The single moment that killed counterculture, according to Jerry Garcia
The counterculture movement was a phenomenon that stirred something in the youth of America, and even if just for a short time, acts like the Grateful Dead were at the epicentre of this momentous shift towards progressive ideologies.
With liberal attitudes towards drug use and a promise of ‘free love’ echoing throughout the community that had amassed around them, counterculture seemed like an unstoppable force that would only continue to grow and consume a greater following through its outward message of positivity. The only obstacle that stood in the way, however, was the US government, who saw it as a realistic threat to their rule and authority over the nation.
Considering the US had controversially embroiled itself in the conflict in Vietnam as a direct consequence of their fear of communism spreading throughout the world, the rise of a collective voice within the country who were staunchly opposed to engaging in war was something that they felt they had to kibosh before the unthinkable event of a revolution sent shockwaves throughout the States.
Of course, a bunch of unwashed hippies who simply wanted to take acid, listen to rock music, and bonk profusely weren’t actually a real threat to the backbone of the country, but action still had to be taken against the movement as far as the authorities were concerned, because when has the US ever thought logically about serving the interests of its people?
One of the central locations of the movement was Haight-Ashbury, a neighbourhood in San Francisco that was considered to be the capital of the ‘summer of love’ where hundreds of thousands were believed to have congregated to live out their sex, drugs and rock and roll-fuelled fantasies in a wide-open space. Emanating from the space was an overwhelming amount of support for the anti-war movement, and a desire to follow unconventional lifestyles, but the squares in charge thought this was nothing more than a disgrace.
A breeding ground for progressive politics had to be tackled, and as much as musical acts like the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane attempted to provide a voice for the masses who had descended upon the space, there was little they could do to prevent the eventual action that was taken by the government, with the National Guard being drafted into the area to clear out all the ‘riff-raff’ in late 1967, mere months after it had all kicked off.
Grateful Dead bandleader Jerry Garcia would later reflect on the moment that the movement seemingly met its inevitable end, stating that they lost something that had given them a real sense of hope. “It was no longer attributed to us in the real sense,” he argued. “In the real sense, America became our community. There was like a breath there for a moment; it was like an open door, and then bam, it slammed shut again immediately. Everybody finally moved out, the original people there, when the tanks finally came in.”
He continued, questioning just how much of a threat they had really posed in the first place. “I mean, Haight-Ashbury, what was more harmless?” he added. “The reaction, ultimately, was the National Guard, with fixed bayonets and tanks on my street. I mean, come on! It was something of an overreaction. It was so completely skewed, it didn’t make any sense.”
The ‘summer of love’ had come to an abrupt end, and with it, the counterculture movement was quashed by those who simply didn’t get it or its significance.
