Matt Welch on 45 Years of Reason Magazine

1968 is one of those special four-digit numbers that conjures up searing and contradictory emotions. Put the word "May" in front of it, and former hippies will smile at the memory of anarchic Paris protests while the squares they were tormenting scowl. Change that word to "Chicago," and the reactions may well be reversed. It was also the year that Reason magazine was born. In his column from our special 45th anniversary issue, Editor in Chief Matt Welch explains how Reason and freedom have changed since our humble founding in that turbulent year.