40 years ago today, Kent State University was the battleground in the fight between student activists and police. It was 1970 and Richard Nixon had just announced that instead of ending the Vietnam War, it would be extended to Cambodia.
Students and activists across the nation protested the move, a definite breach of Nixon’s promise to end the war during his race for the presidency. At Kent State, the ROTC building had been burned to the ground 2 days earlier. National Guardsman were called to the scene.
On May 4, 1970, the National Guard fired 63 shots in 13 seconds that killed 4 unarmed students and injured nine. It was a definitive day in American history, and an unprecedented trauma on American soil. Yale historian Jay Winter calls the Kent State shootings “a wound in the nation’s history.” Many wanted to forget that it happened. Even the school was so ashamed that it shortened its name to “Kent,” changed its logo and ended its annual May 4 observances.
The Emmy Award-winning documentary “Kent State: The Day the War Came Home” is the definitive documentary on the event and the true story is fleshed out in-depth. You can purchase the DVD or rent a 30 day stream of the film on IndieFlix. Also, check out the filmmaker’s website for more dialogue on what the events of May 4, 1970 mean to people everywhere.
Tags: kent state university, kent state: the day the war came home
