Today is 38th Anniversary of the Kent State Shootings
By bluegal Saturday May 03, 2008 8:15pmOn May 4, 1970, four students at Kent State University in Ohio were killed by Ohio National Guardsmen at an on-campus march to protest Nixon's invasion of Cambodia five days earlier. Those of us who remember Kent State first hand (I was in first grade, the daughter and granddaughter of KSU professors) know the "order to fire" did not come from some commander. The contempt for the life of the "dirty f**king hippies" came from Ohio Governor Rhodes, J. Edgar Hoover, and Richard Nixon. In 1970, the Vietnam war was going horribly wrong, the public that was waking up incredibly quickly, and the President and his administration's reaction was not only to stay the course but to dig in their heels and question the patriotism of anyone who did not go along.
We do not need anyone to tell us that there is an "Iraq-Vietnam Link." The "Vietnamization" of this war is happening before our eyes.
Update: Great minds think alike. Here's what Howie Klein had planned for Late Night Music Club before this post appeared (we've swapped out the original youtube for Howie's:
The publisher of Thrashers Wheat, the best of the many Neil Young fan sites, put together a post with pictures and videos over at DownWithTyranny. Tonight's song, predictably, is "Ohio" by CSNY, the song Neil wrote when he read about the shootings-- and saw the horrifying and galvanizing photos in Life, a spread that pretty much set the course for a crumbling of any support left for Nixon and his agenda. CSNY released a single immediately and included a live version on an album the following year but it wasn't until 1974, when they put out So Far that a studio version was available on LP. There are few songs that I can remember in my life that had as profound an impact on politics. So... why aren't students protesting the war in Iraq? Is it because they like the war-- or don't care about it (since there is no draft right now)? Or is it because they're afraid Bush will do to them what Nixon did to the four dead in Ohio?
Login or Register to post comments.
I remember.
And two of the four students were simply walking to class when they were shot.
It's still unspeakably tragic.
The next time forces shoot at American Students/Citizens it may be much much worse, since this administration has seen fit to bring Foreign Mercenary forces to American soil.
Blackwater would have no conscience.
Then I remember, we had library class, and I used to get all the "Life" and "Look" magazines from the rack, and look at the horrible pictures from Vietnam. I remember rivers of blood, and napalm, and destruction, and misery. Those memories are etched in my mind. They don't show that now; they were so vivid.
I was eight years old, in fourth grade, and I was horrified by this massacre. My parents, who had been happy Nixon supporters up to this point, were deeply shocked and angered by this horrible incident. It was one of many life-changing events during a very troubling time in American's history that forever set my own political course.
May they rest in peace and may we never forget what unchecked presidential power, especially in the hands of a Republican, can do to damage the very fabric of our country and threaten the lives of our citizens who exercise their constitutional right to disagree....
DFH forever....
4 dead in O HY O
Now,let's deal with "GITMO"
I remember so distinctly the moment I heard this news. I was a junior at American University in Washington DC, and was active in the anti-war movement, like the majority of college students at that time were. I had seen plenty of students beaten, had been tear gassed on campus and I remember the sheer hatred of the so-called Civil Defense Unit which would be brought on campus to control student protest. When I heard the news from Kent State, I was stunned, and I remember just putting my head in my hands and crying.
And for those of you too young to remember, nine more students were wounded. The 8 National Guardsmen who fired on American students on an American college campus all had the charges against them thrown out. Food for thought when dealing with the presence of Blackwater, BushCo's powers to declare Martial Law, the College Republicans, and hate rhetoric used by the right against all who don't accept their decrees. Vietnam, Iraq, how did we end up falling down this rabbit hole again?
From Wikipedia:
Legal action against the guardsmen
Eight of the guardsmen were indicted by a grand jury. The guardsmen claimed to have fired in self-defense, which was generally accepted by the criminal justice system. In 1974 U.S. District Judge Frank Battisti dismissed charges against all eight on the basis that the prosecution's case was too weak to warrant a trial.[13]
In May 2007, Alan Canfora, one of the injured protestors, demanded that the case be reopened, having found audiotape in a Yale University government archive allegedly recording an order to fire ("Right here! Get Set! Point! Fire!") just before the 13 second volley of shots.[15]
According to recently released FBI reports,[citation needed] one part-time student, Terry Norman, was already noted by student protesters as an informant for both campus police and the Akron FBI branch. Norman was present during the May 4 protests, taking photographs to identify student leaders,[28] while carrying a sidearm and wearing a gas mask.
In 1970, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover responded to questions from then-Congressman John Ashbrook by denying that Norman had ever worked for the FBI, a statement Norman himself disputed.[29] On 13 August 1973, Indiana Senator Birch Bayh sent a memo to then-governor of Ohio, John J. Gilligan, suggesting that Norman may have fired the first shot, based on testimony he received from Guardsmen who claimed that a gunshot fired from the vicinity of the protesters instigated the Guard to open fire on the students.[30]
Throughout the almost 40 years since the shootings, debate has continued on the events of May 4, 1970.[31][32]
Shooting Students was bad but many students had been throwing large Rocks and drink bottles at and hitting them for days. Finally some troops lost their cool and returned fire.
I, too, remember.
And I have only seen rememberances posted on two blogs.
Both posts by the same person.
What's that tell us?
The next time this happens will be much worse. The police and the army are being trained to a razors edge. We're not people to them most of the time. We are all just troublemakers who are costing the corporations money. The people who are supposed to serve and protect still do, unfortunately they serve and protect our masters interests instead of our. We're all just so much fodder for the machine.
There's a saying about being loneliest when you're in an unhappy relationship. And the consequences of a past war are hardest to face when you are in another mindless, endless war. I suppose we should (try to) prepare for another "saddest day" when we leave things worse than we found them.
Donaldd @ 9:
So now it's OK to SHOOT kids if they dare to question authority. Bullets equal cans?
Back under the bridge troll.
I was 18. I'm Canadian...lived in the States at that time.
I remember, vividly, as well. I also remember wondering what would happen to friends, with the draft looming. I remember watching 'the war' on tv...surreal, yet real.
I'm still stuck on where the outrage has gone. We seem to have become so jaded, or distracted, or de-sensitized...I really don't know.
The young people who gave their lives for their country, both in that war & at home in protest, must be turning in their graves now.
What will it take???
Donaldd @ 9:
I bet you would have enjoyed the Third Reich too. Jeebus!!
Donaldd @ 9:
You freaking moron. Let's see... rocks... bottles... vs M1 Carbine assault rifles... YEAH!!! That's the way! A completely asymmetrical response! Fight minor assault and general dickheadedness with MURDER BY HIGH POWERED RIFLES. YEAH!!! That's the AMERICAN WAY!!!
Donaldd - you're an idiot. Stop wasting precious oxygen. Kindly get a clue or at least crawl back under your rock.
I was a sophomore in High School. To me the sad part is that not much has changed since 1970. If we had a draft today, the exact same thing would be going on except instead of the National Guard (who is busy elsewhere) it would be some hot shot employee of Blackwater shooting college students. He of course would get off scot free just as the Guardsmen did back in 1970. Politics as usual.
I remember far too well.
I was a senior at Oberlin College not far from Kent State. I was also a Viet Nam combat veteran who had returned to college to complete my degree. From my perspective, the events of May 4, 1970 were not that different from March 4, 1770, the date of the Boston Massacre. I traveled to Washington for the protests that followed and became active in Viet Nam Veterans Against the War. My parents, both DOD employees, saw all four of their children attend the rally. Two of their sons were were Viet Nam veterans.
I will never forget listening to Phil Ochs singing a modified version of one of his classics with the line "Richard Nixon find yourself another country to be part of." When I graduated from Oberlin a few weeks later we held a silent vigil in memory of those who died at Kent State. My parents joined the protest. The Tet offensive started the shift of public opinion, Kent State solidified it.
Roket @ 17:
I wouldn't write off a draft just yet. If Cheney succeeds in bombing Iran (and even if he doesn't, most likely) the draft will be back on the table as soon as the November election is over with if Republicans keep the White House. There doesn't seem to be any other way to maintain their war without end blood for oil machine....
I was in the eighth grade. I was beginning to entertain the idea that my parents, my community (all heavily Republican) and my country was just flat-out wrong about the necessity of that ugly atrocity of a war. When I heard about the massacre, I realized that the U.S. government was SHOOTING students not too much older than myself just for voicing their opposition. For the first time I understood that not all authority is legitimate and that many who I had trusted to provide answers were instead part of the problem. I had irrevocably become radicalized. This event in American history shaped my political outlook for the rest of my life.
NEVER AGAIN.
Donaldd @ 9:
Something tells me that conservapedia is your main source of information. I'd just like to point out that your take on the situation, as with most articles on that site, is bullshit. There is not the slightest evidence that any of the students killed had attacked the National Guard Troops on campus. It would have been nothing short of a miracle for the troops to volley fire, as they did, without an order to do so or a conspiracy among the troops to do so.
And sorry, but my comment at #8 should read "12" more students were shot. My memory is fading on the details but I will never ever forget those years and what they did to my beliefs about America, democracy, freedom, and governmental checks and balances.
what is it with you damn dirty hippies?
why won't you just give up?
urkel for president? are you kidding me? shaggy for veep? how about a high-level cabinet position for dickey betts?
it's like george wallace said, "you like four-letter words, here're two for ya:
WORK and SOAP!
Tin Omen by Skinny Puppy is also a good choice for this event. As for conservapedia I saw a fun article hammering it on The American Conservative of all places. It was in the blog section.
I was only four when it happened. As for the people who remember this, Is the atmoshere in Washington as bad as it is now? I feel like we are standing at the obyss.
*"
Thank you, I was starting to think it had been forgotten - even chastized a couple of "anti-war" dem bloggers...
Donaldd @ 9:
What a smart comment! Throwing rocks and bottles at soldiers should garner the death penalty, for anyone who happens to be on campus at the time!
BTW, shooting at rock and bottle throwers does NOT equal 'returned fire.' It is initiating fire.
Dirty Fucking hippies!
I was a senior in high school, getting ready to graduate and go off to college. I had applied for "CO" status for the draft but was ignored and given a 1A. With and lottery number of 286, I wasn't too worried about the draft, only the damage our country would suffer from this brutal and unnecessary war.
Now, 37 years later, with a son of age and friends in Iraq, I realize we are in a far worse position than even then.
Four dead in Ohio!
Also I was 16 at the time and that week WE (thousands of marchers) closed down the I-5 going through Seattle that week. My group marched 13 miles to join the protesters.
♠Bangkok-Bob♠ @ 3:
Just a few minor corrections for your post Bangkok-Bob
Students did protest. The University of Texas at Austin, for one, had a huge walk out before the war even started, protesting the build up to it and how the evidence supporting it wasn't being examined. But, unlike in the 60's, the media didn't cover them, so they petered out as the participants realized that the boomers didn't give two tits about the protests or the rightness of the war.
Has this been on MSM? I decided to take a break from MSM watching this weekend, because I was fearing for my sanity.
This was one of three events that truly made me understand that the government is not to be blindly trusted, as they tell us in elementary school.
The first was in 1969 or so, when watching Walter Cronkite explaining the number of troops we had lost that day. I thought a "troop" was something like a "jeep" -- a piece of equipment. My sister explained that a troop was a soldier, like her long-term boyfriend who was in Vietnam at the time. At 6, I understood that war meant killing people... But Nixon kept explaining that it was needed, because the Vietnamese were evil, and we had to help them be like us.
Then came KSU. I moved to NE Ohio, not far from Kent State, right after it happened. I saw the stories hitting the local news, the questions coming from students, parents, teachers, government officials. I understood that my own government had just gunned down a bunch of unarmed students because they disagreed with Nixon.... even as I was learning American history and the premise of Constitution.
And then came Watergate.
I started reading more about people like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and found new heroes in people like Arthur Miller after that.
it seems that the closer you look at what our govt actually is,
the farther it moves away from what really democracy is.
we have buried our heads in the sand for far too long.
the bush administration MUST be the last embarrassment
to our nation and the freedoms we feel so entitled to have.
we do not deserve what we are not willing to guard and
protect with the fortitude of honor and of truth.
Galvanizing moment?
Police in NYC unload 50 rounds into an unarmed black man and are let go and nothing happens there except long lines to purchase GTA IV?
What's it going to take?
We're in much deeper trouble than we thought.
At least the stoners are speaking out and taking to the parks and streets this past May Day weekend.
~Nyc
I don't remember really, being just seven years old. But I do remember all the parking lot scenes at Dead shows, and with friends around the campfire, when we would play OHIO on our guitars, and not really realize, until the daze lifted, what we were singing about. What a tragedy that we can't muster the outrage today!
Oh, fer.... Yeah, let's all blame the _students_ for the continuation of this war. "Why don't they get off their duffs & _do_ something???"
The simple fact is that there _have_ been protests & they've amounted to 100% diddly-poo. Bush is the most unpopular president _ever_ & the US continues it's insane policy. In 1970, there was some political will among Democrats to reverse things in Viet Nam, and 38 years later there is even less. The Dems in Congress caved in to everything that Bush wanted because they felt that it would make him (& by extension, the Reps) look unelectable in '08. Yeah, Nancy, thanks for all the support...
I am not downplaying political support, but the days of where protesting will change things are past, if they ever really existed. Back in 1970, at least there was a neutral media in which to broadcast such activities. We no longer have that luxury, as the current media is now an arm of the corporation state, and incredibly powerful. It's true, we have the internet, which is a saving grace, yet it hasn't been used yet to take the place to _true_ social/political action.
The main problem is that EVERYONE in the U.S. are feeling frustrated with their choices in opposing the war. The ILWU has a great idea: the organized strike. Not forever, but for a day. And one day isn't enough, either. It has to be a continuing threat. So why not every 15th day of the month everyone who is against the war strikes. It wouldn't matter either if the day is on a weekend, as those who do their shopping on those days can find out how many of the service-industry folks are against the status quo. Imagine it: every month, the US stops, no longer willing to let the Re-thuglicans & the Lay-me-Down-a-crats choose the agenda.
tweakerbell @ 16:
"M1 Carbine assault rifles"? ROTFLMAO!! If you can't properly identify the weapon, don't bother trying. And I'm happy that someone has pointed out that this wasn't a love-in that was suddenly attacked. The students had been throwing rocks at the ONG troops. Doesn't excuse the actions of the soldiers, but, as Heinlein pointed out, throwing shit at an armed man is freaking stupid.
I also always love seeing the alleged pro-peace, pro-liberty folks who cannot tolerate actual facts and demand that anyone not following the Progressive Party line shut up. some of us are as bad as the Bushites.
Sorry the reality of the events surrounding the Kent State incident doesn't jibe with your preferred version, tweakerbell, but the students had been provoking the National Guard for days at that point. Throw rocks at the guy with the rifle, don't be surpised when he uses the rifle.
Now, can someone explain how throwing rocks is supposed to be part of a peace demonstration?
well things could have been worse for this country , in 1954 we the us 7th fleet were pulled from korean waters under ikes orders , and sent to subic bay in the philippines along with troop ships loaded with infantrymen , we were held on the base and told we were about to inter the war that was going on in indo china on the side of the french who were engaged in action against the viet min , as luck would have it the french were defeated at dien bin phou before we were commited to the war, just a bit of history thats not in your history books! maby kent state wouldnt have happened because of it maby not! whos to say?
I was at Michigan State University, In East Lansing. We had been protesting before Kent, after that, any doubts about why we were protesting were gone, we had to continue.
Kent State was the moment when the moral imperative reached a tipping pont, if you understood what Kent State was; the slaughter of innocents by bullies determined to hang onto the powers they granted themselves - not the least of which was their certainty that they had the RIGHT to kill whomever they felt might be a threat - then there could be no backing down from the fight.
You had to live through it to understand it, live through the draft lotteries, live with friends seriously debating how to avoid Nam, not out of fear - although there was fear, and how could there not be? By 1970, we were all starting to see friends or relatives return from Nam totally fucked up, or in a box. And we knew it was all bullshit. Just like today, they were being sent to die for lies. Only then, there was the draft and if you weren't George W. Bush rich and connected, there were limited choices for avoiding it. So every draft lottery was a nightmare and a big decision, all randomly based on your birth date. It ripped families apart, it ruined lives. All for the lies of the powerful war profiteers.
Right after Kent, we marched in the streets of East Lansing, by MSU, and at one point I looked up at the rooftops of the buildings we were marching past, and I saw armed soldiers, rifles pointed down at us as we passed. And I thought, will I die here tonight? Will they shoot us too? And what happened to my America? The land of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.
The last few years I have again been wondering what happened to my America. But maybe I was fooling myself. Maybe this corrupt, bloated, power-obssessed killing machine parading as a democracy IS the real America, and what we were marching for never really existed.
Maybe we weren't really supposed to believe all that crap about freedom and rights, we're just supposed to wrap ourselves in it and feel all warm and patriotic when they tell us they need us to go die in some foreign place for their profit margin again.
Or maybe not, I don't know anymore. I just feel sick at what they do.
bullfrog @ 23:
I think George Wallace used six letter words. Which makes quoting him even more awkward than those who you try to mock...
Another west Texan was US President in 1968 when the Ohio State National Guardsmen fired in fear at Kent State. These killings went reported that day as justified shootings in first press reports, that famous picture statrted to tell the world another whole story.
I find the references to Neil Young's Ohio to be interesting. I wonder if any of you recall his response to the 9/11 attacks, delivered by hand to KFOG in San Francisco a few weeks after the details of the Flight 93 heroics were released.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Mfq7z_vHc
I think y'all might want to chew on these lyrics, again written by the same man who wrote Ohio, for a few minutes.
No one has the answer,
But one thing is true,
You've got to turn on evil,
When it's coming after you,
You've gotta face it down,
And when it tries to hide,
You've gotta go in after it,
And never be denied,
Time is runnin' out,
Let's roll.
I was in the second grade and not far from Kent growing up in Ashland, Ohio.
I vividly remember thinking those protesters got what they deserved because of all the trouble they were causing.
My only defense is I was a second grader.
Actually, I do know. America, the way we know it should be, exists. But the price of liberty really is eternal vigilence. We can never stop fighting, never stop speaking truth to power, never stop insisting that we live by the Rule of Law, not the Rule of Man. Never give an inch without fighting a mile. It has to be this way.
I remember the day all too well. We had moved from New Orleans to Ohio in January of 1970 just after I'd turned 12. I remember my horror in reading the newspaper headlines and seeing the gut wrenching photo of the young woman in distress kneeling over a dead student's body.
I'd been aware of the Vietnam War, the protests, the riots and the rising tension in the country, but that was my first moment of self-recognition about the war and the anti-war movement. The killings were in my new state and I was old enough to begin wondering about whether the madness would still be underway when I got to college. Those were turbulent times that I'm not sure folks born since then really understand. There was a gathering storm of anger and distrust of government, not unlike what we have today, but because there was a draft, it was impossible to ignore the way so many Americans do our present situation.
Ohio officials knew the Nixon administration had their back. As did Mississippi powers a week later.
Those old (and savvy) enough to have been afforded a glimpse at The Machine back then well understood the stakes inherent in 2002's Iraq War Resolution. Including Hillary Clinton.
I know people in the Ohio National Guard and their leaders always use May 4 to remind them of that history that is an example of poor training and unprofessional soldiers who should never have fired upon fellow Americans for airing their views, regardless of your political view of the situation. Guard folks have used their weapons once a year since then, concentrated on mostly homeland disaster relief.
Keep in mind it was Blackwater's guns who kept THEM out of New Orleans for three days-they left Ohio within 18-14 hours, they didn't bring GUNS since it wasn't THAT kind of mission, they brought supplies, medical, food water-so they did what they were told. These are mostly college educated, well rounded sane people. Helpers. They have a very low rate of domestic violence and tend to be family people, I say that having met nearly 1,000 of them over the years. Die hard republicans are the minority, most are what I would call independents who lean democrat.
They are the "boy and girl scouts" out of all the branches of service, they don't like criminal waivers for recruits-they have no thirst to kill like some Marines and others appear to...they want to be here to serve in their communities who may have tornadoes and floods, drill once a month to train on cpr, disaster relief-that sort of thing. You really should not support the war, but your Guard deserves it.
Kuparuk @ 34:
I remember at that time thinking a troop was some sort of collection of soldiers. I'm 47.
Too bad there's not so much on the Youtube about Jackson State...
The main reason we're not seeing large protests today on campus is because there's no draft. And the main reason public opinion has turned against the Iraq war is because it turned out not to be a "cake walk". Had the invasion and occupation been easy and successful we wouldn't hear a thing about US forces in Iraq anymore. Americans would be blissfully at the mall responding to occasional interviewers asking them "what do you think about the US military presence in Iraq?" "Uhhh...(wipes ice cream off chin)...are they still there?"
Let's also not forget that just days after Kent State, more students were killed at Jackson State in Mississippi. I was 17 years old when Kent State happened and I was already the "radical" in my little high school. The day after Kent State I was to the point of rage in my American Civics class. The teacher was a neo-con precursor and was scared to death when other kids started to side with me who had been silent previously. I yelled and screamed at that teacher and had to be taken out of the class. I was not going to listen to him blame the students. The change in America amongst the middle class was immediate. Parents who had perhaps been on the fence about Vietnam were horrified by Kent State and Jackson State. Their change of attitude could best be summed up by one mother who was interviewed and said " I don't care anymore about whether Vietnam is right or wrong, I am not going to accept our children being shot down in the streets because they disagree with this war". If you do a search about the Jackson State shootings you will see that there is a memorial and some of the bullet holes in the walls of the dorms where the shootings took place are still there. Spend awhile looking at those bullet holes and then contrast that with Kent State where the administration and the State of Ohio have sought to erase the memory of what happened. The difference between then and now is simple and clear. We practiced civil DISobedience. We took over administration offices etc. and gummed up the works. Today people say they are holding protests but they practice civil Obedience because they do it only when, where and under what circumstances the powers that be say is OK. That's bullshit and completely ineffective. You will not change this country by being polite and courteous to the powers that be. The Longshoremans union just shut down all of the west coast ports for a day to protest the Iraq war. That's the kind of thing to do. It cost the corporations many millions of dollars that day. Most modern day "activists" are too busy getting grant money from non-profits and snuggling up to whichever politician is talking slick to them about how he/she will champion them and their cause.
Che Guevara IV @ 43:
Got your dates wrong there, sport. Kent State was in 1970, when Richard Nixon was President. LBJ had vacated the White House in shame, a man broken by the Vietnam War. As other commenters have said above, Kent State has to be laid at the feet of Nixon (among others).
Longtooth you are correct, recall we are quite blue here in Ohio these days...Bush has federalized our Guard which is why they are overseas. He wants America to be vulnerable. Besides, Blackwater minds Bush better-they are beholden to their paycheck, not their country...
... it's the draft... that's the only difference...
and the lack of one now, is the main reason this mess was even allowed...
Guardian - agreed, Bush wants us vulnerable. United we stand, divided, we're easy pickins' for Bush's buddies. Much easier to manipulate.
reasons for the lack of student protests
1. no draft...almost everyone in university knew someone personally who was serving, and they all knew that they could be subject to the draft
2. campuses are much more liberal now than in the 60s...remember, not only were the students fighting the government, they were also fighting their own administrations
3. the economy...in the 60s, it was ok to use college as a means for learning...now, its a means to get a job...you eff up in college, you may not have a rosy future, plus college is much more expensive now...getting expelled is not an option (then, it was a badge of courage)
and dont blame the lack of student protests for the continuation of the war....even if everyone in this country stood as one and shouted to the heavens for the occupation to end, bush would not listen
Hussein sciguy Hussein (my middle name is not Hussein) @ 54:
Also his geography, Bush is from Conneticut.
Four Dead in OHighO
A lot of people don't even think about Iraq and whats going on over there.
Ask them what they think about it and they say, "oh that yeah hey I got to go nice talking to you".
I would like to know more about this comment, QD.
Thanks.
QuakerDave @ 10:
Trucker Doug @ 39:
can anyone explain what an armed militia was doing on a college campus?
"adult" paranoia...
I moved to Kent a few years ago, and while I felt a weird vibe during the first May 4th I experienced here, I didn't remember what today was until I saw this post. Being a Sunday, there wasn't much going on here today beyond yard work thanks to the great weather.
However, I've been told by several townies to avoid the KSU campus on May 4th, as it becomes a magnet for protesters from out of town. A few years ago on the 35th anniversary and soon after the Iraq war began, there were some violent protests that ended in police action that led to some demands that the sheriff step down or be removed. I think he's the same guy who cited a resident for littering last year when he had a "IMPEACH BUSH" sign in his front yard. Kent is a pretty liberal town, so I'm kind of surprised the sheriff is like that, especially considering its past.
Sean-B @ 42:
today i used 147 1-letter words, 342 2-letter words, 76 3-letter words, 87 4-letter words, 16 5-letter words, 76 6-letter words, 3 7-letter words and one 10-letter word.
i feel really awkward telling you this.
Republicans they they can get around the protests by hiring foreign mercenaries to do their dirty work and avoid having to draft Americans. They even have new programs in prisons around the country which allow convicted felons early release if they go straight into the military.
Here's a related video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIyL8ti3SME
Another difference b/w then and now,
Then we had Cronkite, Huntley & Brinkley.
Now we have the cooking channel.
Great, just great. More hand wringing over the students, "institute the draft!" & whining about Jackson State...
The REAL question is.... What are YOU going to do NOW about the Iraq War?
“Naturally the common people don’t want war. But after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country.”
--- Hermann Goering, Hitler’s Reich Marshall, at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II.
How soon we forget. Oops. Gotta go now. I don't want to miss Dancing with the Stars...
Trucker Doug @ 44:
"his response to the 9/11 attacks" - exactly, he's referring to afghanistan...
you know, the original, and only justified, excuse that got this mess started...
...
About a year or so before Kent State happened, our history teacher brought a stack of Time magazines (all the same issue) to class and told us to look at a certain page. It showed an American soldier holding the severed head of a Vietnamese boy. We were all shocked and sickened. The entire class was instantly transformed into antiwar activists. Mr Rodney Hughes, thank you, wherever you are.
Maybe if people could see real war pictures, instead of the sanitized pap we get now, attitudes might change.
Trucker Doug @ 39:
It was about stopping the war and confronting an administration that was ignoring the nation's desire to see it end. At that point in time just about everyone knew someone who had been killed in that god awful mess and the draft was carting kids away like mad.
No matter what happened or who protested that meat grinder went on... if you haven't been to see the wall in DC you should go there.
This a pretty reasonably good account of what happened that day:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings
I recall where I was when I heard of the shootings. I was, by sheer chance, in the office of the then Governor of California, Ronald Reagan. I was hand delivering a paper I published... Zapped. (Some will remember that one) He used to try and "milk" me for left-wing info, just as I was trying for an angle on the fascist regime. It was all of a piece, at that time.
I recall he got the word and he looked at me and said, "Too bad they didn't get more of the bastards." I was 17 but I still regret, to this day, not going over the desk, but then... that's not often how reality plays out.
My mother's response to Kent State was, "Well, they shouldn't have been there."
As if that were an appropriate response for students gunned down walking to class - or even for the two who really were protesting an illegal war.
As for the wing-nuts who still want to claim that death was appropriate because someone was throwing rocks; were the students who died the rock throwers? Was the legal punishment for rock throwing death by firing squad without trail? If not, then what the hell are you talking about? And really, throwing a rock at someone is assault, we have laws, we even had them then. Shooting into a crowd, even with rock throwers in it, is not justice or justified.
What happened at Kent State was murder.
Draft then; no draft now. So, different!
Chickenhawks then; chickenhawks now!! Same as it ever was!
The corporate media loves to show images of people being beat down or shot at protests. Be afraid of your government... be very afraid of your government... they will beat you... or shoot you... if you openly oppose them... now be good little sheep...
roooth @ 75: