Testament

Boyle's role as a professor in the 60s is documented powerfully in the testament she wrote after going to jail for demonstrating with her radical students. I like that she referenced classical authors and that she is writing particularly about unity. This intrigued me, because she was nearly 70 years old when sent to jail. Even though she was brought up in an entirely different generation, she still related to her students and their beliefs. I think that the most important aspect she is arguing for in this poem is for individuality and freedom from a strict government.

Lydon

I really liked "The Rolling Stones - At Play in the Apocalypse" because it was written from a reporter's perspective. Lydon is especially aware of his surroundings while at this free concert in San Francisco, he is required to be attentive in his career. I liked how he provided specific details about the number of people attending and the mood and conditions of both the crowd and the bands. It was interesting how he explicitly connected the rowdiness of the attendees to their shared generation of the post baby boom. Lydon is thorough in his observations, as he makes classifications and presumably experiences the show without using drugs. I was confused about the role of Hell's Angels in this piece. I thought that they got along well with the hippies because they were both parts of the counterculture. Why were they so aggressive and violent toward random concert goers?

Protesting Rules

I thought it was interesting that the readings in this segment are compiled of a list of rules of how to behave if one happens to be arrested. Authority figures, especially police officers are negatively discussed and portrayed as untrustworthy brutes, which is disconcerting. I can't imagine the amount of riots that took place during those times. California remains the center stage for all of the action in this era. I found it amusing that in the picture of the "hip cop" the man kind of resembles Che Guevara and has long hair. Also, dubbed "peaceman". There is still a lot of creativity despite the violence that overshadows the attempt of radical free speech.