Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
This song by 5 Man Electrical Band, while containing multiple narratives as well as other comments, is best remembered for its tale of a young man with long hair applying for a job which specifically states no long haired freaky-people apply. The song goes on to say that when the man hid his hair, he was actually accepted for the job, but once he revealed it, he was kicked out. This is evocative of a hatred by the older generation currently in power of ideas held by certain members of the younger generation that may conflict with their own.
This shows how the ingrained American culture can be occasionally anti-rebellion. Most people who grow their hair out are representative of either a general counterculture or just youth rebelliousness in the minds of most. And yet, those who are experimenting with these ideas, or who are different from the general expectation of what an American is, are often discriminated against when looking for careers. In the case of “long haired freaky-people,” it discourages rebellion of youth and the embracing of certain cultures. In that way, it is yet another attempt by the American culture to strike down those who do things different from the norm.
But, the hip cultures were far from the first cultures in America to be denied equal opportunities. Long before an English speaker set foot in the New World, people with ideas different from that of the most powerful were being killed left and right.