The Kent State shootings, also known as the May 4 massacre or Kent State massacre, occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. Four students were killed and nine others were wounded, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.

Some of the students who were shot had been protesting against the American invasion of Cambodia, which President Richard Nixon announced in a television address on April 30. However, other students who were shot had merely been walking nearby or observing the protest from a distance.

There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of eight million students, and the event further divided the country, at this already socially contentious time, along political lines.

This is a short history of incident which you can find in many related websites. But, I can't accept it as a simple accident. Two years ago, when we were watching "Bowling for Columbine" by Michael Moore, my friend Gregory Watson from New Zealand told me that a similar incident happened in KSU in 70s. I said hey! I know someone there. During these two years, killings of KSU came sometimes to my mind but when I received a letter from Margaret Garmon and read the brochure, I was completely confused. Margaret was a BA student by that time and she was in place as incidents were unfolding. Before knowing Margaret, I thought this shooting was something that was committed by a psycho, and is like what we sometimes read in newspapers about blind shootings. I checked out internet for more information. I wanted to know if students were armed, aggressive, or was there any terrorist threat in the field. I am still obsessed with this question: So why did they kill them?

Shooting to people in riots has a well defined rule. This must be avoided as much as possible. But under special circumstances, first the commander should start to shoot in the air via his colt. Next stage soldiers are supposed to repeat this with command of their commander. Then they should soot to feet of protesters and finally and only when the protesters pose serious threat of death to other people or police, they have right to shoot the regions in which the crowd are organized. I am certain that this was not a simple incident. I served two years in the army so I know well that armed forces are taught to obey orders.  

There is an article by Lewis and Hansley which I have read. I think when guards came back to the "Blanket Hill" they were not in the "Trap" as Lewis and Hensley suppose. So there was no reason for fear. I also cannot accept the argument " . . . rumors that radical revolutionaries were in Kent to destroy the city and the university." Because America has the most effective intelligence services in the world so they certainly knew what exactly is going on at KSU. I think what students did inside the university was something internal and the university has judicial system to manage disorder and punish the guilty. They may sanction or dismiss the involved students, but of course police has no right to invade the university as it is a sacred place. Students all over the world are the only group that does not follow personal interests so their discontents must be respected and regarded as a symptom of a social illness which should be cared. The fact that "some students were going to their classes" shows that situation was not as bad as is depicted.

Another thing that surprised me, was the fact that how this incident was dumbed down by both America and it's enemies. I never heard or read or saw anything about this incident before. This is why I appreciate the first person who gave title of "Martyr" to Allison, Jeffrey, William, and Sandra. They were great people in the age of selfishness.