Reaction to Kampf's Song

Richard Kamps's, "Hey Mr. Newsman" is an interesting depiction of how journalists treated the hippies. It basically says that they are more focused on the hippies long hair, dirty clothes, strange style, and their free spirits then they are on what these kids were fighting for. This brings up a good point because it seems like society was less interested with the causes the hippies were fighting because of who they were. The History Channel movie that we are watching in class also shows how the hippies were just disregarded and often times not taken seriously as a subculture. The Reporters talk about their long hair and how unconventional it is, instead of reporting on the what of the argument. I wonder if the hippies didn't distinguish themselves physically as a group, would society have taken them more seriously? Would they have been heard? Or is it that the hippies had to distinguish themselves to be heard? Whatever the reason, the hippies fought for causes that were almost all worth fighting. If it weren't for this counterculture, would we even have civil rights? Equality?

Reaction to Momaday

I found N. Scott Momaday's essay interesting because of the rich religious practices of the Native Americans. It is clear that the Native Americans are the only group of people that wholly identify themselves through thier religion. Unlike Catholics, Jews, Protestants or any other religious affiliate, the Native Americans all believe in the same thing. That is, they believe in the same Gods and believe that everything put on this earth has a purpose. They cherish all the living creatures and live off thier land with no outside assistance. Unlike the Native Americans, many organizd religions have affiliates that are very serious about the religion and some people that are only 'kinda Catholic'. The Indians aren't like this, they believe whole-heartedly in ever aspect of thier faith. They believe it, thier children believe it, and so on. In contrast, the organized religions also tend to stray further from thier faith the farther you go down the genetic chain. Why do the Indians feel so passionately about thier faith? Why did they still hold true all thier values despite all the opposition they have from the other settlers?? God Bless the Native Americans and their faith!

Reaction to Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

This essay was very interesting because he showed the two different kinds of men; those who want to fight for their country, and those who don't. In today's society, men have the personal choice on whether or not they want to fight for their country. Unlike the Vitetnam war where nobody had the freedom of chioce. I thought it was really sad that the young man had to go to so much trouble to evade the war. Although he did shed some sarcasm and some humor in his attempt to not get drafted, it is a reality that many men faced during this time. A lot of times you just hear about the brave men and women that fought for our country, those who died, and those who were heroes, but you never hear the other oppositions side. Is this because it is thought to be shameful to not want to fight for your freedom? Or is because these people were so looked down upon? Whatever the case is, its unrealistic to think that every man in the United States in the mid 1900's wanted to go to battle. With that said, I hope that our national security is never in as much danger as it was during Vietnam because I would hate to see my brother, who is totally anti-war, be forced into battle. It really is a shame that our men were unwillingly taken from their regular lives to fight a war they didn't believe in fighting.

Reaction to Seeking the Magic Mushroom

Overall, this article is intereting because it addresses an even larger cultural revelation. It generates the idea that while some cultures love and embody the magic mushrooms, others reject it entirely. Why is this true? What kind of cultures promote thier use? Deter their use?

Various secluded Indian tribes commonly used the mushrooms as consultants. They believe that the fungus revels with illnesses and recoveries, thieves and robbers, while "holding the key to what we call extrasensory perception". Thier supernatural powers are sacred and have been practiced for hundreds of years.The Indians, and other foreign cultures alike, are very different from our society in that they openly use the mushroom, as it is legal, don't use them in excess, appreciate thier natural powers, repect them, and infuse thier capabilities into their culture. Why is thier culture so different from ours?

Now America is the complete opposite. We are that culture that is ignorant. We view psychedelic mushrooms as illegal, ridiculous and bad for your body. Is that because we, as Americans, use the drug in excess? Or because we use it for our own personal un-soberness at a party. Americans see the mushrooms as a drug, not as a powerful and natural substance.

The question is...how can one culture think so highly of a substance when they other tries so hard to control it?