Hippies during the Vietnam War

Many people hear the word "Hippy" and automatically think of the negative connotation that comes along with it. Illegal drugs, underaged/excessive drinking, pre-marital sexual relations, lost morals are among that aspects that the history of hippies includes. Hippies are linked with the Vietnam war becuase of the group's rise in population during this time.

(Here is a short video on the Vietnam War. Its a bit graphic but still very real and educational on the subject)
http://http://link.history.com/services/player/bcpid1287024722?bctid=1327153775

Why did this type of lifestyle become more popular during this time? I belive that it is because the termoil of the war reached great heights, and unmanagable heights, for some. People were under great stress during the war and were in need of an escape and that is exactly what they found in the hippy lifestyle. The hippies had an idealistic dream that they could live without working, without the law, without morals, and with happiness. Being drunk, high and secluded from the rest of the world was the only way that some people could forget about the people they had lost, the money they had lost, their horrible experiences and the terror that the world was experiencing. They wanted peace and the hippies found the only bit of peace that seemed to remain.

The negative feelings that non-hippies had towards the "loose" group has remained strong since the Vietnam war. Even today, it is considered and insult to be called a hippy. A girl walks down the hallway of my large highschool with loose, long hair, skimpy cotton clothing, and a very natural appearance. She is glared at and looked down upon. She is referred to as a "hippy".