Actually I am old enough to remember the entire history of protests against the Vietnam war, protests I will note that I did not support at the time. The killings at Kent State and Jackson State didn't stop the protests, but actually intensified them, and perhaps lead to the more dangerous terror attacks and bombings that followed. The killings also galvanized public opinion against the government, and the war, which certainly wasn't helpful.
And the killings at Kent State demonstrated exactly why your suggestion that the "animals" in Ferguson should have been killed with tank fire is thoughtless and incorrect. Of the four students killed at Kent State only two of them had even participated in the protests, the other two were simply going to class. One of them, Mr. Schroeder, was a member of the campus ROTC battalion, and almost certainly a supporter of the very people who shot him. No doubt many of the people in the streets of Ferguson had nothing to do with the looting, and were opposed to it as much as they were opposed to what they believe to be police misconduct in the earlier shooting.
The idea that the government should "fight fire with fire" is nonsensical. That's what the rioter uses as his justification, and that line of thinking should be rejected. Militaristic actions by the government often lead to similar responses by members of the public, responses that we all agree are something we don't want in a civil society.
“responses that we all agree are something we don’t want in a civil society.”
The question is, “Is this still a civil society or is it time to put an end to the riots, looting, stealing, burning and ruining of businesses?” Another question: “Do you consider the rioters, looters, thieves, arsonists to be ‘civil’?”
We all have our opinions. It is my opinion to put a stop to this animal behavior. The time has long past.
In addition, you did not respond to my comment about Neville Chamberlain. Pacification only emboldens the aggressors and I do believe that your solution is ‘pacification’.