Kent State Shootings
Sydney Ganus
Mrs. Dunlop and Dr. Hinch
Junior Exhibition
8 February 2010
Kent State Shootings (Research Paper) Faced with the problem of a violent protest, the Ohio National Guard chose to open fire into the crowd as a solution, but increasing security around the ROTC building and preventing its arson would have been a plausible solution. This event takes place in May of 1970 at Kent, Ohio. Richard Nixon has just been elected president, taking office in 1969. In the midst of the Vietnam War tension is high as many Americans begin to oppose the efforts overseas. The 37th president has just taken office, bringing with him a promise to end the war. In his address on April 30, 1970 he states, “Ten days ago, in my report to the Nation on Vietnam, I announced a decision to withdraw an additional 150,000 Americans from Vietnam over the next year. I said then that I was making that decision despite our concern over increased enemy activity in Laos, in Cambodia, and in South Vietnam.” In this same address he also tells of North Vietnamese troops occupying areas in the neutral country of Cambodia. Because of this, he announces an invasion into Cambodia, later known as the Cambodia Intrusion. After this announcement, protests break out on campuses across the United States. The protests held at Kent State University began May 1st where students gathered at the Commons to give radical speeches of opposition. “A copy of the Constitution was buried, signifying that it had been “murdered” when the President sent troops to Cambodia without the approval of Congress.” (Tompkins and Anderson 9). Later that night, students of Kent State University and residents of Kent gathered in the streets of downtown Kent to continue the protests. Kent Police tried to tame the crowd by shutting down bars in the area, which ended up adding more fuel to the fire. Bottles and rocks started being thrown at authorities, police were then forced to use teargas against the crowd. This
Mrs. Dunlop and Dr. Hinch
Junior Exhibition
8 February 2010
Kent State Shootings (Research Paper) Faced with the problem of a violent protest, the Ohio National Guard chose to open fire into the crowd as a solution, but increasing security around the ROTC building and preventing its arson would have been a plausible solution. This event takes place in May of 1970 at Kent, Ohio. Richard Nixon has just been elected president, taking office in 1969. In the midst of the Vietnam War tension is high as many Americans begin to oppose the efforts overseas. The 37th president has just taken office, bringing with him a promise to end the war. In his address on April 30, 1970 he states, “Ten days ago, in my report to the Nation on Vietnam, I announced a decision to withdraw an additional 150,000 Americans from Vietnam over the next year. I said then that I was making that decision despite our concern over increased enemy activity in Laos, in Cambodia, and in South Vietnam.” In this same address he also tells of North Vietnamese troops occupying areas in the neutral country of Cambodia. Because of this, he announces an invasion into Cambodia, later known as the Cambodia Intrusion. After this announcement, protests break out on campuses across the United States. The protests held at Kent State University began May 1st where students gathered at the Commons to give radical speeches of opposition. “A copy of the Constitution was buried, signifying that it had been “murdered” when the President sent troops to Cambodia without the approval of Congress.” (Tompkins and Anderson 9). Later that night, students of Kent State University and residents of Kent gathered in the streets of downtown Kent to continue the protests. Kent Police tried to tame the crowd by shutting down bars in the area, which ended up adding more fuel to the fire. Bottles and rocks started being thrown at authorities, police were then forced to use teargas against the crowd. This
Cited: Gordon, William A. The Fourth of May: Killings and Coverups at Kent State. Buffalo: Prometheus, 1990. print. "Kent State Shootings, Oral History Project, 1990-2007." Special Collections and Archives. Web. 12 Feb. 2010 Fight Against Tyranny. Web. 12 Feb. 2010. <http://www.infowars.net/articles/may2007/080507Kent_State.htm>. Breach, 1971. Print. The Viet Nam Wars." The Wars for Viet Nam. Web. 12 Feb. 2010. <http://vietnam.vassar.edu/doc15.html>.