I was one of the people in class who raised their hands that had a negative impression of hippies. I understand that a lot of them were genuinely interested in striving for peace and harmony, but I think a lot of them were just stoners that felt the need to rise up against society because they were sick of doing what everyone else did in life. Instead of going to college, graduating, and getting a job like everyone else, Hippies seemed to look for something else to do in their life. To me, it always seems like their just a nuisance. They are always protesting against big corporations and wars. I especially did not like it when I lived at Dobie my freshman year and they went down to the Army Reserve office and protested outside their building. I thought it was really disrespectful when the Army is just doing their job and protecting our peace.

When we first started talking about the Justice For All exhibits during class, I actually had no idea that was the organization that had put up the displays but I do remember the event. My memory is not completely clear of what was shown, primarily because I would try to look at the floor and walk by the pro-life protesters and their glaring photos as fast as possible every time I left Jester to go to class. What I did manage to see I found very disturbing and repulsive: clear images of aborted fetuses blown up to unnecessary proportions and radical slogans equating abortion with homicide and the Holocaust. In addition to the tall displays, I seem to remember large signs and posters held up by the Justice For All members, making it even more difficult to avoid. Like the Daily Texan article asserts, I am amazed at how the University did not consider this “obscene, vulgar, or libelous” material. It makes me think the Regents’ Rules are merely empty words that lack real definition and substance to be enforced.
Although I tend to side pro-life on the abortion issue, in no way do I agree with the manner in which Justice For All decided to confront the UT campus. If even someone who has the same opinion on the issue is turned away by the images and slogans, it is highly doubtful that anyone will be “converted” through it. Rather, it just angers and annoys students and faculty and probably helps the pro-choice position. If Justice For All is only committed to bringing awareness of the issue, they did so in a distasteful but successful way. If they were hoping to make a long-term difference by educating people on the issue and making them sympathetic towards pro-life, I believe Justice For All absolutely failed.

Nicolas Garza
RHE309K
Response Paper 2
War protest songs were wide and welcome in the 1960s. For big names such as Peter, Paul & Mary and Bob Dylan as well as musicians who played on street corners, the Vietnam war was a topic of concern. Since war has long been regarded as a sad and horrific subject, many protest songs were written in a sincere and solemn tone. Unlike other music groups, the psychedelic band known as Country Joe and the Fish criticized the war effort with a rather novel circus-tune called I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag. With its catchy lyrics and unorthodox sound, Country Joe and the Fish’s song was strikingly different from other antiwar songs of the day.

I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag’s was different from other songs against the war as it incorporated an extremely catchy, yet silly refrain into the framework. After each verse, Country Joe would sing what sounds almost like a children’s tune.
"And its one, two, three, what are we fighting for?
Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn, next stop is Vietnam.
And its five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates,
well it ain’t no time to wonder why,
Whoopie! We’re all gonna die!"
This attempt of making a stand against the war by making light of the subject marked the difference between this song and other tunes.

The song not only used catchy lyrics, but also broke away from typical protest songs with its actual sound. I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag incorporates an organ that sounds as if it were meant for a circus performance. To add to the ridiculousness of the song, the singer even sings in a way that is reminiscent of old-time carnival announcers.

Country Joe and the Fish had the peaceful intentions that many other songwriters had, but this band certainly took a new direction when it came to writing an antiwar song.

Over the years, UT students struggled to fight off restrictions on free speech in the university. The article “Struggling To Be Heard” presents the student's continuous effort in expressing what they believe in. For example, in 1961, UT students tried their best to integrate the Drag. Although the university, at this time, integrated all campus activities, UT dorms and the Drag were still segregated. In order to integrate the Drag “students held sit-ins at the theater… largely due to student protests, the Varsity Theater finally relented… and eventually the entire Drag, was desegregated"(2). This shows that the students were successful because they worked together to protest against segregation. This example also shows that “without pressure from students, the anti-integration Board of Regents would not have relented on desegregation"(3). Overall, this event emphasizes how important it is for the students to freely express their idea in order to fight for what they believe in. Another example is when 5 students from the anti-war protest were arrested from The Board of Regents Chairman Frank Erin. Because of the 5 students’arrest, “almost all UT students were outraged, and even those who were opposed to the tactics of the anti-war protesters defended their rights to free speech”(3). Basically students in general were infuriated by the fact that they would get arrested just for expressing their opinions about the war. Further, this event can be considered as a motivation for the students to fight off restrictions on their freedom of speech. Another example of the student’s fight against restrictions on free speech is “when four students were killed by members of the National Guard at Kent State University… UT students and faculty urged the administration to close the school to honor the slain students” (3). Ultimately the university closed due to the student protest. As the years passed by, students constantly tried their best in letting their voices out into the world. Eventually, their effort caused changes in UT’s free speech policies and many more.

The riots at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention are just another shocking occurrence that seemed to be all too common in the 1960s. During the week of the convention young people filled the parks in attempt to protest the Vietnam War. They acted peacefully and had no intention of causing violence but both the mayor and the police did not allow for that. Mayor Richard Daley’s refusal to give the students permits for parades as well as the opportunity to sleep in the park over night acted as the start of the riots to come. Peaceful protestors were denied simple rights and when they decided to go against the rulings of Mayor Daley, the violence began. It seems absurd that the police force’s response to nonviolence was violence. Although the protestors were not following orders, they remained peaceful. The fact that policemen, first tear gassed the crowds, then began clubbing them for the mere fact that they were exercising their first amendment rights is horrifying. Furthermore, it surprises me that I had never learned about this historic event. While the Civil Rights Movement is well known, the student movement seems to have flown under the radar and events such as this have just become an afterthought. The fact is the riots began as a result of police violence against peaceful protestors and an event as unpatriotic as this should not be overlooked. The scenes in the video where people were being dragged and clubbed were heartbreaking. Not only was it difficult to watch police hurting citizens, but more importantly it was upsetting to find that in addition to the horrifying events of the civil rights movement, students too were being denied their rights as American citizens.

The events that unfolded in the Walker Commission remind me of the south during the civil rights movement. To a modern girl like myself, it seems preposterous that the same police force, meant to serve and protect the people, could partake in an outright riot. During the 1968 Democratic National Convention, weren’t the police supposed to stop riots from occurring, not be the rioting aggressors? I mean, during the civil rights movement, while embarrassing and backward, assault by the police was hardly unexpected. The south was full of white supremacists who wanted to conserve the status quo, and it seemed natural for the police to take action against nonviolent protestors in order to stop them. I just thought that because the world watched the horror of law enforcement beating innocent people, history would be unlikely to repeat itself, especially in the north.
Boy, was I wrong. With Mayor Daley’s essentially no tolerance policy for protesters, the Chicago police went a little crazy. I suppose they were threatened by the dissidence of and the appearance of the demonstrators, but that is no excuse for the rioting that took place on their behalf. The demonstrators weren’t entirely innocent either, as they also attacked the police, but, according to the Walker Commission, “the weight of violence was overwhelmingly on the side of the police” (439). Daniel Walker included numerous first-hand accounts of the police brutality that went on that week in August. Without obvious differences in appearance between protestors and innocent bystanders, the police attacked everyone not in uniform, including the press and their equipment.
This incidence baffles me. It is hard to comprehend the rage and violence that occurred at the hands of the Chicago PD, especially when they knew the world was watching it on their television screens. It is also curious that as of 3 months after the convention there had “been no public condemnation of these violators of sound police procedures and common decency by either their commanding officers or city officials” (439). I understand that it was easy for the officers to get a little out of hand, but that is no excuse for the level of violence that occurred, and later, the lack of remorse on behalf of the city.

When I think of a hippie, I think of a person with good intentions just trying to let go of all the drama presented in the 60s and live life to the fullest. In class we discussed hippies and although the few people that spoke said they associated hippies with a bad image of drug users and unsanitary habits, I would have to disagree. This was a group of young adults trying to look past all the negativity and find peace, love, and harmony. They may not have chosen to follow the norms of society but that does not mean they were wrong. The clothes they wore and the body hair they choose not to shave was their way of making a statement. They were trying to give a message of self worth, individuality, and taking advantage of the freedoms that everyone had been fighting for the whole time. The hippies would come together in large groups and be allowed to say and do what they wanted. Even though people did not like it, no one could really do anything about it. Hippies were not just around to do drugs and party, they were fighting for peace in America and for civil rights. They were a part of the movements of the 60s just as much as the next activist and were recognized for it. All in all, some things the hippies did may not have been the smartest, but they had an idea and they fought for it and lived their lives the best way they could.

When we first discussed in class the anti-abortion exhibit at UT, I was shocked because I had never heard of it previously. It was great to know that my university was actively participating in the free speech movement, even though the display faced resistance. In the Daily Texan article, it discusses the graphic images of aborted fetuses used by the Justice for All group, some that were proven to be inaccurate of US abortions. If I had been a UT student at that time, these images would have been appalling and created much of a response. I have always been against abortion because of personal religious beliefs, but the claim that abortion leads to genocide seemed a bit over-the-top.

Besides the abortion issue, the exhibit brought out much controversy for the university’s free speech policies. The injuries to Mia Carter were completely unnecessary and the whole situation was handled poorly. Yes, she was breaking the rules but the use of force was uncalled for. It is also discussed in this article that the administration dealt with the rules and regulations of free speech on campus in a surprising and contradictory way. Justice for All was co-sponsored by their organization and this rule was overlooked. However, when the blood buses come to campus (as they still do), they display the website and phone number of their organization. If UT is going to implement free speech rules, they must remain consistent and what upset me about this situation was the picking and choosing of what was to be tolerated and what was to be prohibited. The protest that came about from this display was less about the issue of abortion and more focused on the rights of free speech. It was all too picky: from the use of amplified sound to deciding what mall on campus was a “designated rally area.” Afterwards, UT made the rule that nothing could be displayed that was “obscene, vulgar, or libelous.” Who is to decide what qualifies as obscene or vulgar? This will only cause more debate and evolve into more rules about what is to be allowed. Overall, I feel that the university still has a long way to go in making clear restrictions on students’ use of free speech.

It is very easy to dehumanize an enemy that is in a far off country; however, in Paul Potter’s speech entitled “The Incredible War”, he connects the problems of the Vietnamese to the problems suffered by the many discontented Americans and explains how they are caused by the same system. I would argue that the hypocrisy of America’s foreign policy during the Vietnam War is very reminiscent of what is going on in our world today. I found Potter’s argument very striking because I found so many ways it could be applied to our world today.
Potter begins with some very strong, bold statements that many probably perceived as very “un-American”. He calls the U.S. “the greatest threat to peace in the world today”. Ever since the war in Iraq began, there have been a plethora of bumper stickers such as “United We Stand”, but if the country was really united we wouldn’t need bumper stickers to prove it. I don’t think questioning the system should be something considered unpatriotic. However, I think Potter is smart in recognizing his statement as shocking; he even calls it “a terrible and bitter insight”. He then moves on to describe details of the war. The “revulsion” that his initial statement undoubtedly created is countered by the “horrendous” details of “napalm gas or crop destruction or torture, hurled indiscriminately on women and children.” With a war far far away, and other seemingly more important issues stirring within the country, whether it was civil rights in the sixties or abortion laws today, it is easy to ignore what is going on outside of your own personal sphere. I would argue that by asking hard-hitting questions such as “Whose freedom [are we protecting]?”, and more importantly “how much freedom will be left in [America] if there is a major war in Asia?” he is able to bring the war home. He is personalizing, humanizing the war. I think we could ask ourselves many of these same questions today. Who is this war really benefiting? In my opinion, that is the best way to bring attention to an issue that otherwise would not seem salient to the public. After getting the audience’s attention and explaining why the war is bad for their personal causes, he proceeds to belittle the justifications made by the government for the war. He mockingly calls Communism the “ultimate menace”, and poses yet another controversial set of questions: “What kind of system is it that justifies the United States seizing the destinies of the Vietnamese people and using them callously for its own purpose?” There is this recurring pattern of framing wars in order to favor the government’s agenda. Communism became this horrifying concept that justified American imperialism. In my opinion, framing our current war as the “War on Terror” only allows for one side of the story. The government bluntly refuses for any arguments in between. In the present and the past, America has portrayed themselves as the “good guy” and the opposition as the “bad”, and if you argue with that then you must either be unpatriotic, or even worse, one of “them”. However, it is not that black and white. I think that Potter’s speech sheds some light on that grey area and does a really excellent job of tying the problems of other countries to the problems within.

My response paper deals with the Chicago Democratic Convention. Coming from Chicago, I was shocked to learn about how big of a deal this was in 1968. I never really learned about it as a kid. I knew that there was a big Democratic Convention in 1968, but I did not know about the thousands of antiwar protestors outside of the convention that tried to sleep in the park. As it turns out, there was a lot of controversy surrounding this issue and thousands of Chicago police officers were called to the scene to keep the peace. There were thousands of hippies that wanted to sleep in Lincoln Park to protest the Vietnam War in hopes of electing a new president that would end the war. When Mayor Daley told the “hippies” they could not sleep in the park, they did not leave without a fight. The Chicago Police had to shoot tear gas into the crowds and riots occurred. This was amazing to me because I had never heard anything about it and I had lived in Chicago my entire life. They never once talked about it in any of the classes I took, throughout grade school and high school, and this was national news. I guess one of the things that also surprised me was how influential the “hippies” actually were in the 1960s and 70s. As much of a nuisance they seemed to be at times and as much drugs as they did, they got people and politicians to think hard about their actions before they went through with them. Even in the case of the Chicago Democratic Convention the “hippies” put up a fight. There were supposed to be news crews outside filming the protests, but only because of prior manipulation by politicians, only the convention inside was filmed. I thought the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention was very intriguing because it happened right in my hometown.

The Chicago Police riot in 1968 was something that I personally had never heard of before watching this video. Previous to taking this class I had not been exposed to many of the types of prejudices that were seen in the 1960’s. The film that we watched in class on the Chicano Police riot was particularly influential to me simply because it seemed like a situation that anyone could find themselves in. Watching the police’s reaction to the group of protesters was shocking. The idea of a police officer, someone who is supposed to serve and protect the public, beating innocent people is devastating. I have never experienced anything like that and the thought of that happening really disturbs me. While watching this video I tried to put myself in the protester s shoes and pretend I was there when this was taking place; and it seemed to affect me more than any other video we watched. As the police were throwing tear gas into the crowd I felt a wrench in my heart. How could someone do that to another human being? I felt this event was particularly traumatic because the men and women seemed so innocent. The fact that they were attacked when they were only about a fifth of the size of normal protests at that time and were just sitting in the park harmlessly makes me sick to my stomach. I’ve never seen such ruthlessness as when the officers were chasing down protesters to beat them. This video did a very good job in portraying that hostility and the feelings that were had at that time period.

I have to admit that I was one of the people that associated hippies with negativity, though I don’t necessarily think their ideals were bad. As far as I remember, our class discussion about hippies started with the question regarding if we thought negatively or positively towards them. Though most of the class first associated hippies with negativity, I’m quite sure that after our whole debate (and of course, watching the videos) most of the class changed their minds. I think that the reason most of us thought badly of them is due to the stereotype society branded hippies with. Before this class, which enlightened us to the reasoning behind their actions and protests, society and the media taught us that hippies are dirty, druggies, have unprotected sex, are anti-government, and protest EVERYTHING. Though these stereotypes might hold some truth, they failed to teach us the good part about them: they stand up for what they believe in, and aren’t afraid to take action in order to make a change. These hippies were a big part of the civil rights movement and are the reasons some of us hold rights we otherwise wouldn’t be entitled to. Furthermore, movies and shows that have hippies usually depict them tripping on drugs, while wearing bellbottoms and a tie-dye t-shirt. Forrest Gump, for instance, shows Jenny looking dirty and doing drugs during this era. The fact that they are portrayed like this takes away from the actual message they were trying to get across. If hippies had been more responsible in regards to their social activities, people would have a better image of them than they do now.

Since the 1960s people have had a common misconception of how hippies have lived their lives. During our class discussion on what people thought of hippies, I was very surprised of what people had to say. They said the hippies were dirty, did a lot of drugs, and did not make a difference because of this. My perception of them was completely different. Just because a culture is dirty doesn’t undermine their statement. I think it exemplified what they believed in and showed people getting more in touch with their roots.
One thing I was really surprised with was how people related drag rats to hippies. How can they even be compared? Drag rats are nothing but bums, where hippies actually stand for something and try to make a difference with their lifestyle. The hippie culture is still thriving, especially in Austin, and I think they are still making a difference by just being an example on a way to live a peaceful life style. I admire that a lot. Drug rats are not involved in anything where hippies still protest and voice their beliefs (like anti-war protests).
Another common misconception was that EVERY hippie was on drugs. It was very prevalent in their culture, but it is certainly not true that every hippie was doing it. Pot became very popular in the hippie culture, but there have been studies to show that it is far less dangerous than alcohol or even cigarettes in the long run. I don’t think these things should undermine the importance of their beliefs.

The public opinion about hippies is quite dependent upon where you are and who you were raised by. I am from San Francisco, which was basically the birthplace of the beatniks from which came the hippies. My mother and father were both participants in many protests; in fact that is how they met. Being raised by hippies, I have never had a negative impression of them and was completely shocked to see that a majority of the class did, but only because of their hygiene and drug use. They neglected to take into consideration the values and the message that the hippies were trying to get across to.That message included freeing themselves from the strict environment they were raised in as well as a general sense of peace, love, and acceptance.
They didn’t dress or shower like their parents taught them for a reason, not just because they were too lazy, but because they believed in individuality. At the same time, they believed in coming together as a nation to stop violence and promote a loving community. They were firm believers in accepting people as they were no matter what they looked like, what drugs they were on or where they came from. For them it wasn’t about the look or about how other people reacted to them, it was about how they felt and what they were doing with their lives.
If my mom has taught me anything from her hippie days, it was to live life to the fullest. She may not recommend doing some of the things that she ended up doing, but she doesn’t regret the life experiences that she had. She has told me many times that participating in the protests against the war made her feel like she was making a difference, especially when her older brother was fighting over there. If my mom and her friends have taught me anything, it’s that you should take a stand for what you believe in. she has allowed me to see past the outward appearance, but to look at what people stand for and respect that they are taking the time to make a stand.

My response for this section hits more on a personal note. Even though there was a very good reading in our course packet on Kent State, the topic I’d like to focus on is the event itself. I’m embarrassed to admit that during this unit, I checked out a library book for the first time in my college career. For project two, I had to research on the causes of the Kent State shootings, and my results gave me so much more than I anticipated. The library turned out so many sources to supplement the reading in the packet, and I found myself intrigued and reading into all of my library books further than I needed to. Writing my causal argument rough draft, I found that it was the first time in a long time I had held a genuine interest in the topic I was writing on. I’d always heard about the shootings, but people tend to brush off historical moments as simple facts. Deep research led me to reading primary accounts of students and family members that were involved. I could feel the anger, confusion, and sadness surrounding the event. After reading many of the personal accounts, I went on to look at official FBI investigation reports and accounts of the incident. It was intriguing that there were so many cover-ups and scandals involved behind-the-scenes in an event that seems just like an accident at first glance. It left me wondering what other events in history were potentially misinterpreted and misunderstood by the American public. Just the act of a simple research assignment led me to look at many things so differently, and it has truly impacted me during this semester. The Kent State shootings turned from something I cared very little about, to an event that I am very familiar with.

Hippies have been a big part of American life for more than forty years now. Whether they have been a good or bad part depends on who you talk to. Some see them as dirty people who have unprotected sex and do tons of drugs. Others see them as people who expressed themselves and stood up for their ideals. Where I stand on the issue is somewhat in between both of those. Their behavior is fairly reckless when it comes to sex and drugs. They would do just about any drug and believed very much in free love. As most of us know now, while it sounds fun, free love is not such a smart thing to do. Problems arise from it such as STDs and even unwanted children. Their drug use was another problem that I see with most hippies.

The hippies could have been a lot more formidable as a kwasi-political movement if they weren’t so reckless. The ideas they had were good. They wanted freedom, free speech, and no war. Those are very good ideas that big political movements could use and gain much popularity. But they didn’t care about popularity and because of this their message didn’t get out as much as it should have. It’s very hard for people to take drug addicts seriously. Sure they probably weren’t addicts but when you are high all the time people aren’t going to listen to what you have to say. Maybe they didn’t care about the national attention or what other people thought, but they might have been able to further their cause if they were sober.

These days the hippie culture isn’t the same as it once was. When I think of hippies these days I think of drag rats who smoke weed all day. I don’t think of people from a political movement who tried to stop the war. It’s sad that it has come to that but it’s the affect of forty years of drug use and free sex. Maybe one day the hippie culture will be what it once was.

Robert Pardun’s article “It Wasn’t Hard to be a Communist in Texas” gave me a pretty unbelievable outlook on political life in Texas during the McCarthy era. We all know that Texas is recognized as a conservative Republican state, but for Pardun to be attacked in public for simply stating that “the Russians are people too,” is unfathomable.

Pardun introduces his article by explaining that he grew up in the McCarthy era, a time when he and his generation only knew that Communism was considered evil, but they truly had no concept of its realities. In the opening paragraph he states that Communists “had no respect for human life.” So when he is younger and not completely educated, Pardun continues to see Communism as something corrupt and wrong. As he goes to college, meets more people and diverse communities, Pardun finds the historical side of many opinions which give him context and thus changes his ideals. He then becomes involved with SDS and goes to demonstrations.

Pardun seems like a person who finally stepped away from his parent’s and generation’s ideals to find that by simply having an opinion of his own and being compassionate to other races and communities made him vulnerable to being called a “Communist.” Through his education and reasoning, Pardun finds that although Communism can be a political stance it is too often used as simply a socialist idea that is off base from the typical rigid Republican views.

Out of the “new left” views, the students of the heartland banded together to develop “a new breed in SDS” to fight back against their government and try to enlighten the people of America to their ideas and political beliefs. Just like Pardun the students were shunned and looked at as Communists.

Compassion and feelings for other races and being criticized for these thoughts is a resounding theme throughout the sixties, not only within the student movement, especially SDS, but in the fight for civil rights as well as the women’s movement.

Justin Wright
RHE 309K - Boade
4-3-06
Response Paper #2

When we were in class one day, professor Boade asked the class who had a negative impression of hippies and who had a positive impression. I was utterly surprised to see how many people raised their hands to say that they had a negative impression. I have always grown up admiring this culture and I have tried to take on some of their values. These people stand up for freedom and protest when things aren’t going the right way. Most Americans would just sit on their couches, complain, and then turn the channel on their televisions if things turned out bad. But the hippies were all about change. If there was a policy that they didn’t agree with, they made their voices heard. They supported each other continuously and I admire that.
When professor Boade asked the majority of the class why they had bad impressions of hippies, the two main answers were that they had poor hygiene and that they used drugs. As far as hygiene goes, I agree with the majority of the class. The hippies probably were not the best manicured group there was. But there is an environmental price to pay for being clean and looking nice all the time. Every time we take a shower or use a can of hairspray we are wasting water and polluting the atmosphere. So maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that the hippies lived like that. As far as the drug thing goes, some people are completely hypocritical. “Normal” Americans smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol all the time to escape their problems. Hippies smoked pot and used LSD to expand their mind and to be more accepting. Alcohol leads to depression and violence, pot leads to acceptance and self-discovery. In my opinion, the latter is the better choice. It is for these reasons and more that I admire the hippies.