Today marks the fifty first commemoration of the 1970 massacre at Kent State, where four students were murdered by the National Guard at a peaceful anti-war protest.
I had first learned of the massacre in a book about the 1970s that I had rented from a library as a middle schooler. It shocked me, as did reading of other protests and more subterranean movements of rebellion that came into fruition in reaction to the Vietnam War, and I never forgot about it thanks to the ever-striking image of a young teenager kneeling over the body of Jeffrey Miller. Down the line, I would become more familiar with the event after learning that one of my greatest role models, Jerry Casale of the musical group DEVO, was present at the protest and was forever altered by it; he had been acquaintances with two of the students killed that day. [Last year, coinciding with the event’s fiftieth commemoration, I wrote on my Instagram about the great influence that Jerry’s story had on me; it is a much better read than this post.] It was only then that I became exposed to the true horror of May 4th’s aftermath—misinformation campaigns brainwashed the majority of America into believing that the students were to blame for their deaths while Kent locals flashed each other four finger signs—”at least we got four of them.”
Not much has changed in terms of illegitimate authority silencing the voice of reason and filling the masses with pro-complacency propaganda. To this day, some still consider the protesting students to blame for not being armed, even though it would have been even easier for those in power and the public at large to demonize those students had they been given the ability to fight back, and who knows how many more would have died that day had both sides been exchanging gunfire. (Ah, the irony: the oppressed can only rise above via force, yet that force gets them an even worse beating from their oppressors, who have the power to use the same tactics scot-free.) Even more people continuously bend over backwards to excuse the abuse of power and proliferation of idiocy that has become the status quo. Popularizing and normalizing alternatives remains difficult; not many have the guts to nip the hand that slaps. Some brave souls do, even if mainstream acceptance seems out of reach. Jerry Casale himself, who obviously has much more authority on this subject than I do, has been outspoken against injustice in all forms through his work; see this essential article from last year’s commemoration. Many more also worked to promote the truth about Kent State, such as Alan Canfora, who was shot on that day and passed earlier this year. Others across the planet who were not there, including myself, cling to a similar fire of urgency, militancy, and passion, having never fallen prey to the mainstream’s program.
Not many, but some.
It’s a bit surreal observing the commemoration this year, as I have plans to visit Kent State this summer as a prospective student. Having been aware of the university’s history for a while now, I always wanted to step foot on campus to at least pay my respects; simultaneously, I do find the university appealing as a place of higher learning to attend. I’ll admit, it would be pretty neat to help keep the memory of Kent State alive from Ground Zero.
But no matter where I attend college, I still plan on continuing the legacy of those brave individuals who came before me, even if I know it won’t be easy.
My deepest respects to all of those who keep raising awareness of Kent State and all who continue to fight the good fight.
Tags: college, death, DEVO, history, justice, Kent State, ranting, the future, the past, the real world
[…] be the Kent, Ohio it was years, months, days, seconds ago, despite being probably best known for its undeniable history. Maybe Kent State will fulfill the hopes I’ve set aside for it. Maybe it […]