As everyone knows, Woodstock turned 40 this past week. It's been celebrated with tribute concerts, television specials, and perhaps many gatherings of those once free spirited peace loving hippies. I happen to be very interested in the Counter Culture and find it facinating how the "hippies" viewed the world. Recently, in my sociology class a question arose as to why the counter culture is not as prevelent among todays youth as it was in the 1960s and 70s. There are many answers to this question that I came up with while in class. Other than today's technology and other 21st century things former President Ronald Reagan's "War on Drugs" could have put a stop to the Hippies way of life. It's common knowledge that experimental and psycodelic drugs were a huge part of the counter culture and perhaps when authorities started cracking down on drug use that the hippies faded into the background and lost interest in that way of life. Another possible reason is the discovery of AIDS in the early 1980s. In the 60s and 70s free love was abound. Anywhere, anyone, and anyway to put it not so graphically. When people gained the knowlegde that if you didn't have safe sex you could get AIDS many left behind the free-love lifestyle of the Counter Culture. Whatever the reason, the Counter Culture of that era has influenced many things in todays world. Clothes, music, and movies owe a lot of credit to the people of that age who helped make a lot of it happen. 1969, no matter what anyone thinks will go down in history as one of the greatest gatherings of people to celebrate peace, love, and rock n roll.
On another note, my father, a hippie in his own right turned 46 yesterday. So, happy birthday to him!
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