© 2005 The Earth Eden Project
Monday, September 26, 2005
My Thoughts on the 2005 Ojai Peace (Hippie) Music Festival
So I went to the Ojai Peace Music (Hippie) festival yesterday and enjoyed it a great deal. I brought my camera and took some pictures of a group of young hippies who were selling homemade necklaces and sage.
The Ojai's Peacefest 2005 on Sunday were reminiscent of the gatherings from decades ago when thousands danced, sang and just wanted "peace and love."
"Attendance was a bit more humble at Sunday's fest, for instance, compared to those of the 1960s, when hundreds of thousands would gather at one time to protest the Vietnam War. About 200 people showed up from 3 to 8 p.m. at Libbey Park Bowl to listen to musicians and speakers." So wrote the Ventura Star.
There is and foruantly always has been a strong earthly hippie vibe in Ojai. There are the first generation of older hippies who taught what we know today about peace, the environement and civil rights and then there are us younger new generation. I was born the very year old Woodstock and everything I learned about the 60's hippie movement I learned from my siblings who grow up as teenages and young adults during the 60's.
I have learned about alot of this stuff that happened before I was born. I learned that in the 50's this guy named MaCarthy went on a witchhunt where anyone and everyone who basically was not a far right fundamentalist, or who was liberal minded was a UnAmercian communist and that he tried to ruined the careers of many people from Charlie Chaplin to John Lennon. It is very interesting to me that at this very time that this Macarthy paranoia was occuring was the same time that the extremist far religious right were forming a like-minded campain against basically any and everyone who did not agree with the extreme far right version of Protestantism.
This was the time period when the Archie Bunker mind set was born. Then here came the counter culture youth movement of the 60's and flipped out the previous Leave-To-Beaver culture. One would think with the education of the civil rights marches and the women equality movement that this stone age mind-set of the southern fried hillbilly would have become all but instinct. Well, here we are 35+ years after the hippie days of the 60's and early 70's..and sad to say American still seems to be stuck in the 1950's Macarthy mind-set. The extremist religious far right southern fried hillbillies/the MaCarthies still outnumbered the hippies.
"Things back then were much more intense," said Susan Stewart, 57, of Ojai. "People were really much more involved. But I do see some young people here who remind me a little of myself back then."
Maybe it is because we are living in the Last days that Jesus spoke of, the days where he said, "People in those days will have no natural affection.-" Because the care and energy that the 1960's counter culture youth held at the time is not to be found today.
Sure, there ARE young hippies who DO care about peace, the earth and something other that themselves..but not as many as there should be. What I see, at least where I live is that the anger-driven goth/retro punk movement is the more popular culture now, and from all observation, they are the anti-hippies. They don't want to come together. They don't like song about peace and love. They like songs about hating everyone and how the world sucks.
One of the speakers was a a Native American women who gave a prayer and blessing and she said something very wise that stood out in my mind. She said that, "We can NOT solve spiritual problems with political answers." How true this this statement is. Yet, in quoting this statement lies a confusing challenge to the hippie community. "How is it that one minute the hippies tell us that you can not trust anyone in politics to cure earth's problems, and then turn around and tell us to vote for this or that person?
So how do we help our global community withOUT supporting the Babylon system of lawless govements? Also how come those who claim to be devote Evangelical Christians do not understand the words of wisdom that this Native American speaks? Do they not know that when the Jews sought Jesus to elect him as their political leader (King) he departed from THEM and said, "My Kingdom is no part of this world?" By this Jesus did NOT mean he was not interested in helping the earth or all living things on it. He meant he had no interest in political governments of man.
Rather he was interested in the Kingdom above and the Creator's will becoming on earth as it is in heaven
Ojai's Classic Rock Festival 2-Oct 3, 2005-Review On
I went to a classic folk rock cover band festival in the park today. It was pretty fun. Lots of hippies and Phish fans there. Only thing is there was too much smoke...so I mostly walked around and checked out the venders. Then I drove over to Meiner Oaks where they have a organic vegan food market and cafe where I left 3 of my Christian hippie mini tracts on the community board.
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ragejaxfoundation-Classic 60's Rock & Reggae Music Festivals
