Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I had never heard of the Manson Family until I moved to the US. I am pretty fascinated by it and really hope to one day go on the Helter Skelter tour in LA. I’ve read Helter Skelter and the new conspiracy book Chaos. I’ve also read a few bios of Sharon Tate and the book by Tex Watson. I’ve read just about everything by Joan Didion and Eve Babitz who really explain the counterculture on 1960s California very well. Do you recommend any other books? If you were living during the time, what do you remember? Do you think the race war motive was the reason for the crime? What about a drug turf war? What about CIA involvement? How do you feel about parole for any of the perpetrators? I’m in my 30s and not from the US but this case just fascinates me. Share any thought, especially if you have any connections or lived through the time period.
I was 13 years old in 1969 and visiting my relatives in LA that July/ August. I vividly remember watching the TV coverage of the Moon landing, Chappaquiddick, and the Manson murders. Quite a series of events for a young teenager to process....not to mention having cousins fighting in Vietnam as well. It was such a crazy time. My uncle was a cop in the LAPD, and was involved in the investigation. I really admired him....and when I eventually learned that the police botched it....and that the local TV reporters discovered the bloody clothing of the killers....it was the beginning of my personal journey into cynicism and disillusionment. Watching Manson evolve into a cult celebrity of sorts made it even weirder. I was then (and still am) a huge Beach Boy fan, so learning that Manson had written a song for them, and had actually lived with Dennis Wilson for a short time....further blew my "fragile egg-shell mind." Of course, the connection with the Beatles still amazes me. I think Billy Joel and Paul McCartney recently performed Helter Skelter in concert. I've read several books about it, and seen the documentaries. I also saw the new Tarantino movie. Some lame critic actually panned it because it didn't focus enough on the racist motives of the Manson family. Not sure WHAT to think of that. I doubt I would ever take the "Helter Skelter" tour....I heard the Tate house was torn down, and the La Bianca house was sold. I think all of the family members still incarcerated should remain behind bars. At any rate, like any sensational murder, it will be with us for a long time, if not forever. It's delibly etched in the pop culture universe.
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