Fifty years ago this morning, Los Angeles and the world awoke to the news of five particularly grisly slayings. Charles Manson had sent his disciples to 10050 Cielo Drive, where they slaughtered Sharon Tate and four others, in an attempt to start a race war. The next night two more died.
These and other events, including the riots of 1968, marked the end of the flower power era. Peace, love, and dope still abounded, but somehow the country was losing its innocence, and its era of good feelings.
Starting this thread occurred to me for a couple reasons.....first, the wonderful Woodstock thread that @cyclones500 started, and the release of Quentin Tarantino's new film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which is set at that very time.
I have read and watched a great deal of information about Manson and his followers. Although nowadays we have so many people doing crazy things, back in 1969 the idea that someone could exert a spell over so many people, including getting them to kill innocent, unknown people simply because they were commanded to do so was a truly frightening concept. Manson is dead, but his legacy lives on.
These and other events, including the riots of 1968, marked the end of the flower power era. Peace, love, and dope still abounded, but somehow the country was losing its innocence, and its era of good feelings.
Starting this thread occurred to me for a couple reasons.....first, the wonderful Woodstock thread that @cyclones500 started, and the release of Quentin Tarantino's new film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which is set at that very time.
I have read and watched a great deal of information about Manson and his followers. Although nowadays we have so many people doing crazy things, back in 1969 the idea that someone could exert a spell over so many people, including getting them to kill innocent, unknown people simply because they were commanded to do so was a truly frightening concept. Manson is dead, but his legacy lives on.
