Cincinnati-born Jerry Rubin practically defined controversial.

After wrapping up his Sociology degree at the University of Cincinnati, he went to  Berkeley, dropped out and, along with Abbie Hoffman, helped found the Youth International Party (Yippies) and spent the better part of 2 decades protesting the Vietnam War and supporting civil rights. He wasn’t just part of the crowd attending these protests. He was at the forefront of the movement. He even helped lead demonstrations at the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention and, as a result, was part of the “Chicago Eight/Seven” indicted for conspiracy and incitement to riot. 

Then, after the end of the Vietnam War, he got really serious about being a businessman, invested in Apple Computer, and went on a debating tour with Abbie Hoffman titled “Yippie versus Yuppie”, filling the yuppie role. 

If you listen carefully, on a quiet night, you’ll still hear the accusations of “sellout” echoing across the country.

Oh sure, it’s probably a case of jumping to conclusions to make that accusation, but one thing’s for sure, at one point or another, Jerry Rubin pushed everyone’s buttons.

Soviet Yippies (via dwendt66)