Replies

When I was 11 or 12, I was surprised when I found out my parents were never hippies, and shocked when I found out not everyone their age protested the war. The way the media portrays that era, you'd think everyone had long hair, wore beads, and marched for "peace". Or was it "piece"?

I was sort of disappointed at the time, but it didn't take long for me to realize that people like my mom and dad were the important ones. They were the ones who served in the military, they had jobs, they were starting families and passing on their values and beliefs... And they were, unlike their dirty, hairy counterparts, actually doing something positive for their country.

I'm one of those like your parents. I tell people that if you could have one thing that could encompass the sillyness and stupidity of the whole '60's thing, it would be a copy of the movie "Woodstock," which I own. It shows the whole thing for what it is. And the more time that passes, the more narcissistic, selfish and irresponsible my generation looks.

But like Rush Limbaugh, I thought it was stupid at the time. We weren't all brainwashed.

I don't know where to start. The 60's didn't start for me until 1965 when I was eighteen, and I was totally taken in by the whole cultural,political, music, and drug thing. That means I had eighteen years of a solid upbringing. I had a great foundation, even though I bought into the above mentioned ideas. It was a new day. There were no rules. Everything was ok. The article is dead on about Viet Nam protests, and the protest stopped when the draft stopped.. It was all about being selfish baby boomers. The first time in history that young men en masse refused to serve. Quite something to be proud of. It is my opinion that my generation is responsible for maybe ruining the country, and I have spent twenty years trying to atone for my part. That is one of the reasons I FReep. Oh, by the way, I came to my senses about the time The Gipper rode into town, because like your parents, my early upbringing begin to surface.