To Greeneyes:
The Guard didn’t do anything wrong? Of course they did. They recklessly fired on unarmed students who had already dispersed. Two of the students shot were just walking to class.
You are not getting your facts straight, The fire, violence and rioting were on previous days—NOT May 4, 1970.
And the claim that there was a sniper was ludicrous.
Try reading “The Truth About Kent State” by Peter Davies.
I don't really care whether there was a sniper, or bricks or whatever on the day it happened. Once the Guard was called up and had been pelted repeatedly, I wouldn't have blamed them if they had a hair trigger for just looking at them cross eyed.
This sort of behavior on campus or on the street in our cities should not be allowed period. The blame lies in not shutting this crap down the first minute it started.
Besides that, the Guard should not be called out to handle violent situations, unless the authorities want someone killed. They are soldiers, and their business is killing, and we want them to be good at it, so that our guys come home alive and some other SOB dies for their country.
I feel the same way about Vietnam and The war in the Iraq. Don't send our men over there and tie their hands. Let loose the hounds of war, and let them win or keep them home and forget about war.
Sheer stupidity both on the part of the students and the people in charge caused those deaths. Not the Guards fault. They shouldn't have been there in the first place, if they weren't supposed to kill anyone.
Now that's JMHO. You are equally entitled to yours.
End of story. End of discussion.