English professor remembers Kent State

By Irene Thirlwall

Professor James Walton of the English department provided his memories of the nation at war during his college days in Friday’s “Live in the Library” event.

Walton discussed his personal experience of the tragedy at Kent State in Ohio. Today is the 34th anniversary of the event.

“ At the time of the shooting, I was both puzzled and outraged.” Walton said. “I was puzzled because, not being very politically conscious at the time, I could not see how a war as far away as Vietnam could have such dire consequences and actually lead to the death of four students and the wounding of nine other students.”

Walton said he was outraged to think the institution he had attended and had received his degree from would now be remembered for the disaster that occurred there.

On May 4, 1970, students and others in the area rallied together to protest an invasion into Cambodia during the Vietnam War. The National Guard had already been called in because of previous demonstrations and rioting that took place the preceding weekend.

When the Guardsmen tried to disperse the crowd with tear gas, the crowd grew angry, verbally taunted them, threw rocks and hurled tear gas cans back at them.

The Guard then moved the crowd onto a field surrounded by three fences and retreated back to their previous position, where they then turned and begin firing at the crowd for 13 seconds, killing four students and injuring nine.

Following the shooting the campus was closed and did not resume classes until the summer.

“ Looking back at Kent State from this perspective . . . a 2004 perspective, I can see that the tragedy of Kent State forced America to see itself without the blinders,” Walton said. “Jackson State, South Carolina State and other campuses where Latino and minority students were killed by National Guardsmen and state patrolmen would not force this introspection.”

Walton then quoted the words of Eldridge Cleaver.

“ Given the racist nature of America, murder is not really murder unless the victim is white,” he said.

“ All of the victims at Kent State were white and they were killed by National Guardsmen, a contingent of weekend warriors mobilized, ironically, to protect and serve the citizens of our country. Not to end the lives of our best and brightest,” Walton said.