Hippie Fest, Incorporated

An American In Turkiye

[An American in Turkiye]

Warning! A roving band of Hippie Icons may soon be coming to a city near you!

It all started on a sunkist Saturday at Wild Adventure theme park, here in Valdosta, Georgia. Concerts are a regular here, and I've seen some great bands: Foreigner, Styx, REO Speedwagon.

Before I begin, let me just say that I am 35 years old. Never really saw the hippie movement. Read about it, saw the footage of Woodstock, etc. But I never really experienced it. And for that, I think God.

It was an outdoor event, with families lining lawn chairs up, loading the kids up with popcorn and burgers, and settling in for a good show. Although not my generation, I have always loved classic rock. And by classic rock, I mean Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc.

I expected to see decent, hard working people in the crowd, like I had seen at the other concerts. This was not to be the case.

As if the pictures and videos I've seen of Woodstock came alive, it was now. But there was no beauty. Fat, bloated hippies, hurrying their hippie wives, streamed onto the field. Most men had hair down to the small of their backs, their wives the same. Grey was the common, and lots of it. When I looked at their faces, long, cavernous wrinkles bore into their flesh. So deep you could shove an envelope into it and it would stay. A pungent and distinct aroma wafted around, like a camper that has not showered in a few days. And the looks on their faces. The look of pure intolerance, of pure selfishness, of pure hatred.

I should have left with my fiancé right then and there.

Country Joe McDonald walked out first. I have heard some of his music, and honestly, not that big of a fan. He attempted some humor, and then broke out into "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag". If you are not in the know, it's an anti-Vietnam song. The crowd went wild. I looked at my fiancé and said "Do they not realize that this was 30 years ago?" It was like they were reliving their past protests all over again.

What happened next was unbelievable. He has a new song, ripe with criticism about Bush, Cheney, Rice, etc. The vulgarities flew with every venomous breath he took. Mind you, there were little kids all over the place, but their (grandparents) laughed and lauded every vile insult thrown at the President.

The concert went on, with performances by Melanie, Iron Butterfly, and the Animals. All night long, slogans like " we can all live in peace", "we're all brothers", and "make love, not war" was shouted at the crowd. But interestingly, I saw otherwise.

All night long, security for the bands made their way through the crowd, screaming at people to stop videotaping the show. I mean, getting in their face, finger pointing, yelling. All the while, the bands kept spouting about how evil capitalism is, how imperialistic we are, etc. But after each performance, we were told to "go to the white tent to purchase tonight’s video, and buy a few tee shirts to support the cause." Hypocrisy at its best.

The people in the crowd were amazing. Hippies know that smoking pot leads to the munchies, but apparently the never cared. Most people had tie-dye shirts on their bloated, beer gut bellies. After reading "make love" one too many times on these walking pregnant lava lamps, I almost threw up thinking about what it actually might look like.

Sorry for the long rave, but my point is this: the hippie generation caused a lot of damage to this nation. It is evident that deep down, they hate this country. They loathe capitalism, unless it keeps them from making a buck. They think it's OK to spew profanities in front of kids, as long as it bashes Republicans. And the amount of trash that was left on the ground from them was disgusting.

But hey! Someone else will clean it up for them. They are too busy lecturing us on Global Warming!

[pandoraou812]

I was in noway involved in any antiwar movement. I was too young and my family lost members in that war. Not everyone was protesting the war you know. My brother or sister sure weren't. Just because they went to concerts and I hit the tail end of a few by no means made me, or them commies or antiwar protesters......I am sorry you had to be there. But I still won't say all hippies were bad, not then , not now. I don't label people or judge them in the way that this piece was written. I also believe people change and regret what they did when they were young. ~Pandora~

[brazzaville]

Good morning.

Interesting response there, FRiend.

I wasn't aware that I was attacking anybody, nor did I mean to, you least of all. I'm sorry that you took it that way, but that you did is not my problem.

Don't feel sorry that I was there. I chose to be and I came home to California every nine months to hear the music and hit on hippie chicks. The Vietnamese Co's were prettier.

Seriously, as much as I despise the anti war movement, I wasn't pointing fingers in that post.

Michael Frazier

[true_blue_texican]

Hey brazzaville (some brasilian connection, there?)

I grew up in Abilene, TX near Dyess Air Force Base, the largest SAC base at the time. My neighbor was a girl. I had GI Joes and she had Barbies. When we played, GI Joe was home on leave from Vietnam and he would beat up draft-dodging Ken.

I went to elementary school with the kids of "Linebackers". The rewriters of history say we lost the Vietnam War as they point to the fall of Saigon ignoring the fact that we had won the war 2 years before the "fall" (thanks to Nixon and Linebacker and Linebacker 2) and that we hadn't been part of the Vietnam war during the 2 years that led up to the "fall" (thanks to Ford and the democrat congress).

Now if only Linebacker had begun in Feb, '69 and continued until we had occupied Hanoi...

[pandoraou812]

I am sure you are completely correct. However I live in NJ where we had the riots in Newark. I was too young to really remember much about them or anything about SF . I do remember my father swearing it was the commies stirring them up. I know that my family was by no means involved in anything with commie hippies.... My cousins went off to war ....some enlisted, some were drafted, not all made it back. I remember the funerals and it was a bad time for my aunts who lost sons... I do remember the fights over long hair with my brother & father. I do not in anyway support that Hanoi Jane, Sarandon, Sheehan group. But I won't say all the hippies I knew then were bad. Most grew up and became regular people. They didn't live the rest of their lives in the 60's. Where I live we didn't spit on soldiers or do any of that... Although I am sure it happened here too. We were happy to get our boys back home. Had my brother been drafted he would have done his duty and gone, not run away to Canada. That wouldn't have gone over in my father's house at all. I remember the college campus riots and the churches who spoke out against the war too not just hippies. I think back then it was many different people who got tired of the war. I don't compare Iraq to Vietnam. I think its different for many reasons. I think all these people who think we can just pull out of there and there will be peace are crazy. I just won't lump all hippies as commies. I do support this war totally and my husband and I both are in the PGR and have done many rides. I don't judge people by what they did in their youth. I am sure many of them fully regret what they did then today. I would say you saw more then what I saw by far...I was too young and I think I was maybe 10 yrs old in the summer of Woodstock. I just don't think its fair to label anyone who had long hair & went to concerts a hippie and on welfare etc. I think many of those people didn't think about communists. They were too busy with smoking pot and hearing the music. Not everyone that was a hippie stayed one as many here suggest or were bad parents. Thats not rational to my way of thinking. There comes a point when you just have to grow up...or at least most of us do.

[pandoraou812]

Hi Micheal, No I don't feel you attacked me. I was just in general venting.... I don't think everyone who was a hippie was a commie or stayed a hippie. I just don't quite get the hate for them . I didn't see it here in NJ like people did in other states I guess. I saw things too from a child's eyes then too..... Thankfully we have people like you who chose to go and serve their country and we have people who do that now. If I offended you in anyway I surely didn't intend to. I admire soldiers very much, I did then and I do now.... ~Pandora~

[TigersEye]

You are absolutely correct that many middle class people were protesting the war and calling for an end to it. They just didn't go out in the streets in the numbers that the kids did. Don't let the ignorance about it get to you. Those who think the "hippies" were responsible for our leaving Vietnam either weren't there or have selective memories.

The MSM, aka Walter Cronkite in great part, were the ones who sold the leftist hogwash to the masses. If it hadn't been for their intentional misreporting of the facts and outright deceitful editorializing the number of protesters and anti-war sentiment in general would have been far smaller.

It is a shame that so many are now falling for a similar counter-propaganda about "hippies" ending the Vietnam war when it distracts from the fact that the MSM bears the lion's share of the blame. Quite a shame because they're back at it and they've learned from the past.

Even with the huge numbers of street protesters back then (absolutely dwarfing what's occurring now) our government never would have bowed to their wishes. It took a groundswell of sentiment amongst everyday working Americans to effect war policy and cause us to pull out.

[Alkhin]

But we're all doing it because we don't want people to die. Ever. If this war would save lives in the long run, we'd be for it. But it won't.

Oh dear God - and the next thing youll tell us is that you were/are a HUGE fan of Tolkien and how HE was all about anti-war and not killing people and we should all be like Gandalf - UGH! -

I dont see how you can sit there and say that there's nothing worth dying for. There are men and women who VOLUNTEERED to be in that military fully understanding they will be sent into action because THEY BELIEVE there is somethign worth DYING for in this country...and your soft white ass is one of them. The least you can do is have the balls (or ovum) to accept that sacrifice and support their efforts to make a difference in this world.

And actually read history...but I guess thats too hard...

[pandoraou812]

Thanks ...thats what I was thinking too. I know of guy's with long hair that I admire greatly. I happen to like long hair on men too. I know quite a few guys with long hair....Young & old. My one son has hair down his back. He is no hippie and would look at you like you had two heads if you called him one. I just hate labels. Its not what is on the outside of a person..it is what is on the inside that counts....~P~

[Larry Lucido]

LOL!! Thank God for Cartman!

[LowOiL]

When we merely imposed sanctions, we were accused of causing the deaths of over half a million children. Now that we've invaded, we're chided for 3,000 American dead and perhaps some tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians.

You preach it brother... and preach it loudly...

[TigersEye]

You're going to be in endless battles if you try to take on every form of ignorance that pops up. Sometimes it's best to be happy that you know the truth and let others work it out for themselves. ; )

[pandoraou812]

TE... as usual you are right! EFG Thanks ~P~

[demsux]

If this war would save lives in the long run, we'd be for it.

BS

[TigersEye]

That's why they pay me the big money to sit here and FReep all day. ;^P

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.
"(some brasilian connection, there?)"

No, none that I know of.

Michael Frazier

[arthurus]

No. They are not all commies. Many were/are just druggies but when the communists or other lefties need a crowd it is easy to round up hippies. Many of the more modern "hippies" don't really qualify for the term, anyway. They are highly political anarchists. Most of the apolitical hippies are only apolitical in their own minds because they will attach themselves to any sort of "protest" against society and government that comes along, especially if someone is passing out drugs.

[pandoraou812]

That is sad but all too true. I ask people about why they are protesting against a war that is keeping them FREE from terrorists and they have no real answer. I ask them if they think if we left Iraq we will be any safer from terrorists. Usually the look on their face is all the answer I need. Some people will protest things that if they sat & thought about them wouldn't even protest them. Give them free anything and they will go along for the ride. Those people really pi$$ me off. At least believe in & know what the hell you are protesting about. Personally I hate the Jane Fonda, Cindy Sheehan ,Michael Moore etc people. I will go protest against them anytime I can. I try hard not to bother with hating people... but I do hate them I am sad to say... ~P~

[humblegunner]

Saddam is out of power and will not return.

He's dead, too.

[Blue Collar Christian]

"Pretty much everybody here is pro-choice, pro-ES research..."

"But we're all doing it because we don't want people to die. Ever."

Unless they're unborn and can't speak for themselves. Y'all can't call a spade a spade. You're pro-abortion (pronounced baby killers), pro-embryonic harvesting (pronounced baby farming)...and to think that half this country seems to think like you...sheesh!

You are the party of Proverbs 12:15 creating your own new (enlightened?) morality with political correctness and all.

[zalfelix]

This kind of upsets me.

Let me start out by saying I'm 14 years old and I've never done drugs.

I can tell you what these people were like because I was also at that concert.
For one thing, everyone that I saw seemed to be having a good time. I saw the security guards (politely) ask only two people not to film.
Sure, the message in Country Joe's song is about Vietnam, but as he said before he went into it, "Some things are very different nowadays, while some things are just the same..."
I do realize that some of the audience members didn't truly believe in the message of "peace and love," and were probably only there to hear the music of their youth, and there is anything wrong with that either. On the other hand, I saw countless people who smiled at everyone, made pleasant conversation with strangers, and were obviously having a great time. Does it really matter if they did/do drugs or have forgotten what they believe in? No! Because they're still alive and enjoying themselves.

Though of course you can expect someone so young to focus on something so trivial as the appearance of the audience members, and not on the music that you paid to see...

And about the musicians - wouldn't you be a little cynical too if you were asked to play at a THEME PARK after 40+ years in music?

Lighten up, please.