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Noon Edition

Woodstock: It's Impact On Our Country And Community 40 Years Later

It's been 40 years since Woodstock and local experts say the skepticism of the era still rings true in many areas. Indiana University History Professor Michael McGerr studies American political, cultural, and social history. He said Woodstock represented a profound change in how Americans viewed large institutions and their relationship to their government.

"It really did mark a change," McGerr said. "We still live with a great deal of skepticism about institutions. In that sense I also think it reflects a democratization of American culture that we still live with as well."

Although much of the sixties were defined by large crowds, McGerr said what made Woodstock distinct from other political events at the time was its protest message through song.

"This was an intensely political event which was why it was remembered," McGerr said. "But at the level that music is best suited to deal with."

McGerr made his comments on WFIU's "Noon Edition."

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