Community | May 04, 2010 | 88 comments

We Kill Our Own - The 40th Anniversary of the Kent State Massacre

source: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/05/01/we-kill-our-own-%E2%80%93-the-40th-anniversary-of-th...

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thedirtman
Da Nang, Vietnam

May 2, 2010

Chuck Palazzo

We Kill Our Own – The 40th Anniversary of the Kent State Massacre

On May 4, 1970, at Kent State University, in the city of Kent, Ohio, members of the Ohio National Guard fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis. These were unarmed college students who were exercising their constitutional rights to speak their mind, to demonstrate peacefully, and to protest openly against the then recent incursion by US combat forces into Cambodia.

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/05/01/we-kill-our-own-%E2%80%93-the-40th-anniv...
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    Cambodia,  Nixon,  Vietnam War,  Kent State Massacre,  2 more
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88 comments // We Kill Our Own - The 40th Anniversary of the Kent State Massacre

  • artemis6
    • 0
      artemis6  

    • toughth , FACT . The protesters were UNARMED . One guard was injured about 15 minuets before the shooting . A very minor one . Since you know so much about it , why don't you tell ... or would that be too embarrassing that he hurt himself ?

    • 2 years ago
  • Toughth
    • -2
      Toughth  

    • I remember very well the day this happened. My father had just come home from Veit Nam and had been ridiculed, accosted, called a killer. I was watching the NGs Taking a beating from these peacfull protesters by being pelted with bricks, stabed with scerwdrivers, hit with ball bats, and other assaults on their persons for following orders. The NGs did not open fire until a shot from the crowd rang out. If I was in that company I would have been afraid that I would have been hurt, Protesters should be peacable and obey the directions that are lawfull. To protest means to speak out and obey the laws involved. There were people that are maybe inocent there, they should have cleared out when legaly directed.

    • 2 years ago
  • keithponder
  • jane44095
    • +1
      jane44095  
    • keithponder:

      yeah and i read every newspaper i could get my hands on.My cousin fought in the war and my aunt and uncle were so against it,he was a ww2 vet and when my cousin died they both became activists against the war,wondering what their son had fought and died for.Basically heard alot of garbage like this from career soldiers never from the poor guys that were drafted.

    • 2 years ago
  • thedirtman
  • trut
    • 0
      trut  
    • Toughth:

      sure the protesters were shooting at the national guard, nice re-write of history. If some people were calling your dad a baby killer, he should have grown some and quit snivelling to his son like a little bitch.

    • 2 years ago
  • Toughth
    • 0
      Toughth  
    • trut:

      He did not snivle to me. We went to meet him when he arrived back in the states after his tour of duty. Walked into a lobby where a jerk shoved me out of the way to start screaming and spitting at my dad. I was 14 at the time and I was the one that pretty much kicked the daylights out of this jerk for shoving me to do this.
      If any one in my family is a killer it is probably me. In my own military service I searved as an FTB in the navy. If so ordered i would have killed in a wholesale fashion by turning entire areas into a glass parking lot.

    • 2 years ago
  • Toughth
  • Bettie_Movie
    • 0
      Bettie_Movie  
    • Image

    • For the best eye witness accounts of the Kent State shootings by various Kent students and national guardsmen who shot students, check out the Emmy Award winning documentary, "Kent State, The Day the War Cam Home." It was just released on DVD for the 40th anniversary. In its review of the program, The Hollywood Reporter stated, "This extraordinary hour long doc is so good, so well constructed, that it can't help but leave viewers feeling as if they themselves were on the bloody scene of the Kent State carnage..." for more go to kentstatedvd.com

    • 2 years ago
  • EthicalVegan
  • thedirtman
  • EthicalVegan
  • artemis6
  • Sapience
  • JanforGore
  • Sapience
  • zakthezomb13
  • DRudeBoy
    • +3
      DRudeBoy  
    • Sapience:

      Actually, the public outcry against the Vietnam War motivated the US to pull out, otherwise, the war would have continued.

      You also fail to mention the Civil Rights movements...

    • 2 years ago
  • Sapience
  • DRudeBoy
    • +2
      DRudeBoy  
    • Sapience:

      Why else do you think the US pull out? Protests really heated up in 1969, any historian will tell you the protests had a huge impact on foreign policy.

      Because the existence of South Vietnam (the goal of US intervention in Vietnam) would have been ensured with a US military presence.

    • 2 years ago
  • Sapience
  • DRudeBoy
    • +2
      DRudeBoy  
    • Sapience:

      Major pullouts started around 1973.

      Do you expect protests to yield immediate results?

      I have a question, how long did it take for the civil rights movement's demands to be met?

    • 2 years ago
  • Sapience
  • DRudeBoy
  • dariusvons
  • JanforGore
    • +5
      JanforGore  

    • All you need to know is the distance between those shot and killed and the National Guard to know the truth. They wanted blood, and they got it.

    • 2 years ago
  • thedirtman
    • +3
      thedirtman  
    • JanforGore:

      From 300 feet a bullet drops too much to hit a target. If the National Guard had been aiming over their heads they could have hit somebody at that range. This shows they were not even aiming at all - just shooting into the crowd, and apparently, just hoping to hit somebody, anybody.

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
    • +2
      JanforGore  

    • Hmm, people can say in their misrepresentation that the protest was violent, yet nothing of the illegal violent war that killed many of our young people and other innocents that sparked the protests? Amazing. As if people calling for peace deserve to be gunned down in cold blood regardless of politics.

    • 2 years ago
  • thedirtman
    • +1
      thedirtman  
    • JanforGore:

      I hadn't even gone there yet, but ,yes, that's true too. Good call. As if people calling for peace deserve to be gunned down, and what's more, if they were not the ones calling for peace, then they represented those calling for peace and had been in the line of fire, so they deserved to be gunned down as well!

    • 2 years ago
  • thedirtman
    • +2
      thedirtman  

    • Looking over some of the day's comments is painful. Perhaps the cold facts didn't come out clear enough. I thought most of them were in the article, but maybe the article could have covered more. Or, perhaps people are willing to shrug their shoulders at the gunning down of innocent people.

      The protest was over at Kent State. Only two of the four that were gunned down had participated earlier in the protests. The third was simply walking from one class to another. The fourth was an ROTC student. They were shooting into a crowd. Come now please, these protests were rather violent at times? Where did all that violence originate? Tell me how there could be an excuse to open fire to kill these people marching or having sit-ins? Sure, the protests get pretty violent, though. When the Guard is throwing tear gas bombs at unarmed students that is violent. And what about the students that were gunned down in their sleep? Were they also rather violent at times? How do you know?

      And how many killings of innocents does it take to constitute a massacre? Just like the Boston Massacre where four were killed and other injured, it was open fire on unarmed civilians minding their own business. How is it that these lives do not seem to count to some people?

      What does liberal and anti-government have to do with the massacre? I can't imagine why someone passing from one class to another and happens into the line of fire without warning could be classed as a liberal. And what if the person was a liberal? Does that mean their lives have less meaning, and is not valued? How is that connect with American values?

      Then there is this: last I heard it was Muslims that are doing the killing? Well, I do remember some Muslims doing some killing. I also heard hundreds of thousands of Muslims had been killed. How can anyone make responsible comments and decisions when there is such selective hearing, and biased decision-making?

    • 2 years ago
  • Miglue
    • 0
      Miglue  
    • thedirtman:

      the people you are referring to could care less about insignificant things like facts and the suffering of other people. they are only concerned with themselves and their hateful propaganda, as long as the bloodshed isn't at their frond door they take joy in their ignorance.

    • 2 years ago
  • keithponder
  • jane44095
  • keithponder
  • jane44095
  • jane44095
  • keithponder
  • calm_incense
    • 0
      calm_incense  
    • keithponder:

      keithponder: I wonder if you actually think you're being original by complaining about newer generations of music.

      "What is this Neil Young garbage? What bullshit. I'm putting on some Bruckner."

    • 2 years ago
  • calm_incense
  • keithponder
    • +1
      keithponder  
    • calm_incense:

      it was a massacre in terms of how it happened on an American college campus in 1970. Young people don't go to school just to be shot down and murdered by their own National Guard.People in that era had the courage to assemble and peacefully protest, while understanding at the same time that Nixon had ordered the Army, the National Guard, and every other law enforcement official to use deadly force with immunity from prosecution on American people all over this country. Thousands of people were killed for freedoms that they've taken away from us today, all in the "name of justice. We've been dumbed down by mainstream media today. Most of us have traded in our freedom for our security.Those of us that have, deserve neither.

      This will always be remembered as the "Kent State Massacre".

    • 2 years ago
  • thedirtman
  • calm_incense
    • -1
      calm_incense  
    • keithponder:

      A massacre is the killing of a large amount of people.

      Any standard definition will tell you that.

      Four people is not a large amount of people.

      Ergo, this was not a massacre.

      Period.

      Sentimentality cannot replace words' actual definitions.

    • 2 years ago
  • calm_incense
  • jane44095
  • Sapience
  • jane44095
  • jane44095
    • +1
      jane44095  

    • This is such a sad memory for me in my states history.I still to this day blame Gov.Rhodes for sending the guard to a peaceful demonstration,again overreaction by a select few!A republican gov no less who thought kids in college were just there to avoid serving.Still remember my social studies teacher crying as he explained what had happened that day.

    • 2 years ago
  • jane44095
  • brit50
  • keithponder
    • +1
      keithponder  
    • brit50:

      they were never violent until the police or National Guard unnecessarily got involve and tried to force their will upon the students.

      Watergate got Nixon impeached but America held "Court in the Streets" for him for the senseless killings that took place in this country while he was in office.

      How dare you !

    • 2 years ago
  • jane44095
    • 0
      jane44095  
    • brit50:

      I beg to differ,these we're not violent,i went to 2 of them before May4 and they were more respectful of the other students rights and the people of Kent the city than Berkley ever was! I see more violent protests now than i ever did in the 60's and 70's

    • 2 years ago
  • thedirtman
  • GodsnLiberals
  • CaptSutter
    • 0
      CaptSutter  
    • GodsnLiberals:

      Don't put your faith in revolutions son, another one always comes around, that is why they are called revolutions.
      "People like you think there are the 'good people' and the 'bad people'. You are wrong of course there are always the bad people, but some of them are on opposite sides. A great sea of evil, shallow in some places but deeper, oh so much deeper in others."

      I will continue to build my little raft of rules and vaguely good intentions and think this is the opposite, this triumph in the end, It is a vain hope and at the moment Eric Holder and Barack Obama seem to be mostly on my side.

      Obama may not be a "good person" but he has a plan and so far he seems to be on my side,

    • 2 years ago
  • jane44095
    • +3
      jane44095  
    • GodsnLiberals:

      what the hell does this have to do with 4 dead students?Your rants are getting psychotically close to beckish,don't listen to him, so will now pass on all your posts.Don't bother replying i won't read it. You should read the Jim Rhodes philosophy you are dangerously close to sounding like a raving lunatic also and that was 40 yrs ago!Thank You and goodbye!You are now blocked!

    • 2 years ago
  • EmperorThan
    • +3
      EmperorThan  

    • And what pisses me off even more is Christians who kill people. Or any religion that has doctrines SPECIFICALLY AGAINST KILLING PEOPLE. They're such fucking phonies. They say "I'm a Christian" with a smug fucking voice. But they always seem to ignore everything Jesus said about Forgiveness of your transgressors. You don't lead by fear, you lead by example. And if in the process that means you might be killed and you don't want to be THEN FIND ANOTHER RELIGION YOU PUSSY.

      "If I was God I'd laugh at people who worshiped me. Or be very pissed at the ones that killed in my name." -Cara Nicole' *rip*

    • 2 years ago
  • GodsnLiberals
    • -4
      GodsnLiberals  
    • EmperorThan:

      well last i heard its the muslims that are doing the killing..but of course YOUR TOO FUCKING SCARED TO SAY SHIT ABOUT IT..

      your religion is now called athiesm..your religion is based on chasing christians around like dogs waiting for scraps too fall of the table..

      something your dumb ass needs to think about

    • 2 years ago
  • EmperorThan
    • 0
      EmperorThan  
    • GodsnLiberals:

      I'm not afraid of muslims. I think it was two maybe three weeks before the south park episode "200" I posted a picture of muhammad with a bomb for a turban I drew in MS Paint on here and got a lot of downvotes hahaha

      My 'religion' is "none". YOU designate me as an atheist, I simply don't care even enough to reply with an answer. IT MATTERS THAT LITTLE TO ME WHAT I AM.

      And no, I don't 'chase Christians around like dogs waiting for scraps to fall from the table'. I WISH I HAD THE LUXURY. You all make it soooooooooooooooooooooo easy it's not even funny. There are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many of you fucking hypocrites who don't even follow the dogma of your own religion. I point out any hypocrisy including atheist's bullshit.

      I believe it was an article on here about "Atheists Meeting for Easter" I said "Isn't the whole point of Atheism not to congregate? Try again morons" and got a lot of angry replies to my post.

    • 2 years ago
  • EmperorThan
    • 0
      EmperorThan  
    • GodsnLiberals:

      But again. The Muslims book tells them to kill. THEY'RE FOLLOWING WHAT IT'S TELLING THEM. The Christians book is saying to forgive their transgressions. YOU'RE NOT.

      If you want to go over and kill the Muslims, THEN BECOME A MUSLIM for fucks sake. Then you won't be a hypocrite at least.

    • 2 years ago
  • DRudeBoy
  • EmperorThan
  • jiggajigga89
    • 0
      jiggajigga89  
    • EmperorThan:

      people are always referring to Christians as hypocrites, yet it says in the bible that no one is without sin, there is no such thing as a perfect christian, or perfect person for that matter, we all fall short of our own values, that was the whole point of Jesus dieing on the cross so we would be forgiven. And honestly you have no right to judge people for their beliefs when you have non yourself. Im not going to insult anyone for their beliefs, nor am I going to preach mine to anyone who doesn't want to hear it, people have the right to believe what they want without persecution, something our society seems to have forgotten.

    • 2 years ago
  • DRudeBoy
  • EmperorThan
    • +2
      EmperorThan  

    • Guns give too much power to one person. My closest best friend blew her head off last week so I am biased. At first I cursed the makers of the shotgun. But that won't bring her back. She would actually be angry with me if she knew I was cursing inanimate objects...

      I'm going to sound like a smelly hippy (which I'm not) but our society is so obsessed with it's love of war, weapons, and hatred. I think if everyone on Earth got to experience the sheer hurt and trauma from the loss of just one person like I did last week and still am experiencing the world would change. But it's indescribable, man can't learn a feeling that has no words to equivocate it properly...

      These people killed in war, in useless demonstrations like Kent State, they were someone's loved one, someone's best friends, someone's brother or sister or son or daughter... Gone forever. For what? Just gone.

    • 2 years ago
  • trut
  • EmperorThan
    • 0
      EmperorThan  
    • trut:

      She didn't want help... She was stubborn. She wanted to prove to others that even tho she was 96 pounds she was worthy of defending herself. She'd project what she wanted you to see to not get her help. She'd intimidate you into not helping her even.

      I wish she would have reconsidered this time, if only for her son... =(

      At least I got to talk to her on her final day. If I didn't have that I'd probably be dead right now as well.

    • 2 years ago
  • CaptSutter
  • keithponder
  • JanforGore
  • keithponder
    • +4
      keithponder  
    • JanforGore:

      There's more to this story Jan if you remember. The Black students at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi were shot and killed while still in their beds by the National Guard.

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
  • trut
  • animalia_libero
  • trut
  • animalia_libero
  • trut
  • futuregen
    • +2
      futuregen  

    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJqFwCFeosg

      Crosby Stills Nash and Young OHIO

      Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
      We're finally on our own.
      This summer I hear the drumming,
      Four dead in Ohio.

      Gotta get down to it
      Soldiers are cutting us down
      Should have been done long ago.
      What if you knew her
      And found her dead on the ground
      How can you run when you know?

      Gotta get down to it
      Soldiers are cutting us down
      Should have been done long ago.
      What if you knew her
      And found her dead on the ground
      How can you run when you know?

      Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
      We're finally on our own.
      This summer I hear the drumming,
      Four dead in Ohio.

    • 2 years ago
  • JanforGore
    • +2
      JanforGore  
    • futuregen:

      What happened to music like this? To groups that captured the essence of the times so well? I love Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Thanks for this. I was 11 when this happened and that image will always be seered into my memory.

    • 2 years ago
  • CaptSutter
    • 0
      CaptSutter  
    • futuregen:

      A damned good song,

      it gets your blood rolling, but you need more than a song, you need to remember what really happened. Of the people who really remember more than the song, they always told me that leaving Jackson State out was really a disservice, and played into the hands of the powers that be. It was a time when the students were together white, black, coloured everyone. It wasn't just Vietnam it was the generation gap it was trying to live up to the real American dream.

      It was Kent and Jackson State and the two should always be said in the same breath and with great respect.
      And no I am not old enough to have been there, I just am passing the torch.

    • 2 years ago
  • keithponder
  • futuregen
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