Thompson’s Death: Final Chapter of an Era
Re “ ‘Gonzo’ Journalist Thompson Kills Self,” Feb. 21: Now that Hunter S. Thompson has committed suicide, one can truly say that the ‘60s have ended forever. Funny how most of the main radical players of those heady days have now been laid to rest, for one reason or another. Eldridge Cleaver, Huey Newton, Jerry Rubin, Abby Hoffman, etc., have all passed on.
Thompson was, if nothing else, an entertaining fellow who could hardly be taken seriously even in his prime. The same could be said now for most of the “Movement” of the ‘60s, with this many years gone by.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Feb. 28, 2005 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Monday February 28, 2005 Home Edition California Part B Page 8 Editorial Pages Desk 0 inches; 27 words Type of Material: Correction
Abbie Hoffman -- The first name of 1960s activist Abbie Hoffman was misspelled as Abby in a Feb. 24 letter on the death of Hunter S. Thompson.
The vitality and hipness of that age seems to have dulled and is revisited more for the sake of curiosity than for any significant meaning. At least the music of that era survives, if not the mind-set of those days.
One thing is certain, Thompson will always be associated with the ‘60s. He was a product of those times, for better or worse.
The fact that he ended his own life may have been his ultimate statement regarding the present times.
Goodbye, Hunter S. Thompson, and rest in peace.
Charles Reilly
Manhattan Beach
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