40 years ago today . . . 4 dead in Ohio

[disneyismyname]

My father was in high school when this happened....
My sister went to Kent in the 2000's and whenever people would ask her where she goes to school she'd say,"Kent"...people are always mention the shooting after that. She says I gets real depressing...
Its an unfortunate event that never should of happened.

 

[castleview]

It is unfortunate that anyone had to die in Kent but it is often forgotten that the National Guard was only there because of rioting which included arson, breaking bank windows, and starting fires in the streets. The ROTC building was already on fire when the National guard arrived.

Protesting and assembly are acceptable forms of civil disobedience, arson and rioting are not.

There were a lot of bad calls by the National Guard that weekend but it is revisionist to say they were just sitting there firing into a peaceful crowd. Had no one rioted no one would have been there to fire into a crowd. It doesn't mean anyone deserved to die, they didn't, but the students have to accept some of the blame just as the guard does.

Luckily we have learned how to protest like big boys and girls since then. For the most part at least.

I was thinking about this as I read an even-sided article about Kent. I was thinking about telling my kids that even if they believe in the protest, they need to be careful in case a large crowd becomes a mob. Most of those students were completely innocent, but the ones that threw deadly objects and started fires put their fellow students in a dangerous situation. Overall, I'd say the National Guard screwed up, but they were put in a hostile situation.

 

[LindaR]

One of the unfortunate things is that STILL after all these years the "Vietman" mentality is still there. All soldiers were bad guys and all those who protested the war were all peace-loving people.

We claim to have learned from that war. Do we still villify American soldiers in Afganistan and Iraq? Or do we admit that they were young and made bad choices, choices that THEY thought at that time were right?

Unless we are THERE and in that situation and feeling the FEAR that these people feel/felt then we really shouldn't judge. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, makes us all perfect.

Not only were the lives of those students lost and those wounded forever changed, but the Guardsmen who fired their weapons have to live with what happened, too. EVERYONE made mistakes in those hours.

 

[luvsJack]

One of the unfortunate things is that STILL after all these years the "Vietman" mentality is still there. All soldiers were bad guys and all those who protested the war were all peace-loving people.

We claim to have learned from that war. Do we still villify American soldiers in Afganistan and Iraq? Or do we admit that they were young and made bad choices, choices that THEY thought at that time were right?

Unless we are THERE and in that situation and feeling the FEAR that these people feel/felt then we really shouldn't judge. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, makes us all perfect.

Not only were the lives of those students lost and those wounded forever changed, but the Guardsmen who fired their weapons have to live with what happened, too. EVERYONE made mistakes in those hours.

I agree with this. Its very easy to sit in safety and say what should have bee done, much harder when you are put in a dangerous situation that you have never experienced before. These soldiers were probably the same age as many of the protesters and were just as capable of making wrong choices. The rioting had gone on for 3 days, several students and guardsmen were injured, threatening phone calls were being made all over town, buildings on fire--someone had to make a determination as to what these students were capable of, maybe they made the wrong one. None of it should have happened, but everyone; guardsmen and protesters, must take part of the blame.

Someone, somewhere made the choice for these guardsmen to have live ammunition and maybe that person or persons deserve a larger part of the blame; but I think their reasoning in that decision would have to be heard to determine the amount of blame.

 

[eliza61]

RIP,
Not going to get into the blame game 40 years after. 4 students lost their lives, no matter what the year that is a tragedy.

 

[LindaR]

At about the same time that the riots were taking place at Kent State, there were also riots going on at Ohio State (although there were not tragic consequences here, this is an example of how CRAZY things can get). I was eight years old at the time. My mother got VERY ill (my dad had been called to duty and was not home). She was taken by ambulance to OSU hospital. This was a life or death situation. Because the riots had gotten SO out of hand and destructive, the ambulance was not able to take the most direct/quickest route to the ER. They had to slow down, turn off the siren and lights to draw less attention and take a back route to get my mom to the hospital. The ambulance was hit with rocks and bottles and other items. The rioting students had already overturned another ambulance (with a patient in it). Thru the grace of God, my mom made it and received the emergency care she needed.

It is SO easy for things to get out-of-control......what did an ambulance have to do with war protests.......nothing......but this is an example of how people get carried away and do things unrelated to the original reason for the protest. Look at other riots in other times in other places. WE react. We don't think of the consequences of our actions.

Things are not always how they appear or how they are reported.

 

[castleview]

One of the unfortunate things is that STILL after all these years the "Vietman" mentality is still there. All soldiers were bad guys and all those who protested the war were all peace-loving people.

We claim to have learned from that war. Do we still villify American soldiers in Afganistan and Iraq? Or do we admit that they were young and made bad choices, choices that THEY thought at that time were right?

Unless we are THERE and in that situation and feeling the FEAR that these people feel/felt then we really shouldn't judge. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, makes us all perfect.

Not only were the lives of those students lost and those wounded forever changed, but the Guardsmen who fired their weapons have to live with what happened, too. EVERYONE made mistakes in those hours.

I think there are some people that simply don't get that a soldier's duty is to follow orders. Many don't want to acknowledge that our country needs protecting too.

I could have smacked a friend of mine who was not in support of Iraq (fine) but told a soldier who was about to deploy that she couldn't support what he was doing. When I asked her about Vietnam, she said those people didn't deserve a hero's welcome. Come to find out that while my dad and uncles were drafted, her father got a deferment because he was finishing his PhD. These are the same type of people that look down upon police officers and firefighters, yet expect them at their call when they're in trouble.