The phrase “hippie” has been widely used as a derogatory term that describes individuals who are drug addicts, unwilling to obey authority, and are unpatriotic towards their country. In the book Hippies A to Z by Skip Stone describes what the common characteristics that a “hippie” stands for and how the “hippies” were very passionate about opening the debate to many specific issues that were important to the hippie counter cultural movement. Stone establishes in the first chapter that those who try to classify hippies from their lifestyle, by the way they dress and behave, or by the radical behavioural choices that they make. The view that is portrayed by the novel suggests that being a hippie encourages individuals to go beyond the set structures
…show more content…
It was common to be handed a pill that would make them feel groovy. The act of experimenting with drugs was seen as liberation and total rebellion. Many new drugs such as MDMA, purple haze, orange sunshine, synthetic mescaline, STP and many more drugs were invented. Many hippies tried to get their hands on any drug that was available to them, including marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines. However, the reason that drugs became so popular in 1960’s America was due to the massive emergence of pharmaceutical companies in the post war era. The pharmaceutical companies began to create drugs to cure every ailment imagined, including psychological and mood disorders It was widely believed that these drugs, including street drugs was just a new form of technology that being invented which would help people more than they would harm as it was believed that drugs would be able to soon cure all disease. In spite of drugs being a way of experimenting with nature, the use of drugs was once again challenged by authoritarian figures, as the state and authorities began the war on drugs which incarcerated thousands of Americans for simple drug possession, including for medical purposes. The war on drugs by the systems of authority was once again seen as a declaration of war against free thinking individuals and their personal freedom. Therefore, many began to advocate for a change of
It was common to be handed a pill that would make them feel groovy. The act of experimenting with drugs was seen as liberation and total rebellion. Many new drugs such as MDMA, purple haze, orange sunshine, synthetic mescaline, STP and many more drugs were invented. Many hippies tried to get their hands on any drug that was available to them, including marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines. However, the reason that drugs became so popular in 1960’s America was due to the massive emergence of pharmaceutical companies in the post war era. The pharmaceutical companies began to create drugs to cure every ailment imagined, including psychological and mood disorders It was widely believed that these drugs, including street drugs was just a new form of technology that being invented which would help people more than they would harm as it was believed that drugs would be able to soon cure all disease. In spite of drugs being a way of experimenting with nature, the use of drugs was once again challenged by authoritarian figures, as the state and authorities began the war on drugs which incarcerated thousands of Americans for simple drug possession, including for medical purposes. The war on drugs by the systems of authority was once again seen as a declaration of war against free thinking individuals and their personal freedom. Therefore, many began to advocate for a change of