Thoughtful Preparations: Media Spin Blog

A huge crowd of happy, peaceful people gathered for the free concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love that had a created a definitive home in the San Francisco Golden Gate Park neighborhood in 1967. Many from back in the day were there or honored and remembered, such as Chet Helms. The music and the vibes today were great. You had to be there. I shot nearly 2 hours of video and a few photos, to help preserve the mood.

As a dumbed down convenience, the mass media brands the celebration as just a bunch of old hippies, etc. I do not agree with SF Chronicle radio columnist Ben Fong-Torres, quoted in a CW Nevius article, “We anniversary everything to death. Hopefully this will be the last of it.” Whoa, cynical grinch! Where is your humanity, dude? This is a rallying occasion for many voices to speak out. Far more mindful than an everyday baseball game, football game, etc. This gathering has a serious tone, a seeking for answers and connections, since it is so abundantly clear this country has been misled in a ominously wrong direction.

Unfortunately, shallow reporters who are not truly engaged in events taking place in front of them miss the point. Forty years ago and today [enter cynical, negative label here] the movement holds many concerns far above music. There are many who seek positive solutions and a consciousness awakening. Embrace the light and shake off the dark, repetitive history of fear, hate and war!

Update: Joel Selvin of the SF Chronicle gives a well detailed review of the day at SFGate.com