1960s And 70s And Its Effects On Pop Culture

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Nick Crain Comp 1 October 17, 2011 Heroin in America 1960s and 70s During the 1960s and 70s the United States was a turbulent place. Racial tensions grew as Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were shot down in broad daylight. The Vietnam War was raging and the streets were filled with protests. Gangsters ran rampant throughout the cities. Drug trafficking, heroin in particular, was the choice drug of law enforcement, people and gangsters alike. Heroin trafficking in the 1960s and 70s had great effects on pop culture, American culture and gang culture. Many things in pop culture have their roots in this time period. Most people, when listening to music, rap music especially, hear words and phrases that they do not understand. These words and phrases were commonly used during the 60s and 70s to describe certain aspects of the heroin trade. “American pop culture historians place a direct link between… pop stars and celebrities… and heroin” (Mark 1). Another way the music industry has been greatly affected by heroin was the deaths of many famous music stars like Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobaine. Both were very popular in the 70s and made heroin look glamorous to many young fans. Other artists such as Ray Charles, Van Morrison, and Robert Downy Jr. have had their careers greatly affected by the use of heroin. Also, there are many commonly…show more content…
When a person looks around they can see the products of the heroin trade in everyday America. Everything from rebellious youth, to HIV/AIDS, to gang violence can be seen today in the American streets and all of these things have their roots in the heroin trade of the 60s and 70s. Although the heroin problem is not as bad today as it was years ago, the results of those days are obvious and the risk of another heroin outbreak is always lurking in the

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