Just past was the 55th annual remembrance of the Kent State “massaCRE,” as Arlo Guthrie would pronounce it. May 4, 1970, was when citizens of this country who were upset with the direction the federal government was taking in local and international affairs held protests. Some protests were peaceful and some got out of control.
At Kent State, “tin soldiers” took aim and killed and wounded many students. Students at Kent State had buried a copy of the U.S. Constitution to symbolize that then President Nixon had killed it. A song later about the movement by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young declared “Gotta get down to it.”
Remember that these students were harmed because they were speaking out against government policies. In a court of law, the judge declared, “Such use of force is, and was, deplorable.” And the shooters were, of course, acquitted.
Today, it can be shown that the current administration of America is targeting students, universities, and citizens that are speaking out, for representing the other side, for being on the other team. A top U.S. government official has actually declared that “political activism” is “lunacy.” That is killing the Constitution.
Putting your efforts toward causes that do not align with current government policy can be dangerous. The recent Hands Off rallies across America and around the world were incredible. Will those names, videos, pictures, or groups be a target next? Will my signature put me on the radar?
After Kent State happened, a speech writer for Nixon was quoted as saying, “This can’t be the United States of America. This is not the greatest free democracy in the world. This is a nation at war with itself.” That was the government’s attitude then. How prophetic.
We “Gotta get down to it” and recover the Constitution of the United States.
