When people talk about the sixties, and the strong political actions which captivated the nation, they often wonder what happened to the momentum which seemed certain to change the world. Why did it fizzle out? What can we learn from history to keep our own momentum going?

Although it's still largely a matter of opinion, a large majority of people believe that the main reason that the momentum died was because after the Vietnam war ended, the movement was fractured into all the separate factions which made it up. The women's lib movement, the gay rights movement, the black movement, the Jesus movement, the environmentalist movement, etc. There were so many different movements, that the larger movement lost focus, and people went their separate ways. Of course many other things came into play, but this was one of the main reasons.

So how does this apply to us? Some of us want to see all drugs legalized, while others only want to see psychedelics legalized, and yet others only marijuana. Some of our readers don't want to see any of it legalized, but they want to see medical research continue with psychedelics. Some of us want to see radical changes in the world, changes in not just our culture but in our culture's vision. Some of us see the entheogen connection as a way to save the planet, and ourselves. Others merely see entheogens as a way to learn more about themselves. Even though we're very different in our beliefs, we must still leave room for the other folks out there. In fact, it's one of our strengths. The problem is that is leads us in different directions.

There's a common thought which must remain on each of our minds as we wind our way down the roads of life. It's called individual freedom. The freedom to choose how to believe. The freedom to voice your beliefs. The freedom to change your mind, to change your beliefs, to change your vision. And so far at least, the freedom to print what you want. Even these freedoms have limits, though. You can't write things about people that aren't true. You can't yell fire in a crowded theater. You can't force anyone else to listen to, read or think your thoughts. You can't force others to change their mind, and you can't force other people to "see things the way they really are." YOUR way.

But you can share. You can invite. You can ask. For the Entheogen community, this means that although we may have different beliefs, different religions, and different philosophies, we still share a lot in common. And better yet, or worse, according to how you see it, we share a lot with the rest of the people in the world. It's the similarities which we need to focus on, stress, and work with. No matter what our beliefs, most of us are very much aware that the socio-political scene needs to change. Has to change. There's over 5 billion people on this earth, and there are more of us each day. And each of us needs room to grow and the freedom to do it. Support your freedoms, use your voice, share your vision. And don't forget that we need to work together if we're going to affect real change.

Keep thinking! Keep writing! Keep spreading the truth!