Four Dead in Ohio: Understanding the Kent State Massacre of May 4th, 1970.
The Kent State Massacre was a tragic event that occurred on May 4th, 1970, on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio. It was a day that began with protests against the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War and ended in bloodshed and violence. The United States' support of South Vietnam and involvement in the Vietnam War had deeply divided the American public since 1965. Many members of the public disagreed with the government’s commitment to preventing the spread of communism in Asia. In particular, the focus of many protests was how the war was being conducted by the US military. Media coverage of the conflict led to huge outrage. Civilian casualties were high, and photographs, such as photojournalist Nick Ut’s ‘Napalm Girl’ (depicting a young Vietnamese girl …show more content…
The idea that American citizens could be fired upon by their own democratic government for peacefully expressing their opinions sent shockwaves through the nation. The Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song ‘Ohio’, which was written in response to the tragedy, became an anthem of protest for students across the country. More than 450 colleges and universities closed temporarily due to the scale of student protests and concerns about potential violence. The media coverage was extensive and varied in its view of the event and the guilt of the guardsmen, who claimed that they were acting in self-defence. In Kent, Ohio, members of the public loudly blamed ““dirty hippies,” “longhairs,” and “outside agitators” for the violence. There was a general sense of dissatisfaction that the guards had only killed four and injured nine of the protestors. Some Kent residents raised four fingers when they passed each other in the street, a silent signal that meant, “At least we got four of
The Kent State Massacre was a tragic event that occurred on May 4th, 1970, on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio. It was a day that began with protests against the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War and ended in bloodshed and violence. The United States' support of South Vietnam and involvement in the Vietnam War had deeply divided the American public since 1965. Many members of the public disagreed with the government’s commitment to preventing the spread of communism in Asia. In particular, the focus of many protests was how the war was being conducted by the US military. Media coverage of the conflict led to huge outrage. Civilian casualties were high, and photographs, such as photojournalist Nick Ut’s ‘Napalm Girl’ (depicting a young Vietnamese girl …show more content…
The idea that American citizens could be fired upon by their own democratic government for peacefully expressing their opinions sent shockwaves through the nation. The Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song ‘Ohio’, which was written in response to the tragedy, became an anthem of protest for students across the country. More than 450 colleges and universities closed temporarily due to the scale of student protests and concerns about potential violence. The media coverage was extensive and varied in its view of the event and the guilt of the guardsmen, who claimed that they were acting in self-defence. In Kent, Ohio, members of the public loudly blamed ““dirty hippies,” “longhairs,” and “outside agitators” for the violence. There was a general sense of dissatisfaction that the guards had only killed four and injured nine of the protestors. Some Kent residents raised four fingers when they passed each other in the street, a silent signal that meant, “At least we got four of