Forty-three years ago today, one of the nation’s most notorious crimes began to unfold — the murders of actress Sharon Tate and some of her friends by Charles Manson and members of his so-called “family.” Manson, a drifter and petty criminal, was obsessed with songs of the Beatles, which he felt contained coded references to a forthcoming racial war in the U.S. He intended the Tate murders to start that war, believing he would become the nation’s leader in the war’s aftermath. In 1969, there were nearly 15,500 homicides in the U.S. After rising to more than 23,000 by 1990, the number of murders in the U.S. has now dropped to just over 15,000 annually. Profile America is in its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Why remember the Manson family’s crime spree? Two weeks the world sat transfixed in front of televisions to watch Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin make a small step for men and giant step for mankind on the surface of the moon. One week later a half million people attended the three day Woodstock Music and Art Festival on Max Yasgur’s farm outside of Bethel, New York. So many better events to remember from 69 than the murders committed by the Manson family.
We are stardust. We are golden. And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden
If you smile at me, I will understand
‘Cause that is something everybody everywhere does
in the same language.
gotta say, CSN was and is my favorite artists/music still.
Ok I have to ask what Joni Mitchell has regarding Manson? Is that song a reference to the incident? Although she was before my time, I do love some Joni Mitchell. Ok, I just reread, maybe you’re referring to the woodstock mentioned by Michael.
yes, Woodstock, An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music.