Kent State eyes $1.4 million walking tour of 1970 shootings, vi...

This is so wrong. I was a student at Virginia Tech during the massacre, so I know what it is like to have fellow students gunned down on your campus. Until the day I graduated, I couldn't even walk past the memorial stones without breaking down into tears, it was too emotional, too painful. I could never condone someone turning Norris Hall into an interactive museum like Kent St. wants to do. While I realize that the circumstances are different, the area where the students were killed should be considered sacred ground. There are better ways to create a shrine and immortalize those students than this.

This is actually pretty interesting on multiple levels. For a long time, the University was doing just about everything it could to distance itself from the incident. There was a period of time when they were pushing very hard to simply be called "Kent" instead of "Kent State". The memorials have grown over the years from simple plaques to a full blown memorial. Now a Visitor's Center?!? Times, they are a-changing. I toured it recently and was somewhat disappointed, if not surprised, by the lack of balance. IMO they really didn't talk enough about the agitating events that raised tensions (burning the ROTC building, attacking firemen, etc.). I think there could/should have been more balance and more presentation of the blame (on all sides) that lead to this very unfortunate incident.

I am for a Memorial or something like that at Kent State. Something that helps people remember what happened there. Not sure about some walking tour.

Nixon and Rhodes wanted a message sent
the anti-war movement ended

A seminal event in history that should be memorialized and this sounds appropriate.

There is a lesson there for all of us. When a riot breaks out, and there are armed police or troops on the scene, it is time to leave...bad things may happen.

who burned the rotc
the truth is there to see
a anti-war riot at kent state in 1970 would've been as likely as one at cedarville
hmmmmm??

why were the guard armed against unarmed students
but were unarmed against the armed teamsters the week before??

hmmmmm???

truth: Maybe it was Bush or Rove. Maybe even Cheney....

William Knox Schroeder (July 20, 1950 – May 4, 1970) was a student at Kent State University, Ohio, when he was killed by Ohio National Guardsmen in the Kent State shootings.

Schroeder was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He moved with his family to Lorain, Ohio when he was in elementary school and graduated from Lorain High School where he was an honors student.[citation needed] Already an Eagle Scout,[1] at age 17 Schroeder applied for the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Scholarship. He received the Academic Achievement award from both the Colorado School of Mines and from Kent State University, where he was a psychology student. He also earned the Association of the United States Army award for excellence in History.

Schroeder was killed with a shot in the back from a single bullet from an M-1 semi-automatic military rifle. According to reports, he was not taking part in the Vietnam War protests that preceded the shootings, but simply walking between classes.[2] His college roommate, Lou Cusella, stated that he believed Schroeder was trying to flee when shot. "Bill was 332 feet away from the nearest National Guardsman, not much of a threat. He was shot with a folder in his hand."[3] Official reports stated that Schroeder was actually 382 feet from the National Guard at the time he was shot, while lying on the ground facing away from the Guardsmen. The bullet entered his left back at the seventh rib, piercing his left lung, and some fragments exited from the top of his left shoulder. He died almost an hour later while in a hospital undergoing surgery. Three other students, all unarmed, were killed in the shootings: Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller and Sandra Scheuer.

Cedarville?? What's that?

Cedarville College is a very conservative Christian College in Ohio.

Some theories about the Kent State Massacre speculate that Kent was chosen for the incident because the National Guard was already deployed in the area for the Teamsters strike. The events of May 1st were 95% drunk college kids enjoying the first warm day of spring and 5% anti-war protesters.

Sprinkle in some inflammatory statements by Jim Rhodes and an extremely curious burning of the ROTC building - which no KSU student was ever proved as being involved with - and it really makes the whole event seem rather fishy.

The "riots" at Kent were nowhere near as violent as the ones at OSU or even OU for that matter.

There will be no question who will be portrayed as the heroes, and whom as the villians.

It was a seminal event, however. It made students realize the anti-war movement was not just an opportunity to cut class and meet women while appearing "progressive".

the truth wrote:

William Knox Schroeder (July 20, 1950 – May 4, 1970) was a student at Kent State University, Ohio, when he was killed by Ohio National Guardsmen in the Kent State shootings.
Schroeder was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He moved with his family to Lorain, Ohio when he was in elementary school and graduated from Lorain High School where he was an honors student.[citation needed] Already an Eagle Scout,[1] at age 17 Schroeder applied for the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Scholarship. He received the Academic Achievement award from both the Colorado School of Mines and from Kent State University, where he was a psychology student. He also earned the Association of the United States Army award for excellence in History.
Schroeder was killed with a shot in the back from a single bullet from an M-1 semi-automatic military rifle. According to reports, he was not taking part in the Vietnam War protests that preceded the shootings, but simply walking between classes.[2] His college roommate, Lou Cusella, stated that he believed Schroeder was trying to flee when shot. "Bill was 332 feet away from the nearest National Guardsman, not much of a threat. He was shot with a folder in his hand."[3] Official reports stated that Schroeder was actually 382 feet from the National Guard at the time he was shot, while lying on the ground facing away from the Guardsmen. The bullet entered his left back at the seventh rib, piercing his left lung, and some fragments exited from the top of his left shoulder. He died almost an hour later while in a hospital undergoing surgery. Three other students, all unarmed, were killed in the shootings: Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller and Sandra Scheuer.

There were not any classes that day and students were told to stay inside. Too bad he, along with others did not listen.

Get real. This was 29 years ago. What idiot has now come up with this idea. Students were told to stay inside and away from the trouble area. Some listened - no problems. Some didn't - too bad.

Kent State, this is not a classey idea. What a shameless ploy at making a few extra bucks.

John - FIRST OF ALL it was 39 years ago (learn to count) and these innocent college kids did not deserve to die because they were stating there opinions!! They were UNarmed and did not attack the police.

Hey John, stay in your house, it's the law. How's that feel 39 years (not 29) later?

1 1/2 MILLION dollars ?????????
It would be better spent on scholorships...

Riots like that today, would be considered terriorist acts...

Rioting is NOT a spectator sport.....If you are there it incites the rioters....If you can see the disturbance, you ARE in danger....

Noboby is ever rioting....Everyone is just innocently "watching"

wonderwhy wrote:

John - FIRST OF ALL it was 39 years ago (learn to count) and these innocent college kids did not deserve to die because they were stating there opinions!! They were UNarmed and did not attack the police.

Stand in a formation while a bunch of college kids throw chunks on concrete block at you, and sling broken plateglass at you like a frisbee....While they try to burn down the campus buildings....

BUT...They are just "expressing" their views...and My God They're "unarmed"

Topper, "If you are there it incites the rioters" So what's that make the National Guard?

67 rounds in 13 seconds
Casualties
Killed (and approximate distance from the National Guard):

Jeffrey Glen Miller 265 ft (81 m) shot through the mouth - killed instantly
Allison Krause 343 ft (105 m) fatal left chest wound
William Knox Schroeder 382 ft (116 m) fatal chest wound
Sandra Lee Scheuer 390 ft (120 m) fatal neck wound

Wounded (and approximate distance from the National Guard):

Joseph Lewis Jr. 71 ft (22 m); hit twice in the right abdomen and left lower leg
John R. Cleary 110 ft (34 m); upper left chest wound
Thomas Mark Grace 225 ft (69 m); struck in left ankle
Alan Canfora 225 ft (69 m); hit in his right wrist
Dean Kahler 300 ft (91 m); back wound fracturing the vertebrae - permanently paralyzed from the chest down
Douglas A. Wrentmore 329 ft (100 m); hit in his right knee
James Dennis Russell 375 ft (114 m); hit in his right thigh from a bullet and in the right forehead by birdshot - both wounds minor {died 2007}
Robert F. Stamps 495 ft (151 m); hit in his right buttock {died June 11, 2008}
Donald Scott MacKenzie 750 ft (230 m); neck wound

John wrote:

Get real. This was 29 years ago. What idiot has now come up with this idea. Students were told to stay inside and away from the trouble area. Some listened - no problems. Some didn't - too bad.

The area was under a state declaration of martial law after the arson of the ROTC building. This country was in a state of civil war. Bombs were being set at the Pentagon.(William Ayers, weather underground ect) The guardsmen fired and THE RIOTS STOPPED. Final score Guard Four .....Students ZERO!