Remember Abbie Hoffman?

[SHRED]

I recall Abbie Hoffman in the late sixties or early seventies going on The Merv Griffin Show I think it was and wearing a flag shirt. The Right lost their shit over it calling him "Un-American".

Now the rightwingers use it in advertising, wear it, tear it to shreds on their vehicles, change it (thin blue line flag), use the image on throw away paper goods and on and on.



http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html#176

[Scurrilous]

1. Hoffman arrested for American flag shirt: 1968

"Yippie activist Abbie Hoffman is arrested for wearing an American flag shirt when he shows up at a House Un American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearing October 1, 1968 investigating the clashes at the 1968 Democratic Convention."

https://www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/33844103521

[msongs]

3. and its not really a flag, just random stars and stripes nt

[SHRED]

4. He was a good man ahead of his time

“You are talking to a leftist. I believe in the redistribution of wealth and power in the world. I believe in universal hospital care for everyone. I believe that we should not have a single homeless person in the richest country in the world. And I believe that we should not have a CIA that goes around overwhelming governments and assassinating political leaders, working for tight oligarchies around the world to protect the tight oligarchy here at home.”

[Scurrilous]

6. ...

[Demit]

2. Steal This Book! (Actually, I bought it, but...)

[sorcrow]

12. I bought it, too ...

And some one stole it!

Regards,
Crow

[Siwsan]

5. I seem to recall they pixtilated him off of the screen - green or blue. It was so long ago!

I do have a vague memory of watching the show. I think I was in 8th or 9th grade and just coming into social and political awareness.

[SeattleVet]

8. Yeah, in 1968 they blacked out his shirt on the Merv Griffin Show, but ironically...

at the exact same time on another channel right-wingers Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were on a show wearing outfits that much more closely approximated the American flag, and the hardhats (and allegedly 'silent' yet very vocal 'majority') were all fine with them wearing it.

It was weird watching him as a floating head (they censored him from the neck down to hide his shirt).

[Siwsan]

9. Thanks for the memory refresher!

The 60's/70's were definitely an amazing time for growing up. I'm glad I was able to experience them.

[SHRED]

11. Likewise!

[Zoonart]

7. I knew Annie peripherally.

Once spent an afternoon cuffed to a chain link fence with him. In 1988 Abbie came to New Hope PA to
help organizers of DEL-AWARE,( a river conservation group trying to stop the building of a water treatment plant to supply a nuclear reactor,) get our act together and amp up our protests. We ultimately failed, but Abbie was all in.

[maxrandb]

10. I remember Pete Townshend almost killing him at Woodstock