Many people I know in Los Angeles believe that the Sixties ended abruptly on August 9, 1969, ended at the exact moment when word of the murders on Cielo Drive traveled like brushfire through the community, and in a sense this is true. The tension broke that day. The paranoia was fulfilled.

Summary

This quote suggests that for many people in Los Angeles, the optimistic and transformative period of the Sixties came to an abrupt end on August 9, 1969. This was the day when news of the brutal murders on Cielo Drive spread rapidly, causing a sense of fear and anxiety to permeate the community. The quote argues that this event, attributed to the Manson Family, shattered the collective mindset and shattered the prevailing sense of hope, marking a significant transition from the idealism of the Sixties to a more tense and paranoid era.

Topics