My father was a state police in Michigan during the '68 riots in Detroit. The rioters were starting fires to lure in the emergency personnel so their snipers could take them out at a distance. That was a HORRIBLE time for our family, knowing that anyone who responded to an emergency was the primary target for urban terrorists. At that time - the state police, first responders, and national guard were under continuous urban assult and showed unprecidented restraint while being ambushed by assasins.
Having said that, I don't believe the Kent State affair is on the same level as the riots across our major cities in '68 or '69. There were no leftist snipers on the roof tops picking off firemen responding to fires started by the agitators. There were no urban knife fights or gun battles at every inflection point.
There is NO equalivancy whatsoever - in dogma or tactics to the urban riots in the late '60's. The protests at Kent State were impetent, kiddy trantums, compared to the urban riots of the late '60's!
God bless your father. That was a very tough job.
I did not intend to slam our south Carolina state troopers. Lots of find men. However, fitness was not stressed as it is today and most in the ranks were then overweight. Just an observation. They maintained restraint for several days before chasing students back into their safe Haven dorms and beating a few of them. Those students probably deserved it.
I still remember the crazy violent non students I had never seen on campus before and wonder where they came from. They had the same look as some of the OWS riffraft.