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Ohio-By CSYN and the Kent U Shootings


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I was just wondering what everyone thought of this song and it's subject matter. Also, if anyone remember the Kent U shootings and it's coverage in the news (which to my knowldge was minimal).If you look at the songfacts for it there's a really interesting first hand account. It just really makes me sick to my stomach, even though it happened over 35 years ago, and if these kind of things were essentially covered up then, I don't even want to imagine what's going on today...

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Also, if anyone remember the Kent U shootings and it's coverage in the news (which to my knowldge was minimal)... and if these kind of things were essentially covered up then, I don't even want to imagine what's going on today...

To the contrary, the shootings were thoroughly covered by the media in the day. This resulted in a nationwide student strike ( I was a junior in college at the time) and increased the level of vocal opposition to the Vietnam War across the board demographically.

At that time, reports with footage from the front lines was a big part of nightly TV news (and war protests were as well).

Today's reporting of what's happened in Iraq is so buttoned-up by comparison.

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It was before my time, but when Jerry Casale told me that story, I literally got chills. Hearing someone who was there tell of this atrocity can really change your worldview and make you realize that we can't accept that our government officials will always do the right thing.

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I was 13 at the time, and I remember it well. It was covered everywhere, newspapers, the television news, the news magazines like Life and Newsweek. I was too young to realize the implications of it at the time. It was one more instance of the the horror that was unfortunately too often seen in the media. It took sometime for the true events of that day and days surrounding it to come to light however, that is correct I believe.

"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,

We're finally on our own.

This summer I hear the drumming,

Four dead in Ohio."

David Crosby has said that Neil Young including and then leaving Nixon's name in the first line of the song was the bravest thing he'd ever seen. Considering the times, I think he's probably right.

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David Crosby has said that Neil Young including and then leaving Nixon's name in the first line of the song was the bravest thing he'd ever seen. Considering the times, I think he's probably right.

Especially since more and more evidence is coming out to show that Nixon was one evil bastard. He even ordered the assassination of two senators that were blocking something he wanted passed, but chickened out at the last minute because he was afraid it would get back to him.

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For people not familiar with the atmosphere of the Vietnam War protest era of the late '60s and early '70s here's wiki's version of the Kent State shootings.

-------------

Look whats happening out in the streets

Got a revolution got to revolution

Hey I'm dancing down the streets

Got a revolution got to revolution...

Hey now its time for you and me

Got a revolution got to revolution

Come on now were marching to the sea

Got a revolution got to revolution...

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What if you knew her

And found her dead on the ground

How can you run when you know?

I think those words are the words that hit people with a two by four. As always it was up to the people to make the changes....were they made or forgotten?

"It's still hard to believe I had to write this song. It's ironic that I capitalized on the death of these American students. Probably the most important lesson ever learned at an American place of learning. David Crosby cried after this take."

from liner notes of the Decade album

Moving stuff here:

http://www.thrasherswheat.org/fot/ohio.htm

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