The Sixties (a PBS special)

[Free For All]

Anyone see this? I thought it was excellent. I was born in 1958, so I wasn't really aware of a lot of what was going on at the time (I did become aware later, when I was older). I remember when JFK was killed in '63, mostly because of my parents' response and watching (black & white) TV. I remember standing along the highway in my hometown (Indianola, IA) when LBJ passed through. The events of the later 60s I remember with a lot more clarity.

One thing that struck me when watching this was the parallels to our current situation regarding Iraq. The immensity of the anti-war protest was amazing. I can't help but feel that the younger generation of today hasn't really mobilized in this regard. I'll bet we have some members here who were active in that era. I'd love to hear some stories.

The film footage used was excellent, much more in-depth than the usual cliched stuff we see from this era.

Anyway, I really enjoyed it, and plan to purchase the DVD.

Edited for spelling clams

Also, this has potential for getting "political" so move it to politics if you want, Jim :rsmile:

Edited October 2, 2005 by Free For All

[Chuck Nessa]

Back after a short leave and (trying to catch up) sorry to see no responses.

I'm about 15 years older and would enjoy a discussion on this very interesting time from folks "there at the time" and those viewing it from a "different time".

I think there are more things different than similar.

[BFrank]

One thing that struck me when watching this was the parallels to our current situation regarding Iraq. The immensity of the anti-war protest was amazing. I can't help but feel that the younger generation of today hasn't really mobilized in this regard. I'll bet we have some members here who were active in that era. I'd love to hear some stories.Edited for spelling clams

Also, this has potential for getting "political" so move it to politics if you want,  Jim :rsmile:

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I saw some of it. I'm about 5 years older than you which is enough to remember and be somewhat involved at the time. It's those parallels to Iraq that make our current situation so intensely frustrating. It's like everything is happening all over again. Like nothing at all was learned from that disaster.

[MartyJazz]

I graduated from college in '65 (only 20 at the time) and so I was active back then. I participated in quite a few anti Vietnam War protests subsequently, even going to Washington DC on two occasions, one of which resulted in getting caught up in some tear gas during Nixon's first year as President. Overall, hell yeah, we were a lot more demonstrative and against the establishment certainly in terms of how we felt about Vietnam, but also when it came to other issues such as civil rights. Regarding the lack of such actions now particularly on college campuses, especially with regard to Iraq, I think the lack of a common draft can account for much of the apathy from the young. Nothing gets you more focused than when your ass is on the line.

[Harold_Z]

I haven't seen the video , but I was there for the original.

MartyJazz makes a good point about the draft and the lack of demonstrations and involvement from the public today. It seems the social concsiousneess in the 60s was a lot more acute. Opposition to the war in Iraq seem tame and lame in comparison to opposition to the war in Nam.

I think the corporate takeover of the media is one cause of this. The Liberal media may have been a factor in the 60s, but todays media is anything but Liberal. Corporate ownership of the Networks has resulted in a sanitized version of news reporting that really amounts to de facto (how's that for a 60s word?) censorship. Example: No real battle footage from Iraq, no body bags in Iraq OR New Orleans (very revealing).

The lack of talk shows that are anything other than conservative republican shill productions or book and movie promos is another obvious factor.

[Soul Stream]

One of the most memorable clips to me was of George Wallace's presidential stump speech at a rally in San Francisco. A huge crowd he commanded using the same language and images that are used to rally today's Americans against the same fears and hatreds that remain timeless.

We are destined to repeat history, no doubt about that in my mind. We doing it as I type this out.

[Harold_Z]

It's depressing that George Wallace's mesage is an example of one that is still being propagated. There were so many more positive messages in the 60s.

[JSngry]

I was born in 1955, but was a politically "aware" type early only, chomping at the bit to get out of rural East Texas and into some churning waters upon graduation from high school in 1974.

Well, by the time September, 1974 rolled around, Vietnam was "over", Nixon was out, and the first layer of Civil Rights reforms were firmly in place. What was left needing to really be done was refinement and continutation of the broader "concepts" of the 60s, neither of which seemed to me, then and now (especially now) to be things that younger people had the maturity (and politiicians the natural tendency) to pursue with anything resembling earnest dilligence. So when I arrived at college, the campus was all abuzz over the police crackdown on last semester's big activity - streaking.

What was in the air was a spirit of celebration that we had come as far as we had. We thought we had "won". Well, we had, but winning is not the end, it's just the beginning. But not enough of my generation saw it like that. So staying the course, as they say, to the final destination took a back seat to celebrating (and celebrating) the fact that we had gotten the car out of the garage.

The 70s were about to begin in eanest.

While we weren't looking, though, "the establishment" was quietly figuring out, finally, how to cater the party, as well as laying the groundwork for the after-party, of which they would be the sole sponsor.

Dark times lay ahead, and still do.

Edited October 2, 2005 by JSngry

[Harold_Z]

Dark times lay ahead, and still do.

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Yeah. I think so too...for this country and for all of us who are not of the priveleged (wealthy and connected) class. In this thread we haven't even touched upon social issues of race and class that is another sympton of these times. We don't touch those issues anymore. My opinion ? The best America had to offer was the Liberalism of the 60s (Liberalism is a POSITIVE thing. It is FREE thinking - not what conservatives vilify as bleeding heart, etc). Conservatives since then have been battling to stifle Liberal thinking and to undo the social programs of the 60s and before...actually to undo Roosevelt's NEW DEAL. In reality we need another NEW DEAL.

[JSngry]

Yeah, it's all in the mind, if you know what I mean, and the mind(s) have been seriously clouded by a lot of various things over the years...

[BFrank]

I thought an interesting point in the show was how important music was at the time. There was much about the scene also had to do with making a political statement. There wasn't another mass media outlet available to spread 'the message' at the time (of course, there was FM radio and underground newspapers, but those were primarily local outlets). So musicians stepped forward and they were a crucial bridge between political and cultural issues.

While there are musicians today who are politically motivated, there just doesn't seem to be the same intensity behind their message.

[Soul Stream]

I think we all are feeling squashed by the machine.

[medjuck]

I was born in '43 and have a vague memory of sex, drugs, rock & roll and politics for a decade or so. But as I remember it the saying goes: "If you remember the 60's you weren't really there." So maybae I wasn't really there. Actually, since I was in Canada at the time I wasn't realy there.

[BFrank]

Actually, since I was in Canada at the time I wasn't realy there.

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... and I grew up in Santa Barbara, so I guess I was there. UCSB/Isla Vista had its share student protests and mini-riots. There was a branch of the Bank of America that was burned down at one point. I was still in high school at the time, but I remember classmates going out to participate in the protests.

By the time I got to UCSB a couple of years later there had been a 'break in the action', but things heated up again, quickly. I can't remember what started things off the next time around, but it would have been around '72 or '73 (I seem to recall something about the mining of Haiphong harbor). I remember a march to the airport to sit on the runway and try and prevent (then) Governor Reagan from coming to the city. Then another march to sit on the freeway where we attempted to stop traffic. There were also skirmishes in Isla Vista and at the ROTC center that prompted tear gas.

A crazy time, for sure.

[medjuck]

Well now I amin Santa Barbara and they still talk about the burning of the BofA.

[Brad]

I missed this. When was it on?

[Free For All]

I missed this.  When was it on?

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I believe it was last Thursday (9/29)?

I'm sure they will run it again. You can check your local listings here.

[BFrank]

Well now  I amin Santa Barbara and they still talk about the burning of the BofA.

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I saw that you are there now. Amazing that it's still discussed.

There used to be a poster (maybe there still is) that was made to look like a BofA check. Instead of a pretty photo of a sunset (or whatever) it's a photo of the burning bank.

[Free For All]

[BFrank]

That's the ONE!

[chris olivarez]

A guy at another radio station that I worked at asked me what I liked about the 60's and I really didn't like the question. For me being exposed to all different kinds of music was the most important thing about growing up in the sixties. Other than that the 60's were fucked all the way up. What did I like about the sixties-I survived!!!!!