Wow, I just learned some stuff I didn't know about our folksinger, and his partner in crime Pete.

I'm reading Abbie Hoffman's autobiography, and right now he's talkin about the Chicago 7 trial. It turns out that not only were Arlo and Pete witnesses for the defense, but AG actually played Alice's Restaurant on the stand, in the presence of one of the most anal and asshole judges ever known. Here's an excerpt from the book:

"We presented testimony from singers: Phil Ochs, Country Joe, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger. My favorite trial-singer episode was the repartee between Arlo and the Judge as Kunstler pushed for "Alice's Restaurant" and the judge agreed to allow it. "Be brief," he lectured, unaware that A.R. was a shaggy dog story-song lasting some twenty-five minutes. The Judge quickly got the point, ordered Arlo to talk the rest, then to summarize, and finally, to be quiet."

Now, can you just imagine Arlo in this setting. It must have been a sight to see! I wonder if there's any video. I wonder if the folksinger, or any of you Blunderites, can confirm this story, or add any additional thoughts/memories to Abbie, Jerry Rubin, and the Chicago 7.

I'm having a ball reading this book. There was a time when the Left had a sense of humor, a true conviction, and an aggressive attitude. Today's left, even in my Green Party, are always on the defensive, always apologizing, always with their collective tails between their legs. Where's our sense of spirit and theatrics that someone like Hoffman had? Our wit and sharpness that Jerry Rubin had? I'm not saying there aren't ANY liberals with conviction, I'm just saying that there's quite a gap between what I see today, and what I'm reading in this book. I don't think many young people today realize what the anti-war movement folks went through, I had no idea it was as insane as Hoffman remembers. We young-uns should be picking up those torches against the many atrocities of our own generation.

So, if you need a smile today, think of AG on the defense stand, under the suspicious eye of a crabby Judge, rambling on about 27 8 x 10's.........

I did see some time ago, that part of the transcript from the trial is on google (including Arlo's testimony). Definitely an interesting read.

I had read that before & would lvoe tos ee a video of it. From what I understand the judge made him shut up. Well the judge could've gone to the bathroom during the song... <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/wink.gif" width=15 height=15>

I saw it a while back also but I didn't know it was for real, I thought someone just made it up to be funny, and it IS funny.

That was before they allowed filming in courtrooms at all (and of course, there was no videotape). It IS too bad...

Heehee...
I gotta read that Abbie autobiography... A friend of mine has a copy, so I hope to get my hands on it next week...

But meanwhile, back at the trial... you remember the trial, Arlo was asked to say the words to the chorus of Alices Restaurant, one time, with feeling:

You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant...

those of us old enuf to know better, knew enuf to Steal that book!

abbie was a hoot until he came outta hiding... but I guess the sight of jerry rubin running Executive Networking parties would be enough to drive anybody bonkers...

I'd read that transcript before, and loved it. It's so...Arlo. I did read Steal This Book and..what was the other one..Revolution for the Hell of It?..and lots of others,but not the autobiography. I think I have to get around to that one.

lcj, I hate to be simplistic, but I think that probably the theater, the color, the sheer fun of social chaos was partly because the largest generation of very young people in history had reason to be involved and very specific things that they were pissed off about. That and the right kind of drugs...

See, I think there are just as many things out there to be outraged about today. But i think there is also more apathy. And I also think that the establishment has pretty much figured out how to keep young people sufficiently distracted and misinformed. Not much time for outrage when you're as busy as todays youths are being kept preparing for their lives as obedient consumers. Not much risk of revolt when the media consists of warm and fuzzy commercialism and human interest fluff. What's on your local news tonight? Hard hitting civics and thorough political debate, or crime stories, weather, sports, and cute puppy stories? They control the media, they do a damn good job of controlling us. Liberal media my ass! Of all the Conservative lies out there, and there are many, their most egregious is the myth of a "liberal media." But, that's another thread there.

Bottom line, I think the country could use Abbie right now to shake things up the left a bit. Michael Moore just doesn't have Hoffman/Rubin's charisma does he?

It's just different, lcj. There are many things to be outraged about, but things were a bit different then. For one thing, there was the immediate concern about Vietnam and it touched all the young people directly because there was a draft..no choice. that was what got people out in the street more than anything else. Before that was the civil rights movement, which engaged some, but by no means all, young people. And the injustices leading up to that were so very clearcut. I don't know that anything really compares to it these days.

There were big changes that came about at that time, but it wasn't like everyone was following Abbie and Jerry. Not at all. They represented one segment of the movement which happened to get the most press because they were so theatrical. But they weren't leading the whole nation's youth or anything. It wasn't like that. The Movement was made up of countless smaller movements which shared a certain consciousness, and many of them shared certain points of view. When you get right down to it, the most concrete accomplishments of any leader in that era were by Martin Luther King, who was out of style by the time he was killed. You certainly can't say that Abbie and Jerry ended the war, because the it didn't end for years after all that. The Panthers and Malcom X might have raised consciousness, but they didn't get the kind of revolutionary changes in law done that Martin did. Ending the draft was a big change, but you couldn't put it down to one leader or set of leaders.

At least this whole thing points out how "Alice's Restuarant" probably found it's way into the Nixon record library. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/wink.gif" width=15 height=15>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Larry:

At least this whole thing points out how "Alice's Restuarant" probably found it's way into the Nixon record library. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/wink.gif" width=15 height=15><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Very good point, Larry. It was some crazy times. I guess these are crazy times, too, but it's true what lcj said..not as colorful or in such an interesting way.

It's interesting--some of the things Arlo said in "Presidentail Rag" are still true--

Schools are still like prisons 'cause we don't learn how to live
Everybody wants to take, nobody wants to give!

And with all these accounting scandals in big business, everyone's afraid of BEING taken!!