The hippie movement was not as much about having long hair, as it was about the attitude, and not trusting the government. It was during the Vietnam War, when mostly poor American men were being drafted and sent to fight a war, based on a lie. At the time, many of them were coming home in boxes. Being a hippy meant questioning authority, and its power. It was about peace, and not wanting to hurt others. The long hair was out of rebellion. It was used to send a statement that you won't be told how to look, or live. There are still millions of us who are hippies, only without our long hair.
Besides the peace movement, being a hippie was also about rejecting middle-class materialism and the whole military-industrial complex in favor of a more spiritual, more environmentally conscious approach. Sometimes hippies signaled that rejection of middle America's money-grubbing ways by not bathing for weeks on end, or using illegal drugs, especially marijuana. And yes, some of those same people are the most conservative, driven capitalists now.
It was a peaceful moment in history when a lot of people felt the need to come together with thoughts, ideas, and emotions. It was particularly in the music where the beauty of it all joined together millions of people who needed to free themselves from the everyday repetition that seemed to be misdirected. Hippies looked closely at life and tried to enjoy the moment.
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It was a political movement
The mau movement is lead to the progressive movement!
This movement raised awareness of venereal disease and also started the process on how to control it. This movement also start the mental health movement.
mentally ill movement
The temperance movement blamed alcohol.