Goodbye Charlie.

He has even made me rethink the death penalty. I think, except for charlie, that there should be no death penalty. I believe that putting people to death usually hives them more fame but in Charlies case, he got more famous.

Then I think about how he screwed the 60s, the Beatles, Hallucinogens,(I've
read in a few places that it wasn't LSD, it was teloche, a tea derived from the morning glory that he used to control minds. Prosecutor and author Bugliosi lied in the trial and the book but wanted to keep scaring the kids and knew he was not going to lose the case)
. the televised celebrity trial along with new rules on access of the media in courtrooms changed as well. Not to mention that he and his minions increased the paranoia across America forever, it makes me puke. One person, evil on his mind, can alter history forever, it makes me shudder. I think about it though and wonder why, 50 years later, we are still talking about him. I think it was his mind control/drugs aspect. That someone could control others to a point they would kill for you is scary, no matter. The method. Charlie only killed Shorty Shea, the rest were at the hands of his followers.
When Charlie was in Folsom and Squeaky Fromme tried to assassinate President Ford, Squeaky and Sandra Goode lived in midtown Sacramento. They would come to the community garden and strip it. Never worked it, never put in a contribution. , but would say "its from the earth,God's earth, Charlie's earth, so its ours" or some shit like that. Everyone knew they were Manson family so fear they had. Nobody would confront them. I never knew they had friends. I imagine "Manson family member" limits the friend possibilities..

There is a Manson tour of the Haight in SF too. I've done my own tour and Charlie's life there is as important to the era as 710 Ashbury was. The tours are supposed to be great, with a ton of info.