While many were posting “May the Forth” and Star War memes yesterday the memory of the most shocking and brutal school shooting that have ever happened in America at Kent State University was overlooked.
The Kent State massacre is a tragic event in American history that occurred on May 4, 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio. The incident involved the shooting of unarmed college students by the Ohio National Guard during a protest against the Vietnam War. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of four students and the injury of nine others, with a lasting impact on American society and politics.
The protest at Kent State was part of a larger movement against the Vietnam War, which had escalated in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Students across the country were mobilizing against the war, which they saw as unjust and immoral. The protest at Kent State began on May 1, with a series of peaceful demonstrations and rallies on campus. However, tensions rose on May 2, when the Ohio National Guard was called in to disperse the crowd.
On May 4, a group of about 2,000 students gathered on the Kent State campus to protest the presence of the National Guard. The atmosphere was tense, with some students throwing rocks and other objects at the guardsmen. The National Guard responded by firing tear gas canisters and ordering the students to disperse. However, some students refused to leave, and a small group even taunted the guardsmen.
At around noon, the National Guard opened fire on the students, without warning. The guardsmen fired a total of 67 rounds in 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others. The victims were Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Schroeder. Two of the students who were killed were not even participating in the protest, but were walking to class.
The Kent State massacre had a profound impact on American society and politics. The incident sparked a wave of protests and demonstrations across the country, as well as international condemnation. It also led to a nationwide student strike, with over 4 million students participating. The massacre became a symbol of government oppression and the dangers of militarism, and it contributed to the growing disillusionment with the Vietnam War.
In addition, the Kent State massacre had legal and political consequences. The victims’ families filed a lawsuit against the National Guard and the state of Ohio, and in 1979, the government agreed to pay a settlement of $675,000. The incident also led to changes in the way that the National Guard was used to control civil disturbances, with new guidelines issued to ensure that deadly force was only used as a last resort.
The Kent State massacre was a tragic event that had a profound impact on American society and politics. The shooting of unarmed college students by the National Guard was a shocking and brutal act, and it contributed to the growing opposition to the Vietnam War. The legacy of the massacre continues to be felt today, as a reminder of the dangers of government overreach and the importance of protecting the rights of citizens to protest and dissent.
May we never forget!
First, no one was prosecuted for the shooting of unarmed Kent State students of four dead and several wounded. And less for the following days deaths of several other colleges including Jackson State and Augusta. I believe that the reason there is no mention of Kent State is that the wealthy rulers of this nation do not want new generations to be aware that a mass movement was able to force and end to that War on Vietnam. It is independent mass movements that are grass roots and participatory democracy that challenge those in power. It was how advances were made for the LGBT Communities in Our organizing and the involvement of many. Now the rulers want to control Our Movement with small self electing board organizations, that are totally reliant on the funding from the corporate wealthy and politicians. Once we are “under control” and no effective organized movement, they can then eventually end the funding and end any independent organizations. This is what they hope for, is for few of Our People not caring and being responsible to spend effort, to keep advancing Our rights and helping ALL LGBT people who are without wealth and power. Our Movement for rights and respect has no borders but is international. Learn Our History, so to understand HOW we were isolated and harmed and WHY we need to band together to prevent that and end bigotry and harm. . Do not accept wrong and adapt and conform to such, fearing risk and no courage. Join and work together with others for FAR MORE needed and understand Our enemies will not stop in their wanting to deny us rights, respect, humanity and want to silence, harm and drive us back into the closets of isolation.
I held vigil for Sandra Scheuer. She and William Schroeder were the two students who were walking to class. William Schroeder was an ROTC cadet. Sandra Scheuer was a senior Speech Pathology major, who ironically had her larynx and throat shot out along with right jugular vein severed. She bled out, an innocent, unable to say last words… William Schroeder was the only of the four students who died who wasn’t DOA at Portage County Hospital, but he died in surgery.
Never again.