iMedia: Kent State University

In the 1970's Vietnam was still hot and heavy in the jungles. People were upset, and many people tried to protest the war. I guess it is safe to say that you can call these people hippies, because to me, in a way everyone wants to have peace and forget about the turmoil. I personally choose only to take aggressive action when my immediate safety is threatened.

If you go back and take a look at the peace riots at Kent State University, you will find it true that the protestors were not beng violent. Honestly if they are the type of people I think they were, then I would believe them to be hippies as docile as someone like Ghandi. Of course there will always be a certain tension between "The Man" and well yes the hippies. In 1970, the tension seemed to be too much for the authorities to handle and it ended horribly.

No person knows the exact truth about what caused this riot to start, but it is said that students began throwing rocks and other harmful objects at the police officers, who were containing the protestors around the university. The officers then without warning, fired shots into the crowd, killing multiple students.

The picture above shows a female student above a fallen protestor, who was shot and killed in the hail of fire from the police. The sheer look of terror on her face shows me the true emotions of not only the war in Vietnam, but the war we still have at home. The whole Kent State University shooting is really just a huge shock to me because the protestors were not really angry, they just want peace. The worst party is that when they were protesting for peace, they really got a war, and this really saddens me.

I think the Kent State University massacre has not really had the effect it should on our culture today. I hoped that since we now know the horror we can see with all the people protesting whatever the cause, and we definately know what can happen if we let it get too much out of hand, people would maybe realize to let the people do what they want to more freely, because all the unnecessary bloodshed is just flat out uncalled for.

I feel that the American culture needs to relax its 'tense' grip on the American people because by not allowing the citizens to show the true way they feel, this kind of occurance could happen more commonly. No body wants riots. It is most certain that no body wants death. The Kent State massacre is a good way to show how NOT to act, and I feel it should open the eyes of our government for them to realize that "free speech" should really mean: Free Speech.