Inaugural gives younger generation their own Woodstock (DO take that brown acid, man)

SF Chronicle ^ | 1/19/2009 | Carla Marinucci

[markomalley]

America's 20-something "millennials" have driven, hitchhiked, walked, biked, and bussed their way to Washington in hordes this week to witness the must-see, must-be-there event of their lives - the swearing-in of Barack Obama.

Many of their Baby Boomer parents can relate: they remember this thing called Woodstock.

No one is suggesting that a rock concert on a farm in upstate New York where guitarist Jimi Hendrix wailed the "The Star Spangled Banner" - don't even mention to the sex, drugs and three days of rock and roll - approaches the weight of the inauguration of the first African American president.

But there are surprising similarities, experts say. Just as Woodstock was for their parents, Obama's moment assuming the presidency represents a "generational touchstone" event - one will define millennials' lives, their age and their experience, and become the event they will tell their kids and grandkids about.

And if history is a guide, a lot folks who aren't there today will claim that they were; Woodstock attracted a relatively small 400,000 and somehow it seems millions remember being on hand.

[markomalley]

One big difference: All of this "event" circles around a cult leader.

[xcamel]

“Inaugural stampede kills hunderds”

think it can’t happen?

[Shyla]

Not my 12 year old daughter.

[dfwgator]

"CAN YOU DIG IT?!?!"

[ETL]

"We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration At The Lincoln Memorial"

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/4Jfw6fON_zH/One+Obama+Inaugural+Celebration+Lincoln+Memorial/1NNi5cTZF2d/Bruce+Springsteen
________________________________________________________

From David Horowitz's FrontPageMag.com/DiscoverTheNetwork.org:
Profile: PETE SEEGER

*Musician, folksinger, songwriter, and political activist

*Joined the Communist Party in 1942

*"I'm still a Communist" -- Pete Seeger, 2004

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1619

[BenLurkin]

[Clemenza]

Wrong movie. Obama is the DUKE OF CHICAGO! A NUMBER ONE!!!

[darkangel82]

Not me either and I’m 26. To the author: Don’t include me in this, you silly twit.

[ETL]

___________________________________________

From Wikipedia, with references at site:

"In 1951, [Reverend Jim] Jones (Jonestown) began attending communist meetings and rallies in Indianapolis.[4] Jones became flustered at harassment he received during the McCarthy Hearings,[4] particularly, regarding meetings between Jones and his mother with Paul Robeson.[5] This, among other things, provoked a seminal moment for Jones where he asked himself "how can I demonstrate my Marxism? The thought was, infiltrate the church."[5][4]"

"In the summer of 1977, Jones and most of the 900 members of the People's Temple moved to Guyana from San Francisco after media pressure built.[25] Jones left the same night that an editor at New West magazine read Jones an article by Marshall Kilduff to be published detailing allegations by former Temple members.[25][16] Jones named the settlement Jonestown after himself.

Jones purported to establish Jonestown as a benevolent model communist community stating, 'I believe we’re the purest communists there are.' [26] Jones' wife, Marceline, described Jonestown as "dedicated to live for socialism, total economic and racial and social equality. We are here living communally."[26] Jones wanted to construct a model community to show others and stated that Prime Minister of Guyana Forbes Burnham 'couldn’t rave enough about us, uh, the wonderful things we do, the project, the model of socialism.'[27] In that regard, like the restrictive emigration policies of the then Soviet Union, Cuba, North Korea and other communist republics, Jones did not permit members to leave Jonestown.[28]

Jones and several members argued that the group should commit "revolutionary suicide" by drinking cyanide-laced grape flavored Flavor Aid (often misidentified as Kool-Aid) along with a sedative.[39]

One member, Christine Miller, dissents toward the beginning of the tape.[39] When members apparently cried, Jones counseled "Stop this hysterics. This is not the way for people who are Socialists or Communists to die. No way for us to die. We must die with some dignity."[39] Jones can be heard saying, "Don't be afraid to die" and, regarding death as "just stepping over into another plane" and that "[death is] a friend."[39] At the end of the tape, Jones concludes: "We didn't commit suicide, we committed an act of revolutionary suicide protesting the conditions of an inhumane world."[39] Children were given the drink first and families were told to lie down together. The mass suicide had been discussed in simulated events called "White Nights" on a regular basis, while members drank liquid Jones first told them was poison during at least one of those White Nights.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones

[oblomov]

And please eat the yellow snow while you’re at it.

[chris_bdba]

I hope they realize that DC is quite cold in January and sleeping outside can get you frostbite.

[Sig Sauer P220]

What is this? Springsteen does Joe Cocker?

[GVnana]

(DO take that brown acid, man)

LOL! By all means, poseurs!

[ETL]

What is this? Springsteen does Joe Cocker?

Looks more like Springsteen does cocky.

[ETL]

“Cocky” as I meant it, is ‘do do’.

[eclecticEel]

There are many kind of historical moments.

[Fzob]

You forgot the projectile barf alert.

[TypeZoNegative]

We already had our Woodstock. We ended up setting things on fire at that one and there have been none ever since.

[Iron Munro]

There are many kind of historical moments.

Rather fitting that Garth Brooks was singing "Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie".