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Kent State, Where Guardsmen Have a Blast

When Peace Protesters Get Violent, They get hurt (or killed).

Tomorrow will mark the anniversary of violence that resulted in the death of four students at Kent State University. On May 4th 1970 four people were killed and nine injured when members of the National Guard opened fire on a crowd of people who were engaging in illegal and violent behavior. It is unfortunate that this happened and it is easy to look back and blame the guardsmen for opening fire on the people. I certainly can not speak for them but I doubt I would have allowed my troops to do such a thing. I do know though, that if I felt that I or my soldiers were in danger, I would shoot to kill (since at that time only lethal means were provided to the soldiers).

The students at Kent State have no one to blame but themselves. They allowed their protest for peace to get violent. They engaged in behavior often seen in large crowds and some of them paid the price when soldiers, who are trained to kill, felt threatened. I have read reports that they heard gunfire and thought they were shot at by a sniper and given that peace protesters here are as peaceful as the members of the religion of Peace that could well be the case. In any event, the time line shows that starting on the 1st students gathered and set bonfires in the street. They also surrounded an ROTC building that was boarded up and scheduled for demolition and they burned it to the ground. The people who burned it down have never been arrested. During the days leading up to the shootings peaceful student protesters broke windows in town, threw beer bottles and rocks at police and acted so uncivilized that a state of emergency was declared and the presence of the guard was requested.

Police officers, firemen and soldiers who were there to keep order and put out the fires were pelted with rocks and other items thrown by those who protested the violence in Vietnam and the announced build-up of troops. There were also people who were protesting because a draft had been instituted and they were afraid they would be sent to fight for their country. The school tried to get things under control by sending out fliers saying that the protest had been canceled. Still, 2000 protesters arrived and they were told to disperse by the police and the guard troops. They, in their peaceful manner, again threw rocks and other items at the authorities. The request to disperse was a lawful one and the protesters disobeyed it and caused unrest by throwing items and causing injuries. Tear gas canisters were ineffective because of the weather and were picked up and thrown back at the guardsmen. The guard fixed bayonets and walked toward the crowd and the crowd ran to different areas.

When the guardsmen were regrouping they turned and fired at the students causing the injuries and deaths. The students, who only day earlier had claimed it was time to bring the war home (indicating that it was time to get violent here), were grouping to attack the guardsmen after the shootings but were persuaded not to do so by faculty. Obviously the students, who greatly outnumbered the soldiers, decided that rocks were no match for bullets.

The tragedy of this is not that four people were killed but that they were killed because they were either causing civil unrest or were there when their classmates caused it. These people died because instead of following the law and dispersing when they were told, they became violent and threw rocks at authorities and they burned down a building. They were responsible for what happened because they refused to follow the law.

A man who was a student then has released a recording he made that day in which it is claimed that you can hear the words “Right here! Get Set! Point! Fire!” To me the words Right Here might be an indication that they thought they were being fired upon. FBI reports indicate an operative might have been in the crowd and fired a shot causing the response. In any event, the guardsmen were wrong because the command is “Ready, Aim, Fire.” There are people who want this case reopened and investigated especially since they now have this smoking gun (yes I meant that) evidence.

If you want to investigate a murder from that era, reopen the case of Ted Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne. That was a murder. Kent State was an unfortunate event that led to the deaths of unruly students. Remember, if they had obeyed the law, the guard would not have been there.

So tomorrow we honor the bravery of those four guardsmen who faced an overwhelming number of people and were able to strike fear into the hearts of the not so peaceful protesters. As for these so called peaceful protesters, make sure you obey the law and no one will have to pull a Kent State on you.

Big Dog