Kent State

The war on intellectualism and dissent in this country needs no more demonstrable proof than the killing of four unarmed students at Kent State University in 1970. Two of the murdered students were merely walking to class that day when the National Guard opened fire on assembled students. There had been incidents in the nearby town in the week preceding the governor’s overreaction in calling for riot police.

This book is astonishing in that it records the voices of witnesses to the events of that day. Students, demonstrators, townspeople, and bystanders narrate the events that transpired. Because of the horror of those events, the voices are compelling. It is a complete narrative, giving this reader a more thorough understanding of what happened on that Spring day. The country became fearful of the passionate protests against the Vietnam War. “Outside agitators and communists” were thought to infiltrate peaceful protests in order to incite mayhem. This book shows what irrational fear can lead to in this country. This is a valuable book to read.