the same demographic which would be drafted to fight in a war no one could explain, protested constantly as they sang folk songs and repeated chants against the war. Their complaints were peaceful and relentless.

However, hippies were about more than ending wars. “Sustainability, solar panels, downward dogs, mindfulness, mushroom masks, farm-to-table, biodynamic in wine and all else—are all the ideological and practical offspring of what was considered a threat to regular America in the ’60s.” This author would be remiss if he didn’t include the establishment of communes that rejected the rules of a capitalistic society.

Yes, this author’s age group was radical in the ’60s and ’70s, but they would be accepted by younger Americans today and would fit into the majority of this society, which is becoming less material, less superficial, less bigoted, less violent, and less eager to become wealthy. People are more important than the profits of evil corporations. Racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, and religious sanctimony are shunned by younger Americans; and that is a huge group. The average age of all Americans in 2022 is 38.2 years of age.

This author cannot claim to have marched in protest of American policy during that time. He enlisted in the USAF in 1964 and was never able to participate physically, but shared their beliefs and goals, and continue to share them today.

People still get thrilled when they hear the music of those times, and fondly remember the beach parties with laughter, love, kindness, acceptance, and yes, lots of wine and pot were shared. Hippies and others were angry with the government, but not with their fellow Americans.

Today, this diverse nation fondly referred to as America is changing. Although the white supremacist movement has been increasingly active since the illegitimate win by Donald Trump in the Electoral College on Nov. 8, 2016, they cannot change what has been in motion for decades.

Today, anti-war protests and hippies may not be as numerous as in the late ’60s, but anti-gun protests are growing. Racism and bigotry in all its forms are rejected by all real Americans. Sustainable energy is at the forefront of this society. Saving the planet from the disasters resulting from climate change is reaching around the world and will soon become equal to the anti-war protests of the past. Marijuana is now legal in a large part of the nation. As hippies believed, it has failed to create problems close to the ones created by alcohol consumption, or the abuse of legally prescribed drugs.

Today, this nation is in a position to engage in another unwinnable war halfway around the world. At 75, this author’s form of protest will be to vote against the president, and any member of the House or Senate who supports another war not intended to protect this nation’s people. Modern warfare is mostly concerned with protecting corporations and increasing the wealth of those invested in the military-industrial complex.

The most significant effect of the hippie movement was the elimination of “group thought,” and the beginning of free thinkers who demanded proof. Hippies rejected claims by the government, the media, and even priests, ministers, rabbis, and imams without proof. The truth ruled, and it made people free.

Today, too many men and women are controlled by what they see and hear on television; what this author believes is a complete waste of time and energy: social media. Millions of Americans accept what they see and hear while refusing to demand facts or seek the truth. Hippies demanded answers to questions and rejected authority figures who were believed unworthy of trust.

Finally, the facts: Hippies were never anti-American, they were and remain opposed to lies and secrets harbored by those in power. The United States government is even more corrupt today than it was during the Johnson and Nixon administrations. Both parties continue to hide the truth under the guise of “national security.” This country is “we,” the people. This government is expected to serve the people, not rule over the people. Additionally, most of what is called “national secrets” are in fact a cover-up for misdeeds and even crimes committed by the president, the House, Senate, and even the justices on the Supreme Court.

I know many who read this author’s rants regularly know that he no longer trusts authority. This is a negative result of having lived for 75 years, through 13 presidents, and God knows how many members of the legislative and judicial branches of government.

Not only has this author witnessed massive corruption at the local, state, and federal governments, he saw massive crime within the military, law enforcement, corporations, and even from religious leaders.

This author only trusts those he knows intimately, and that number is very small.

“The Truth Lives Here”

Op-ed by James Turnage
Edited by Jeanette Vietti

Sources:

History: How the Vietnam War Empowered the Hippie Movement; by SARAH PRUITT
GQ: The Hippies Were Right After All; by DEVIN FRIEDMAN

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of OSO Hormiguero’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of OSO Hormiguero’s Flickr Page = Creative Commons License