Where were you on Kent State Day?

Nestor · May 6, 2010

crossroadclarence said:
OK. Sizzerflake and Nestor recall strong emotions.
Do either of you guys see this happening again, say during student ant-racial profiling rallies or Tea-baggers or anti-Tea Baggers demonstrations?

Given that newly released FBI data shows the National Guard troops took 'sniper fire' first from the crowd of students ( 2 to 3 rounds from a .38- with spent slugs recovered; guard had M-1s, not a .38 caliber weapon) and subsequently fired in self-defense and that the guard was on site to prevent further destructive violence because radical activists had the day before set fire to the ROTC office on campus), I am too conflicted to answer. I was on the student side in those days, but uneasy with the activity nonetheless. I think differently today. Certainly I do not see any tea-****** (crude remark redacted) in future unless it again comes from the radical left meant to foment or provoke events such as this. Two handguns were recovered from the students, btw, a snub-nosed .38 and a Colt 1911 .45 Like I said, Bad times.

crossroadclarence · May 6, 2010

Yeah....I have heard of some of this data, but could never find verification, Have you got any?... or is it a personal experience thing, which on this sort of "scoop", it is valid to me, and not needing any evidence.

skizzerflake · May 6, 2010

crossroadclarence said:
OK. Sizzerflake and Nestor recall strong emotions.
Do either of you guys see this happening again, say during student ant-racial profiling rallies or Tea-baggers or anti-Tea Baggers demonstrations?

I think the risk is there any time you have an agitated crowd and police or Guard with guns. Ideology is almost irrelevant. What happened at Kent was probably a brief moment where somebody had really bad judgment and reacted emotionally with lethal consequences. If they had meant to deliberately perpetrate a massacre, it would have been a lot worse than it was. Fortunately, in the wake of events like Kent, Chicago, university building takeovers, the 60's urban riots, etc, police have been given training in non-lethal crowd control and they could go into something like that with a strategy.

skizzerflake · May 6, 2010

crossroadclarence said:
Yeah....I have heard of some of this data, but could never find verification, Have you got any?... or is it a personal experience thing, which on thissort of "scoop", it is valid to me, and not needing any evidence.

I couldn't quote and would be suspect of any "fact" on that event. Everything was so clouded with ideology and emotion and people observing the same events but seeing them differently that real info was a rare commodity. As I said in my previous post, if the Guard had intended a massacre, it would have been much worse. I have always assumed that it was a terrible mistake by somebody who was over their head in that situation.

Nestor · May 6, 2010

crossroadclarence said:
Yeah....I have heard of some of this data, but could never find verification, Have you got any?... or is it a personal experience thing, which on thissort of "scoop", it is valid to me, and not needing any evidence.

A reasonable request. I'd not heard of this until yesterday myself in fact, and only got it from off a syndicated radio show (hosted by a friend whom I will query). There's little to question as to why the troops were there (burning of ROTC office the day before), but the recovered weapons...?

Edratman · May 7, 2010

I have not ever heard of armed students at Kent State.

Nestor · May 7, 2010

Edratman said:
I have not ever heard of armed students at Kent State.

But OF COURSE you have not.

leo_polla_psemata · May 7, 2010

crossroadclarence said:
So just say "sandbox", huh?

Gee...I must be the dino around here.

I was mastering the difference between yes & no, mom & dad, good boy...

crossroadclarence · May 7, 2010

leo_polla_psemata said:
I was mastering the difference between yes & no, mom & dad, good boy...

That's OK....you would not have like the News reports at the time anyway.
What's happening in Greece reminds me of those days...just different causes for the protests.

leo_polla_psemata · May 7, 2010

Indeed, we had casualties a couple of days ago.

Different causes for the protests but again several insoluble "why's" .

ugabug · May 8, 2010

My parents were still babies when that happened so i definitely wasn't around then.

Patito de Hule · May 8, 2010

crossroadclarence said:
Forty years ago, on May 4, 1970 soldiers opened fire on a student anti-war protest on the campus of Kent State University, nestled around the small, sleepy Ohio town of Kent.

The number of dead - four students, two of them simply heading to class.

Where were you THEN and what were your reactions THEN?

I was in Mexico City and read about it in the Mexican newspaper. My reaction was that it was probably justified, but I don't form judgments from what little I read in the papers. I returned home about a week later and was still slow to form an opinion.

ugabug · May 8, 2010

Patito de Hule said:
I was in Mexico City and read about it in the Mexican newspaper. My reaction was that it was probably justified, but I don't form judgments from what little I read in the papers. I returned home about a week later and was still slow to form an opinion.

Whats your opinion about it now?

Cicero · May 8, 2010

I was in first semester college and wondered ... what the **** is that going to mean now for me?! I had just gotten to a place of higher learnign and now bullets were flying in others????

Patito de Hule · May 8, 2010

ugabug said:
Whats your opinion about it now?

What I think about it now makes precious little difference. Investigations have been made and people who needed to be criticized were criticized. It was an unfortunate incident. More than unfortunate--innocent people were killed. But the amount of tension that existed around the campus and among the national guardsmen was overpowering.

I wasn't there. I didn't feel what the people involved on both sides felt, so who the **** am I to be judgmental?

And that, sir, is my present opinion.

riotbeard · May 11, 2010

My dad was in vietnam... I know he wasn't keen on the protestors, because they spit on him, but he seems pretty cynical about the whole era. He supported the war at the time, but recently told me, Vietnam was doing good in spite of American intervention. I don't know how he would feel now about the incident, but I know he really hates the protesters who treated him like crap when he came home. I can't say anything from personal experience, but I know my political views would put me on the side of the protestors today. Sorry for making you codgers feel older.

Patito de Hule · May 11, 2010

The following excerpt is from the NY Times May 4, 1970. It preceded the shootings by a few hours. I cannot link since the material is subscriber only. But I do think some of the "kids" discussing this should realize this was not a peaceful demonstration.

TROOPS SUBDUE STUDENTS IN OHIO
Quell 3rd Straight Night of Unrest at Kent State
. . .
The youths set a bonfire in the streeet and smashed windows in the five downtown banks, in a recruiting office and in some high-priced stores.
. . .
Marching to several dormitories, the crowd quickly swelled to about 2,000 and returned to the ROTC building, pelting it with stones and flares and finally setting it afire.
When firemen arrived on the scene, youths sliced their hose and pulled it away. ROTC cadets scrambled to move their cars from the parking lot.
About 1000 rounds of .22-caliber training ammunition exploded during the fire.

What happened was unfortunate and unnecessary. I remember the investigation stated that someone had given an order to fire, but it was not known by whom. There were many disagreements.
In 1970, I believed in the Vietnam War. I did not change my mind until 1972 when I read some of the actual history and understood more. Regardless, I do and did not support violent demonstrations--for civil rights, against the war, or anything else. I wouldn't have taken part in the Boston Tea Party or in sacking Governor Hutchinson's house either back in the 1760's/70's.
But there was enough blame to go all the way around no matter which side you backed.

DAS44 · May 11, 2010

Well I did write a 5 paragraph (loosely formed and a bit short) essay on it for fun....

Ok honestly I wasnt alive

Search

Search

Where were you on Kent State Day?

Nestor

crossroadclarence

skizzerflake

skizzerflake

Nestor

Edratman

Nestor

leo_polla_psemata

crossroadclarence

leo_polla_psemata

ugabug

Patito de Hule

ugabug

Cicero

Patito de Hule

riotbeard

Patito de Hule

DAS44

More History Discussions

Recent History Discussions

Trending History Discussions