Kent State Shooting, May 4, 1970
Now Playing: "Four Dead in Ohio" Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Topic: 35 years ago . . .
I just got back for Kent, Ohio. I tend to the do a pilgrimage to Kent State University every 5 years since 1990, to attend the commemorative ceremonies honoring the 4 students who were killed by the National Guard on May 4, 1970, following protests about the Viet Nam War, its expansion into Cambodia and the subsequent campus occupation by the Guard.

May 4 Task Force

This year, the key note speaker was Bill Schultz, Executive Director of Amnesty International. Bill Schultz is also a Unitarian Universalist Minister and former President of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

He reported that following the shooting, public assembly was banned by the City Council, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation was the only Church in Kent to hold a memorial service for the slain students.

I am not totally sure about this, but I think Reverend Schultz said he was either a ministerial intern or associate minister at the Kent UU Congregation at the time of these events.

There were many fine speakers, and a lot was said about carrying on the mission today, to bring peace and justice to the world. Bill Schultz said that fear leads to folly, but can be averted by the masses, when they seek to empathize and understand those who are oppressed. He cited examples.

I have added Amnesty International to the Social Action blog page, and have added this message as well, since I think it is relevant. There was an anti-war rally following the commemorative ceremony.

Bill Gazitano