The weekend hippies ( suburban kids who came into NYC on the weekends to pretend to be "baaaaaaaaaad" ) weren't too bad in the '60s, by 72, they were BAD!
The SDSers, Weathermen, the for REAL BLACK PANTHERS, and yes, the Manson crowd, were worse than the Antifa, BLMers, and assorted others of today.
My memory is just fine. 1972 wasn't as crazy and "terrifying" a time as these authors are making it out to be.
I think you're reading more into my post than what I said. I never claimed that 1972 was idyllic, but it was far more peaceful than today.
And yeah, I was near the "action", as you call it. I was just graduating from Compton High in Los Angeles county. Trusi me, I know about "action".
About my era as well. I didn’t feel Timothy Leary was all that central, more symptomatic.
The ineffectual posturing by both sides in congressional hearings was similarly bad drama.