This is a few days early, but here are my thoughts on the events at Kent State University, Ohio on a Sunday 50 years ago.
The Kent State shootings were entirely justified. I’ve interviewed several people who stood on all sides that day, and that’s the one thing they agree on.
The Kent State shootings were entirely justified. I’ve interviewed several people who stood on all sides that day, and that’s the one thing they agree on.
The setting: The Leftists had been rioting for three days (since Thursday). They announced the Saturday afternoon that they were going to go burn down the ROTC building. And then the next day they were going to go burn down the munitions plant east of town. Where quite a few of the ROTC cadets’ parents worked.
“That night (Friday), in downtown Kent, there were reports of violent clashes between students and local police. Police alleged that their cars were hit with bottles, and that students stopped traffic and lit bonfires in the streets.
Reinforcements were called in from neighboring communities, and Kent Mayor Leroy Satrom declared a state of emergency…” https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/kent-state-shooting
The morning of Sunday (day 4 of rioting), the ROTC cadets (who were most of the local National Guardsmen), formed up and drew arms and ammunition to protect their campus, their parents, their town, and their nation from Leftist traitors who had been rioting, burning and looting for three days. They ultimately failed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN4i7THVh90
The cadets held a line, until the traitors started pelting them with rocks and bottles. Then the cadet commander stupidly backed them up against a fence, from where they could no longer retreat. The assault with rocks, bottles, and garbage continued. And then someone opened fire with a pistol. Everyone involved agrees that this happened. Please note that the cadets were all, every one of them, armed with rifles, and that there was not a single pistol among them. (Pistol and rifle fire sound distinctly different.)
The cadet guardsmen opened fire to defend themselves, as any sane person would. Most fired into the ground or into the air. Thus, they were accused of “firing indiscriminately”.
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