Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: George Varnum

Okay, so what happened at Kent State?


2 posted on 12/08/2011 2:50:18 PM PST by SkyDancer ("If You Want To Learn To Love Better, You Should Start With A Friend Who You Hate")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: SkyDancer
Evidently, something so different in character from what the administration has in mind that the need was seen for this questionnaire.
4 posted on 12/08/2011 2:52:36 PM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer

Sharper cultural divide, higher emotions, back then.


6 posted on 12/08/2011 2:55:02 PM PST by G Larry ("I dream of a day when a man is judged by the content of his Character.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer

>> Okay, so what happened at Kent State?

Good question. My opinion: there will *always* be the possibility of isolated events, but I don’t think our current voluntary military has the stomach for widespread military violence against its own.

Over the course of years, that could change I suppose.

Also I have heard it said that if you need to do military “police action” in the Philadelphia ‘hood you handpick southern rednecks for the job, and if you need troops to put down a rural insurrection you choose your inner city ghetto youth, and so forth... leverage local tastes so to speak.


7 posted on 12/08/2011 2:58:04 PM PST by Nervous Tick (Trust in God, but row away from the rocks!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer

Well, according to at least one version, a provocateur shot at the Nat’l Guard first, thereby sparking the entire incident.


9 posted on 12/08/2011 2:59:11 PM PST by Valpal1 (Worst tyranny is to force a man to pay for what he does not want because you think it good for him.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer
I suggest you look up the facts. It was a perfect storm of bad judgment, poor tactical deployment, and poor training.
12 posted on 12/08/2011 3:09:30 PM PST by MCF
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer
For what that's worth how about the Detroit and Watts riots in the 60's and the Rodney King riots?

I would allow anybody under arms to defend themselves if they felt threatened while in the performance of their duties.

There is credible evidence of a gunshot before the fatal volley at Kent State. Personally, if someone was throwing bricks, rocks and molatov cocktails at me and I heard a gunshot, I would probably react in a most agressive manner.

13 posted on 12/08/2011 3:14:03 PM PST by pfflier
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer
Okay, so what happened at Kent State?

That was my first thought...

Mark

18 posted on 12/08/2011 3:27:22 PM PST by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer

Not the same thing.

If my memory serves, the Guardsmen thought they were being fired on.

I am a Army vet.


22 posted on 12/08/2011 3:35:51 PM PST by oneamericanvoice (Support freedom! Support the troops! Surrender is not an option!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer
Okay, so what happened at Kent State?

Untrained troops forced to deal with radical, violent and naive, marxist directed students.............chaos

As in every Marxist movement, deaths of the participants aren't mourned but celebrated since they died for the cause.

25 posted on 12/08/2011 3:41:05 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (Be good, Santa is coming)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer
Okay, so what happened at Kent State?

Reserve units in that era were a comedy. If it were regular Army, it wouldn't have happened.

In the 1960's, regular Army units were practicing riot control. We drilled with several types of formations with fixed bayonets. We were told there were seven levels of escalating use of force. Shooting bullets was the last. If we were sent into the streets, I doubt they would have issue more than four rounds apiece.

This was the era of racial strife and commie war protests. No one ever polled if we would have fired upon Americans. I'm guessing it would have went down the same way as the Army led by Douglas MacArthur broke up the Veterans "Bonus Army" protest in Washington DC. The regular Army is going to obey orders. Count on it.

Bush the First ordered Army and Marines into Los Angeles during the 1992 Rodney King riots. Once the troops arrived the riots stopped. Count on it.

Keep in mind these two uses of US military were not against citizens standing up for basic freedoms. In both cases, the military was used against mobs. Citizens organized to defend basic constitutional freedoms presents a different moral dilemma for our soldiers. What they will choose is a guessing game. What the military leaders would choose too is a guessing game.

32 posted on 12/08/2011 3:52:42 PM PST by LoneRangerMassachusetts (The meek shall not inherit the Earth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer

Oh,the Kent State where National Guard troops were fired at first.
There were/are reports that college activists and radical fired at the guard and the guardsmen fired back in response.
If you ask me, kent State only proved that the NG needed to spend more time at the range.


35 posted on 12/08/2011 4:02:12 PM PST by Yorlik803 (better to die on your feet than live on your knees.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer

See my home page.


40 posted on 12/08/2011 4:16:20 PM PST by Ricebug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer
Kent state was the culmination of riots through out the country at Universities..Prior to Kent, these riots included setting buildings on fire, trashing the inside of building...The Berrigan Brothers (priest) went into recruiting offices and threw blood on all the records, there were political assassinations, JFK , RFK and a Governor and MLK. It was violent times and led mostly by radicals and communists/Marxist...with of course the useful idiots that followed them.....Today it is bad but a cake walk compared to what was going on then....The national guard were for the most part (called out many times) not given bullets Someone finally gave permission to stop these people and riots in any way needed....

The killings at Kent state actually put an end to years of violence...When the useful idiot students were shown that there are repercussions to their lawless takeover of many universities. Since they could get killed, it wasn't so much fun to be a revolutionary

61 posted on 12/08/2011 6:10:51 PM PST by goat granny (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer
Okay, so what happened at Kent State?

A bunch of SDS scum were throwing rocks at armed men. That never ends well.

71 posted on 12/08/2011 7:04:56 PM PST by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer
Okay, so what happened at Kent State?

A bunch of SDS scum were throwing rocks at armed men. That never ends well.

72 posted on 12/08/2011 7:06:17 PM PST by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

To: SkyDancer

The commies shot first? There is pretty good evidence of a provocateur.

I’m dead certain that troops WILL shoot back. They might not start anything, but they WILL finish it, no matter who they’re shooting at.


97 posted on 12/09/2011 12:15:19 PM PST by Little Ray (FOR the best Conservative in the Primary; AGAINST Obama in the General.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson