Post by maddogblues on May 4, 2010 15:22:03 GMT -5
Today marks the day when The U.S. government opened fire on U.S. Citizens in an environment of political dissent. They killed four American Citizens who were walking across the lawn going to school and no one was convicted of the crimes.
When the government does it it is not illegal.
Photographs of the crime. www.may4.org/information/best-kent-state-1970-online-photo-links.html
Four Dead In Ohio. www.famouspictures.org/mag/index.php?title=Kent_State_Shooting
The Guard stayed on the field for about 10 minutes and it was here that several Guardsmen could be seen huddling together as if planning something. The Guard then began marching back the way they came, off the practice football field and back up Blanket Hill.
When they got to the top of the hill 28 of the 77 Guardsmen started firing their rifles and pistols. Investigations after the Kent State Shooting determined that altogether between 61 and 67 shots were fired in a 13 second period. John Filo a senior photojournalism student at Kent was present, with his Nikkormat camera using Tri X film, when they started shooting. Like many students that day John assumed the Guard was using blanks and quickly ran towards the Guard to get pictures while dodging fleeing students running the other way:
When I put the camera back to my eye, I noticed a particular guardsman pointing at me. I said, "I'll get a picture of this," and his rifle went off. And almost simultaneously, as his rifle went off, a halo of dust came off a sculpture next to me, and the bullet lodged in a tree.
I dropped my camera in the realization that it was live ammunition. I don't know what gave me the combination of innocence and stupidity...but I never took cover. I was the only one standing at the hillside. … and turned slowly to my left, what caught my eye on the street was the body of Jeffrey Miller and the volume of blood that was flowing from his body was as if someone tipped over a bucket. I started to flee--run down the hill and stopped myself. "Where are you going?" I said to myself, "This is why you are here!"
And I started to take pictures again. And the picture I made then was of Jeffrey Miller's body lying in the street and people starting to come out of shelter, and then a picture where Mary Vecchio was just entering the frame. I knew I was running out of film. I could see the emotion welling up inside of her. She began to sob. And it culminated in her saying an exclamation. I can't remember what she said exactly … something like, "Oh, my God!"
Investigations would later try to answer the question, why did the National Guard open fire? The Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard told reporters that a sniper had fired on the guards but this claim was proven untrue. The Guard themselves claim that they felt their lives threatened by the protesters yet none of the protesters were close to the Guard. Joseph Lewis the closest verified protester to the Guardsmen and was shot in the abdomen and left lower leg at a distance of about 60 feet. He was shot while standing still and giving a middle finger to the guard. Victims that day and the distance from the Guard line:
Killed
(estimated distance from the National Guard line):
* Allison Krause (343 feet/105 meters)
* Jeffrey Glen Miller (265 feet/81 meters)
* Sandra Lee Scheuer (390 feet/119 meters)
* William Knox Schroeder (382 feet/116 meters)
Wounded
(estimated distance from the National Guard line)
* Thomas Mark Grace (unverified; between 60 and 200 feet/18 and 61 meters)
* Joseph Lewis (71 feet/22 meters)
* John Cleary (110 feet/34 meters)
* Alan Canfora (225 feet/69 meters)
* Dean Kahler (300 feet/91 meters)
* Douglas Wrentmore (329 feet/100 meters)
* James Dennis Russell (375 feet/114 meters)
* Robert Stamps (495 feet/151 meters)
* Donald MacKenzie (750 feet/229 meters)'
John Filo remembers if the Guardsmen cared about what happened after the shooting had stopped:
No. That was evident in that the squad that came over to examine the body of Jeffrey Miller was armed -- six or seven of them. No one even bent down to get a closer look. The sergeant who did not have a rifle rolled the body of Jeffrey Miller over with his boot. That incensed some people. The soldiers regrouped and backed away from the body and away from the crowd of people ... It could have taken 5 minutes. It is hard to calculate time.
Calls for Revenge
The Guardsmen retreated from the top of the hill to rejoin the other National Guard members at the perimeter of the burnt ROTC building. By this time students had again began milling around the commons and what had happened started to sink in. Before the shootings there was some question on how much of a danger the students posed to Guardsmen but after the shooting there was no question with many calling for an all-out assault on the National Guard. 'It's gone too far'
With the students still not dispersed the Guard again approached and warned the faculty present that the students had to disperse immediately. It was then that the late, geology professor and faculty marshal, Professor Glenn Frank made an emotional plea to the students to break-up and leave the area. The speech was recorded by the news director at the student radio station, Bob Carpenter.
I don't care if you've never listened to anybody before in your life. I am begging you right now, if you don't disperse right now, they're going to move in. It will only be a slaughter. Please, listen to me. Jesus Christ, I don't want to be part of this. Listen to me...
--Professor Glenn Frank
The faculty through their pleas were finally able to get the crowd to disperse, Alan Frank the son of Professor Glen was there in the crowd that day, "He absolutely saved my life and hundreds of others," said Frank. Aftermath
University shuts down
This is a commentary by a victim who the government did not kill that day, but was shot by the government.
www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-05-03-kent-state_N.htm
When the government does it it is not illegal.
Photographs of the crime. www.may4.org/information/best-kent-state-1970-online-photo-links.html
Four Dead In Ohio. www.famouspictures.org/mag/index.php?title=Kent_State_Shooting
The Guard stayed on the field for about 10 minutes and it was here that several Guardsmen could be seen huddling together as if planning something. The Guard then began marching back the way they came, off the practice football field and back up Blanket Hill.
When they got to the top of the hill 28 of the 77 Guardsmen started firing their rifles and pistols. Investigations after the Kent State Shooting determined that altogether between 61 and 67 shots were fired in a 13 second period. John Filo a senior photojournalism student at Kent was present, with his Nikkormat camera using Tri X film, when they started shooting. Like many students that day John assumed the Guard was using blanks and quickly ran towards the Guard to get pictures while dodging fleeing students running the other way:
When I put the camera back to my eye, I noticed a particular guardsman pointing at me. I said, "I'll get a picture of this," and his rifle went off. And almost simultaneously, as his rifle went off, a halo of dust came off a sculpture next to me, and the bullet lodged in a tree.
I dropped my camera in the realization that it was live ammunition. I don't know what gave me the combination of innocence and stupidity...but I never took cover. I was the only one standing at the hillside. … and turned slowly to my left, what caught my eye on the street was the body of Jeffrey Miller and the volume of blood that was flowing from his body was as if someone tipped over a bucket. I started to flee--run down the hill and stopped myself. "Where are you going?" I said to myself, "This is why you are here!"
And I started to take pictures again. And the picture I made then was of Jeffrey Miller's body lying in the street and people starting to come out of shelter, and then a picture where Mary Vecchio was just entering the frame. I knew I was running out of film. I could see the emotion welling up inside of her. She began to sob. And it culminated in her saying an exclamation. I can't remember what she said exactly … something like, "Oh, my God!"
Investigations would later try to answer the question, why did the National Guard open fire? The Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard told reporters that a sniper had fired on the guards but this claim was proven untrue. The Guard themselves claim that they felt their lives threatened by the protesters yet none of the protesters were close to the Guard. Joseph Lewis the closest verified protester to the Guardsmen and was shot in the abdomen and left lower leg at a distance of about 60 feet. He was shot while standing still and giving a middle finger to the guard. Victims that day and the distance from the Guard line:
Killed
(estimated distance from the National Guard line):
* Allison Krause (343 feet/105 meters)
* Jeffrey Glen Miller (265 feet/81 meters)
* Sandra Lee Scheuer (390 feet/119 meters)
* William Knox Schroeder (382 feet/116 meters)
Wounded
(estimated distance from the National Guard line)
* Thomas Mark Grace (unverified; between 60 and 200 feet/18 and 61 meters)
* Joseph Lewis (71 feet/22 meters)
* John Cleary (110 feet/34 meters)
* Alan Canfora (225 feet/69 meters)
* Dean Kahler (300 feet/91 meters)
* Douglas Wrentmore (329 feet/100 meters)
* James Dennis Russell (375 feet/114 meters)
* Robert Stamps (495 feet/151 meters)
* Donald MacKenzie (750 feet/229 meters)'
John Filo remembers if the Guardsmen cared about what happened after the shooting had stopped:
No. That was evident in that the squad that came over to examine the body of Jeffrey Miller was armed -- six or seven of them. No one even bent down to get a closer look. The sergeant who did not have a rifle rolled the body of Jeffrey Miller over with his boot. That incensed some people. The soldiers regrouped and backed away from the body and away from the crowd of people ... It could have taken 5 minutes. It is hard to calculate time.
Calls for Revenge
The Guardsmen retreated from the top of the hill to rejoin the other National Guard members at the perimeter of the burnt ROTC building. By this time students had again began milling around the commons and what had happened started to sink in. Before the shootings there was some question on how much of a danger the students posed to Guardsmen but after the shooting there was no question with many calling for an all-out assault on the National Guard. 'It's gone too far'
With the students still not dispersed the Guard again approached and warned the faculty present that the students had to disperse immediately. It was then that the late, geology professor and faculty marshal, Professor Glenn Frank made an emotional plea to the students to break-up and leave the area. The speech was recorded by the news director at the student radio station, Bob Carpenter.
I don't care if you've never listened to anybody before in your life. I am begging you right now, if you don't disperse right now, they're going to move in. It will only be a slaughter. Please, listen to me. Jesus Christ, I don't want to be part of this. Listen to me...
--Professor Glenn Frank
The faculty through their pleas were finally able to get the crowd to disperse, Alan Frank the son of Professor Glen was there in the crowd that day, "He absolutely saved my life and hundreds of others," said Frank. Aftermath
University shuts down
This is a commentary by a victim who the government did not kill that day, but was shot by the government.
www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-05-03-kent-state_N.htm