"Will you take the flower?" a woman asked the police. "Please do take my flower. Are you afraid of flowers? This picture above is about a female protester offered a flower to the military police at an anti-Vietnam war protest in Arlington, Virginia. Flower power was a slogan used by the American counterculture movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol ofpassive resistance and non-violence ideology. It is rooted in the opposition movement to the Vietnam War.
Flower Power originated in Berkeley California as a symbolic action of protest against the Vietnam War. In Allen Ginsberg's essay "How to Make a March/Spectacle,"he said that protesters should be provided with "masses of flowers" to hand out to policemen, press, politicians and spectators.The use of props like flowers, toys, flags, candy and music were meant to turn anti-war rallies into a form of street theater in order to reduce the fear, anger and threat that is inherent within protests.
Nice visuals and interesting content, Steven. I would have liked to see you write more, but this is a good start.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic Stevan! Those pictures are amazing. Its funny to think that these "Flower Children" are peoples parents and grandparents now. Captivating stuff!
ReplyDeleteGood article Stevan. I find the protesting strategies of the anticultural people very interesting. The "flower power" seems to be a great way way to symbolize the peace which they wished to restore.
ReplyDeleteGood article Stevan, I have heard about this and this is very good little bit of history to know. The protesting that the people would do is very clever and overpowering with their actions and not their words. "Flower Power" symbolizes the unity and the peace and gentleness of the nation.
ReplyDeleteSteven, nice work. Your blog post reveals the origin and background of 'Flower Power,' a popular concept of the 1960's counterculture movement that is often not explored in the depth that you offered. Not only was your post interesting in this respect but it was also illuminated by wonderful videos too.
ReplyDeleteSteven, I really enjoyed this blog post. Like Omeed said, your blog post revealed the background behind flower power. I knew that it was prominent in the 1960s and 70s but I did not know that it started during anti-war rallies. Great Job!
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