I shook hands with Abbie Hoffman.

[byronius]

In 1982, at the Boulderado Hotel, in Boulder, Colorado while attending the Jack Kerouac Conference.

I have been through a great deal in my life; I raised two beautiful and intelligent and liberal children, married the woman I loved, experienced the True American Dream, made art that I am proud of -- but meeting Abbie Hoffman face-to-face remains the ultra fucking peak.

I love Abbie Hoffman.

Forever.

[lillypaddle]

1. He was a hero to many of us back in the day ...

I remember watching the trial of the Chicago Seven while sitting on a dirty mattress on the floor at "the people's workshop." This was Oklahoma City in 1968, not exactly Haight Ashbury. But some of us were "woke," as they say nowadays.

How cool for you to shake his hand.

Peace.

[jberryhill]

2. Do you have any idea where that hand has been?

[still_one]

4. LOL

[cheapdate]

3. Hoffman is a hero and an inspiration to me!

[null_bock]

5. Wow...

Your wife and kids must be thrilled to know that....

[smirkymonkey]

6. He spoke at my university and I saw him in the hallway.

That is about as close as I got. Anyway, I credit him for the awakening of my political consciousness.

[smirkymonkey]

7. In 1987 Hoffman summed up his views:

"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."

[CanSocDem]

10. That says it all...

"...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."

Trust Abbie to 'cut to the chase'.


.

[bigtree]

8. I stole his book in 1973

...'Steal This Book'

[LeftInTX]

9. I can't believe he died in 1989

I thought it was more like 1998...

[LWolf]

11. I was too young to grasp

much of what was going on during my first decade; born in the 1960s, I didn't really understand the actions, changes, and movements of that time until I got into the 70s. I was lucky to have a single white working mom who exposed me to the world, to different people, to social justice, and didn't try to "protect" me from those things.

On a more traditional note, Rabbi Norman Mendell said in his eulogy that Mr. Hoffman's long history of protest, antic though much of it had been, was 'in the Jewish prophetic tradition, which is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.'[41]

I think he succeeded in afflicting the comfortable. And the comfortable, in 2016, still react to their "afflictions" from the left with anger and hate, and I'll put neo-liberal Democrats first in that line of "comfortable."

And the afflicted still need comfort. I don't know anything about the "Jewish prophetic tradition." I do note that another Jewish man was also active in comforting the afflicted then, and now, and that, even when he's supporting the establishment, the anger and hate is still forthcoming from them.

I would have been honored to have met or seen or heard him, when I was old enough to understand.

[redwitch]

12. I saw him speak at Rider College in NJ early '70's

He lost me when he responded to the question "What is a woman's place in the revolution?" and he responded "On her back".

I was a fan until that moment, I think 15 years old. I had just begun to discover that I was a feminist.

[byronius]

15. I'm so sorry to hear that.

I've never heard anything like that before. I believe you, and I find it disappointing. My hippie aunt has told me that one of the downfalls of the sixties movement was the unresolved sexism expressed by some of the leaders.

[byronius]

18. Both of his significant others were ardent feminists.

And his writings are all strongly feminist. But it sounds like he was being a smartass, and ended up being an asshole. I think that happened to him a lot.

[panader0]

13. Tell me about the Jack Kerouac Conference.

Hoffman was great, but Kerouac is one of my favorites. I have read everything
he wrote, and several books written about him.

[byronius]

14. Amazing event.

Norman Mailer, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Anne Waldman, Timothy Leary -- an endless list of beatnick and hippie celebrities. Debates, speeches, workshops -- a week of incredible power for my life. I'd read everything they ever wrote, but to see them all up close and personal --

As close to religion as I've ever gotten. Loved those totally weird people.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. eh.

I drank a beer with Wavy Gravy.

[byronius]

17. His kid's camps looked pretty awesome.

[Warren DeMontague]

19. Indeed.

There was a dramatization of the Chicago 7 trial I remember watching many years ago- well, 8, until they dragged Bobby Seale off- fascinating stuff. Wish I could find it again.