Free Speech Anyone?

I haven't been on the UCLA campus in many years. But in the late 1960s, when I went there daily, I had a few favorite spots where I would hang out before and between classes. One was the grassy knoll that surrounded Kerkhoff Hall. It has a name, Meyerhoff Park. Back then there was a small free speech platform painted a bright Kelly green. People of all persuasions would stand within the confines of that small space and address the crowd that would always gather. This space is right next to Bruin Walk so there was always a constant stream of traffic moving by as they ascended to upper parts of the campus.

Many times this open mic attracted serious speakers who shared their opinions on current events of the day. In 1968, a hellish year with huge anti-war and civil rights demonstrations, shocking political assassinations, and of course a profound generation gap, there was always someone with something to say. Of course, that platform attracted all manner of Bible thumpers, cult adherents, psychological misfits, and budding musicians as well. All were welcome; some could and some could not hold an audience. Over all it was quite entertaining.

My favorite "speakers" were two men who dressed and played the roles of two top American Generals. General Hershey Bar (Gen. Louis Hershey was director of the Selective Service/Draft) and General Wastemore Land (GeneralWilliam Westmoreland, commander of troops inVietnam) . These guys were hysterical and pontificated on the justification for US involvement in Vietnam, cleverly illustrating how American foreign policy was a joke and setting a dangerous precedent. But it was their uniforms that really entertained the crowd. They wore military uniforms of drab olive green and brown that were adorned with small jet planes and missiles like the epaulettes the real Generals wear. The seriousness with which they wore and displayed these plastic war toys was brutal and made their satire all the more funny as well as ridiculous.

Many an undergraduate male that stopped to see their act got much more than an opinion. He got comic relief at a time when there was not too much to laugh about. I always wondered what became of these two generals. All these years later I'd like to thank them for helping to make an unbearable time bearable. I'm fairly sure the Free Speech area at Myerhoff Park is no longer there. Maybe someone will recall that little institution and restore the platform. Granted, to express unpopular political opinions is much more risky these days, but it could a step toward reunification in this highly polarized climate.

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