Woodstock: GOP convention logo similar to fest logo

Woodstock Ventures, the partnership behind the historic 1969 music festival, is questioning the logo for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

"As your convention logo is strikingly reminiscent of our world-famous logo from the 1969 Woodstock Festival; why don't you consider incorporating some of our Woodstock values into the RNC platform?" the partnership asked.

The 1969 Woodstock dove-&-guitar logo features a dove perched on the neck of a guitar.

The RNC elephant-&-guitar logo features an elephant perched on the neck of a guitar.

"For almost 50 years, the Woodstock Dove & Guitar logo has symbolized, and resonated with, those who believe in equality, community, activism and environmental protection," said Joel Rosenman, co-founder of Woodstock Ventures and co-producer of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

He continued, "These are universal values that we encourage the RNC, and all Americans, to adopt in today's politically charged and chaotic times. Our country could use a little more community, unity and love right now."

The partnership said the Woodstock values are:

• Community: We are all in this world together. We all depend on each other, need one another, and we all benefit from a peaceful, loving, caring co-existence. It's the Golden Rule, applied to all living things.

• Equality: Everyone deserves equal treatment and equal opportunity, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or sexual preference.

• Environmental Responsibility: We must protect our planet and its ecosystem from the dangers of climate change, diminishing biodiversity, the squandering of natural resources, and man-made pollution.

• Activism: Wherever there is injustice or unfairness in the world, it is our responsibility to take peaceful action, both separately and in groups, to make things better.

• Music. Woodstock will always be about music.

"Since Woodstock stands for world community, Woodstock does not endorse building walls between nations," Michael Lang, co-founder of Woodstock Ventures and co-producer of the Woodstock Festival said.

He continued, "Woodstock stands for equal rights; so we do not endorse prejudice or discrimination. Woodstock stands for equal opportunity for all of us. So we do not support tilting the playing field to favor a privileged few. If these principles, which Woodstock does not endorse, turn out to be the principles that make up the GOP platform, then our logo designs would be the only thing we have in common."

Lang and Rosenman appealed to convention-goers to respect the values underlying the Woodstock Dove & Guitar logo, which are not represented in the right-wing GOP platform adopted by delegates on July 18.