Posted on 05/03/2010 6:27:24 PM PDT by jazusamo
Previously undisclosed FBI documents suggest that the Kent State antiwar protests were more meticulously planned than originally thought and that one or more gunshots may have been fired at embattled Ohio National Guardsmen before their killings of four students and woundings of at least nine others on that searing day in May 1970.
As the nation marks the 40th anniversary of the Kent State antiwar protests Tuesday, a review of hundreds of previously unpublished investigative reports sheds a new and very different light on the tragic episode.
The upheaval that enveloped the northeastern Ohio campus actually began three days earlier, in downtown Kent. Stirred to action by President Nixon's expansion of U.S. military operations in Cambodia, a roving mob of earnest antiwar activists, hard-core radicals, curious students and others smashed 50 bank and store windows, looted a jewelry store and hurled bricks and bottles at police.
Four officers suffered injuries, and the mayor declared a civil emergency. Only tear gas dispersed the mob.
An exhaustive review later concluded that this unrest on the streets the worst in Kent's history was "not an organized riot or a planned protest."
But the FBI's investigation swiftly uncovered reliable evidence that suggested otherwise. Among the strongest was a pre-dawn conversation never before reported between two unnamed men overheard inside a campus lounge later that night. Their discussion was witnessed by the girlfriend of a Kent State student and conveyed up the FBI chain of command 15 days later.
"We did it," one man exulted, according to the inquiry. "We got the riot started."
The second man expressed disappointment at being excluded from the riot's planning. "Wait until tomorrow night," the leader replied excitedly. "We just got the word. We're going to burn the ROTC building."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
That's certainly the case. All the same, those were tumultous days we lived through, and the hype by the media didn't help matters.
I read a really good article in American Thinker earlier today that I found to be very much in line with my thinking on that time in our history, and how the media and academia, along with the American Left, have all but successfully distorted our history in the minds of far too many of our fellow citizens. The Two Vietnam Wars
“” (Il)liberalism: (delusions) built on legends built on lies.
“” And little Pol Pots waiting to happen. Every damned-to-Hell one of them. “”
I’ll drink to that!
True, now. But they will become so if Obama is allowed to apologize and hand back our victory.
The encouraging thing about this story is that people in the know on the right, who have dutifully followed orders to cover this up for decades, are now fed up enough to leak the truth.
And those who forced our hasty retreat from Indo-China have the blood of two million Cambodians on their hands.
Their deaths *were* in vain, because the communist-stooge Roosevelt sucked off Stalin, allowing the Soviets to penetrate all levels of our government.
Because of that, Truman didn't nuke Stalin in '46.
And MacArthur wasn't allowed to follow up on the Coulter doctrine in Japan, even though in the aftermath of their defeat, they were open to Christianity.
If those two things had gone the other way, the course of history would have been far happier for billions.
"In all our wars with the Dark Tower, treachery has ever been our greatest foe."
NO cheers, unfortunately.
Geraldo killed Kennedy in search of future TV ratings.../sarc>
Cheers!
Geraldo killed Kennedy in search of future TV ratings.../sarc>
Cheers!
Thanks for clearing that up, I've always figured Geraldo was involved. It's been pretty well documented that he was one of the four bums arrested; near the railyard behind the grassy knoll; shortly after the assassination. :o)
Very good article, Guirard tells it like it was. Like you say, the leftists and enemedia distorted the facts both during and after the war. I can still remember Cronkite lying through his teeth on the nightly news!
Totally agree on that. Was the grassy knoll where Geraldo got his nose broken?...Oh, no...that was on stage wasn’t it? :-)
Amazing that a cursory review, much less and exhaustive one, wouldn’t have discovered what seemed as obvious as the noses on their faces to many people - that there were organizers and planners involved.
I guess that I’ve become cynical enough about the left through the years to be suspicious of anything being released now too. The leftist agenda hasn’t changed. They consider themselves closer than ever to achieving their objectives, and with good cause. I wouldn’t put it past them to use the release of this info for their purposes as well.
Leftists have been trying for a while to recreate the volatile atmosphere from those years. They have made futile attempts to stir the Tea Party members. When that didn’t work they made false accusations against them to foster false impressions with the help of a willing nat’l media. Nothing has been very successful, so far.
However, the “illegal immigrant” protests are providing a closer fit to the “peaceful demonstrations” of yesteryear, and more fertile ground to agitate and get the desired results. I doubt there is a lack of paddles stirring that pot.
"The most trusted man in America!"
Well, at least until Dan Rather came along!
It can say that the shots were not fired by students, at least not by the students that wre killed. That no soldier was shot could mean that the shooter was not very proficient, or intended only to initiate gunfire that would bring a lethal response from the confused and inexperienced Nat’l Guardsmen.
“If I recall correctly, there were people present who admitted that they heard shots coming from a direction different from that of the National Guard line.”
You are correct. At the time, this was common knowledge, but I don’t believe anyone was ever prosecuted on the matter. It seems odd that it would be classified since everyone seemed to know about the shots taken towards the guardsmen. Certainly no conspiracy on the part of the authorities in keeping it confidential. Probably has to do with informants identities being kept secret.
I knew about it, as it was broadcast on the news for over a week.
Kennedy was removing the 16,000 advisors, had begun with NSAM 263 12 Oct 63. Johnson represented the Seven Days in May faction.
Johnson wanted his six-trillion-dollar war on humidity; his excuse for preventing victory was the so-terrible wrath of Moscow or Beijing, that World War III which would kill 40 million before the first commercial.
Hence his sanitizing of target lists, his allowance of sanctuary, his refusal to grant the Joint Chiefs permission to bomb Hanoi and mine Haiphong Nov 65 see The Day It Became the Longest War.
John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, et al defunded the South; Nixon resigned 8 Aug 74.
Carter embraced all the dictators; RWR came and cleaned the stable in the manner of Hercules.
Cronkite said we lost Tet--a hundred eighty wrong--did that convince Johnson to announce Mar 68 going back to the ranch.
You see that dramatization of Hal Moore ca Nov 65--imagine if there were no port in Haiphong, no sanctuary, all targets decided by the warriors, not the pols.
Imagine John Kerry the Communist propagandist had met the Heinz widow and stayed home; imagine Ted Chappaquiddick the chum of KGB's Andropov had not got out of his Olds.
At least we have American Thinker to print the truth, and you chaps to link to it.
We will survive the traitor from Kenya and restore the defense structure and strategy.
Rudd said his armbanded Maoists didn't like him talking to us, that they thought we were the police--what these people need is karma: to get the full Tiananmen Strike Hard.
I was there.
No apologies necessary to me! I appreciate the ping.
Kent State is one of the foundational events of the whole 60’s movement that they’ve used as a rally cry ever since.
To think now that not only was more coordinated than previously state but essentially hushed up, really really bugs me on many levels.
bump
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