The misunderstanding deepened when Mr. Ginsberg, who wore a psychedelic tie over a bright sports shirt, began testifying about a "Human Be-In" he attended with Jerry Rubin, one of the defendants, in San Francisco.

Mr. Foran objected that "Be-Ins" were irrelevant to the charge against the seven defendants of conspiracy to incite a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. But Judge Hoffman stopped him. "I don't even know what he's talking about," the judge said. "What is a be-in? I'll let him testify about what a be-in is."

Mr. Ginsberg launched into a lengthy explanation about "a gathering of young people aware of our planetary fate, imbued with a new consciousness, a new planetary life style ... emphasizing life rather than competition, acquisition and war."

Nodding, Judge Hoffman said he had "a vague idea, a very vague idea" of what a "be-in" was.

But the communication chasm really began to yawn when Mr. Ginsberg began describing his role at a news conference in New York in February 1968 at which plans for a Yippie Festival of Life were announced.

He said he had given a brief speech at the conference and then chanted the "Hari Krishna Mantra." Without warning, he suddenly launched into the mantra:

"Hare Krishna. Krishna Hare Krishna. Hari Rama. Hare Rama, Ram. Ram. Hare. Hare."

Shaking from laughter Mr. Foran rose to say that the mantra "has no materiality to this case."

"But it has a spirituality to this case," Mr. Ginsberg said.

# posted by Gerry Canavan @ 4:24 PM  |