Why We Remember

Last Updated on Thursday, 31 May 2012 22:23 Written by May 4 Task Force students Wednesday, 24 February 2010 09:52

Why We Remember

Especially among modern students, the Kent State tragedy of May 4, 1970, should be understood and remembered. Younger Americans should understand that our nation has a glorious history of magnificent achievements as well as dark chapters which should never be repeated.

We should all be proud of the tremendous courage of our Founding Fathers and Mothers who opposed the British colonialists, fought and won the American Revolution of 1776 and established the beginning of our democracy.

And when America was torn apart by Civil War, President Lincoln and the US military emerged victorious and eventually slavery ended. Later in the 20th century, our US military successfully defeated the German fascists and Japanese imperialists.

But during the 1960s, America again became deeply divided by two controversial movements demanding sweeping social change which emerged successful but at a such bloody cost:

1) the Civil Rights Movement opposing American government and corporate racism;

2) the Anti-War Movement opposing the US imperialism and war in Vietnam.

Millions of students across America, including many here at Kent State, joined and supported both movements. In particular, Kent State students joined the militant anti-war organization Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and built a strong anti-war movement on the Kent State campus during 1968-1969. When Kent SDS leaders were arrested and jailed, Kent SDS was banned from KSU after April of 1969 but Kent SDS effectively planted the seeds of anti-war rebellion which blossomed at Kent State in May of 1970.

When President Richard Nixon announced he was expanding the Vietnam war into Cambodia on April 30, 1970, KSU students protested vigorously for four days during May1-4 until only bullets could silence their passionate, youthful anti-war voices. Four students were killed and nine other students suffered wounds in a situation which should never occur on any college campus in America or anywhere on Earth.

Immediately after the Kent State massacre, as a cover-up began to be promoted by the Ohio National Guard and by the state and federal governments, over four million students protested across America during only National Student Strike in US history. Nixon was forced to end the US invasion of Cambodia and seriously began to end the war in Vietnam. The voices of students have been heard effectively in the past – and the voices of American students should never become silenced especially during times of crisis.

Students especially should learn the sad lessons of Kent State 1970. Sometimes our government is capable of terrible errors such as the bloody, unsuccessful war in Vietnam which resulted in over 58,000 deaths of American soldiers as well as millions of Asians killed by our tax dollars.

Students should know the proud history of American student activism promoting positive social change including anti-war activism, anti-racism activism, women’s rights activism, environmental activism, gay-rights activism, animal-rights activism, voting rights activism and many other examples of American students seeking to raise our voices to defend truth, justice and freedom.

And when the government commits atrocities against our own citizens at places like Kent State University in Ohio or Jackson State University in Mississippi, or in wars such as Vietnam and Iraq, students should take a stand to promote justice, truth, peace and non-violent conflict resolution.