It was a sad day for America, 50 years ago today.
Students at Kent State University in Ohio were protesting the Vietnam war. Whether or not it was a totally PEACEFUL protest is unclear, but what IS clear is that the students were unarmed. However, members of the Ohio National Guard WERE of course armed, they opened fire, and 4 young people were killed.
"Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming
Four dead in Ohi-o"
sang Crosby, Stills and Nash (not sure if YOUNG was with them yet) shortly thereafter, referring to then-President, Republican Richard Nixon.
This led to MORE protests across the nation.
I was a student at Arts High in Newark NJ, aged 15, and I attended an anti-war demonstration at nearby Rutgers College soon after Kent State. It was the only day in my life that I ever went to a college campus other than to visit friends, and the only time I ever demonstrated. The protest then went BACK to Arts High, I threw an egg at the school and got suspended by the new Principal, Theresa S. David ("T.S. David," she boasted that "T.S." stood for "Tough Stuff," but some suggest a different word for "Stuff.") I liked her, actually, and it was no punishment to get suspended...I hated school, Lol!!
Those demonstrations affected ALL of us deeply because the country was bitterly DIVIDED about the war...even as America is bitterly divided TODAY over just about EVERYTHING.
At the moment, there are MANY demonstrations across the nation against Democrat Governors who seem to want to use the Coronavirus to take away people's RIGHTS. I just hope and pray that, those police who have guns will not USE them unless THEY are fired on (in self-defense). Being called names, while wrong, is NOT an excuse to kill demonstrators....and THAT is a lesson we can all learn from Kent State, May 4th, 1970.
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