I can't remember, my mind is weak. I know they shut down the University that year because of it. I was getting married, and I had to go someplace. We had an apartment so I just moved in early.
I'm trying to soothe my Grandson who is graduating this year and is feeling down because he won't get to go through the ceremony/ordeal. Back in 68 it was MLK who took the bullet. But who was it in 1970?
Unhappy ammo seeker
Posts: 18394 | Location: Kentucky, USA | Registered: February 25, 2001
Kent State students. I rememer it well. It was a major factor in driving student protests against the Vietnam War. The Ohio National Guard shot into the crowd. It made headline news across the country.
Posts: 17644 | Location: Stuck at home | Registered: January 02, 2015
A lot of people in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia for one. Probably some poor sap trying to make it to freedom from the GDR to the FRG across the Todesstreifen.
Kent State: BooHoo.
-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- It only stands to reason that where there's sacrifice, there's someone collecting the sacrificial offerings. Where there's service, there is someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters, and intends to be the master.
Ayn Rand
"He gains votes ever and anew by taking money from everybody and giving it to a few, while explaining that every penny was extracted from the few to be giving to the many."
I was on my way to Southeast Asia when this happened. Kent State has been a teaching moment for law enforcement in civil disturbance operations ever since. Forever a prime example of why you don't put troops untrained in crowd control in a crowd control situation.
Originally posted by HayesGreener: Forever a prime example of why you don't put troops untrained in crowd control in a crowd control situation.
That was driven into my consciousness at the time. One of the books in my own library at the time was an Army Field(?) Manual, Civil Disturbances (or something similar), that had been published some years before and anticipated the mistakes that were made at Kent State. When I read about the incident I could only think, “Yeah, no training and no idea how to deal with the situation they were put into.”
I should look it up to be sure my memory is correct, but I believe the shots were deliberately fired over the heads of the demonstrators who were confronting the troops, and the bullets hit people much farther away who were not intentionally targeted.
► 6.4/93.6 ___________ “We are Americans …. Together we have resisted the trap of appeasement, cynicism, and isolation that gives temptation to tyrants.” — George H. W. Bush
Posts: 47861 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002
I should look it up to be sure my memory is correct, but I believe the shots were deliberately fired over the heads of the demonstrators who were confronting the troops, and the bullets hit people much farther away who were not intentionally targeted.
^^^^^^^^ There were lot of explanations. Plenty of blame to go around. Two killed were not even part of the demonstration. The Guard was composed of young kids as well. It was a gigantic mess on both sides. I do not think it was firing over the heads deal. Gov. Rhodess at the time caught a lot of heat for that whole thing. The rifles should have never been loaded. In later years the Guard faced some very scary situations with NO AMMO. I have spoken with Guardsmen who were in the Superdome after Katrina with NO AMMO. Those Guardsmen were in danger of serious harm.
Posts: 17644 | Location: Stuck at home | Registered: January 02, 2015
Where I lived In the mid 60's the National Guard & Reserves were those who were escaping the draft. Usually sons of politicians, judges & others with pull. Untrained & poorly equipped and many were college students themselves. I was at Ft Bragg in late 1969 & knew a kid that was attending law school at Duke but was a reservist being recorded at his OJT training unit. His father was a local Federal Judge.
November 21, 1980 On November 21, 1980, 350 million people around the world tune in to television's popular primetime drama “Dallas” to find out who shot J.R. Ewing, the character fans loved to hate. J.R. had been shot on the season-ending episode the previous March 21, which now stands as one of television's most famous cliffhangers.
Posts: 17644 | Location: Stuck at home | Registered: January 02, 2015
Let’s not forget the year also saw Angela Davis involved in the murder of 4 people, one of which was a judge. The guns used were registered to her. She was a card carrying communist. A member of the black panthers; she spent 18 months in jail then was acquitted. A real piece of work. The University of Michigan (my alma mater) actually named a black-only student lounge after her. I haven’t donated a penny since then. Yes I remember 1970. I was even a member of SDS back in them days.
Never be more than one step away from your sword-Old Greek Wisdom
Posts: 2294 | Location: SE Mich-- USA | Registered: September 10, 2002
Did not know that about Michigan. Our lounges were named after large donors to the University. Nothing controversial. I did get to see Mohammed Ali speak during those years as well as Pat O'Brien and Stokely Carmichael. The University allowed for free speech no matter the content. Bobby Kennedy spoke shortly before he was killed in LA. All the protests were nonviolent following Kent State.
Posts: 17644 | Location: Stuck at home | Registered: January 02, 2015
