"Flower Power"...something we usually associate with young children, specifically girls. It's a phrase we've all seen on lunchboxes or what not in our elementary school. It's something that's been ingrained in the back of our minds as this goofy little phrase and none of us ever considered that it might actually mean something. But in this case it does. In reality it's the basic idea that the hippies believed in and practiced regularly.
When one is confronted by a person with a loaded rifle what is the natural reaction? To run...to fight? Well apparently the natural reaction for some is to place freshly cut flowers in the barrels of those rifles. This picture was one of many times in which this hippie idea of "flower power" was put into action. But why do this? What could they possibly gain from doing this seemingly idiotic act? Well they did it because it was the only thing they knew how to do. They weren't going to raise arms and fight those that supported the war because they didn't believe in violence, and if they ran away there wouldn't be the same amount of support to end the war. So they made this offering of flowers, and they let the offering speak for itself. They showed that instead of fighting violence with violence ,which had been the commonly accepted way of doing things forever, they would be fighting violence with peace and there was nothing the government could do about it. Everyone has been told at some point in their life maybe by their parents or by their friends to stop fighting and carrying on and be the bigger person. Well in this case the group known as hippies, who were commonly thought of as a group of people that did nothing but experiment with drugs and put flowers in their hair, was being the bigger person in its disagreement with the United States Government and it was now on film for the whole world to see. This photo could be seen in two ways. It could be seen as a bunch of drugged up hippies walking around the streets high out of their minds giving flowers to a group of soldiers cause hey why not. Or it can be seen as a group of people trying to change the way that this country sees and thinks about things by introducing peace into places it's never been before. It's up to the viewer to decide which part they choose to see.
-Sean Duffy
While the picture itself does seem cute, I agree that it is showing something truly powerful. The simple, foolish act, showed the true meaning behind the hippies' beliefs. The were more than just wacky drug addicts. They had meaning to their ways. They stood for peace in the world and chose to take the nonviolent route to get their points across. I think this is something everyone must realize when looking back at the hippie era. There was far more to them than the usual stereotypes show.
ReplyDeleteI have to be honest, I've never been someone who's really taken "flower power," or the hippies for that matter, very seriously. To me, they've always seemed a bit out of touch. However, after seeing this photo, I'm definitely looking at them in a different light. Anyone who is willing to walk up to the barrel of a fully loaded, manned gun and stick a flower in it- while, yes, they may be a little crazy- they're clearly very passionate about their cause. The hippies believed heavily in peace and justice, and even if they had some less-than conventional methods of demonstrating this, that doesn't make their beliefs any less legitimate. Besides, I have to applaud them for finding an outlet for activism that was so non-violent.
ReplyDelete-Natalia de Gravelles
I think I have heard of the "flower power" movement or rather the "make love not war" through John Lennon and his bed peace. To be honest, I have heard of hippies not only being associated with doing drugs and putting flowers in their hair but also not supporting the Vietnam War and just condemning violence in general. Also, I have to agree with Natalia with the notion that just because their beliefs are unconventional, it doesn't make them necessarily wrong. Besides, I think their non violent approach to not supporting the war is more effective than those of other movements.
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