reedom to express themselves and not judging their behaviors according to a narrow definition. This is the core of the hippie philosophy. Freedom is the leading quality in this system. Freedom to do as one pleases, go where the flow takes you, and being open to new experiences. This causes an attitude that allows for maximum personal growth. Sure this lifestyle is risky, but that's life and avoiding risk leaves one unprepared for the unexpected. A controversial, yet still notable cause for the success of Woodstock was the availability of illegal drugs, specifically marijuana and LSD ("Woodstock '69: Three days, 3"). About 400 people experienced bad trips on acid at the festival. It is widely believed that a large amount of the population at the festival was smoking pot or tripping on acid, and if you weren't, there is a great chance that you had a contact high throughout the festivities. As the saying goes, "if you remember the '60's, you weren't at Woodstock." The drug laws were suspended throughout the festival because the police were afraid of a potentially dangerous confrontation, so they cooperated and the crowd cooperated in return. Though the rules were bent in favor of using drugs during Woodstock, one cannot overlook the few drug overdoses that lent a tragic atmosphere to the Woodstock festivities. Continuous rain caused an abundant amount of mud at the festival. The spontaneity comes from the fact that the rain caused the site to be switched twice, which resulted in the loss of preparation time. On the opening day of Woodstock, the stage was not finished, the sound system had been dangerously thrown together, and last but not least, the rain and muddy ground had disintegrated the gates and fences. Many people got into the festival for free because of the rain. During the festival, many people would also go skinny-dipping in a farm pond to get the mud off ("The Big Woodstock, 21"). The rain and mud helped add a peaceful touch t...
