If I were unconcerned about National Guardsmen shooting students I wouldn’t have written the post in the first place. When I am comfortable that I have sufficient understanding of the FACTS, I almost always have a very strong opinion on events like this. Based on my current understanding of what took place, I believe the National Guardsmen used unnecessary force (I put most of the blame on the governor for putting these soldiers in this situation to begin with; John is absolutely right about the distinction between soldiers and law enforcement). Perhaps I could have done a little more research before posting, but once in awhile, I like to step back and let the readers draw their own conclusions and write their responses. I’m particularly interested in what people have to say who have spent a lot of time studying this event, who are old enough to remember what happened, and especially interested in hearing from those who were there.

You raised some valid points and your name calling was unnecessary; you didn’t have to go there. But since you did, I have to just say: Joshua, go fuck yourself.

You are an idiot.

None of the shot were armed, none were within 30 meters of the shooters. Two of the dead were walking to class, not even participating in the protest. None of the dead were within 90 meters of the shooters. How dangerous is a thrown rock at 90 meters (almost 100 yards)?

The students behaved badly. But “behaving badly” is not a capital offense.

This would have been much different if the men had been given riot guns and were not carrying M1 rifles that can kill at 1000 yards or more.

This was our government saying that protests against the war would be met with deadly force. Remember that Nixon had just begun bombing Cambodia and the protests were about that decision. Nixon & Kissinger had opened the war deeper into southeast Asia when they had been promising to end it.

It was a tense time in this country & Kent State was not the only place college students were murdered. See Jackson State shootings. A year or so earlier, the Mexican government had machine gunned about 50 students and we thought our goverment was beginning to act like a third world military dictatorship.

I was in 6th grade in suburban Columbus, Ohio; just becoming politically aware, and in the middle of the top political/social news of the day. I remember that my uncle was in one of the guard units that went to Ohio State. My parents took something down to him one evening just after the incident on the Oval, and took me along. I remember that I hid on the floor of the car’s back seat, because I thought something might happen at OSU.

In later years, both my wife and my BFF went to Kent State for school, and both lived in Prentiss Hall. That is the dorm in whose parking lot the shootings took place. I’ve studied the time (the KSU library has an area devoted to the shootings) and I’ve walked the hill and the lots. What I have never done, though, is understand. Some things just happen, in spite of all intentions for a different outcome. This is one of them.

What’s your take on the “Kent State Massacre”? Were the shootings in any way justified in your opinion?