Vol. 4, No. 27
North Carolina School of the Arts
May 12, 1970
Kent, Ohio (AP) - Four students
were shot to death and 11 other per
sons wounded, four seriously, in a
confrontation Monday, May 14, with
Ohio National Guardsmen and police
at Kent State University. A state
official said the shooting started
when a rooftop sniper opened fire
on the guardsmen.
The gunfire broke out as guards
men dispersed an anti-war rally on
the campus. Adj. S.T. Del Corso
said guardsmen were forced to open
fire on their attackers.
"Regretably but unavoidably
several individuals were killed and
a number of others were wounded,"
he said in a statement.
"A lot of people felt their lives
were in danger," said Brig. Gen.
Robert Canterbury, "who was on the
scene,"which, in fact, was the
case and the military man always has
the right to fire if he feels his
life is in danger."
"He has the right to protect
himself."
Del Corso said tear gas was used
several times in attempts to dis
perse the crowd.
"The guard expended its entire
supply of tear gas and when it did
the mob started to move forward to
entice the guardsmen," De. Corso
said. "At the same time, a sniper
opened fire against the guardsmen
from a nearby rooftop. All guardsmen
were hit by rocks and bricks.
On Thursday, April 30, Presi
dent Richard Nixon announced to a
nationwide television and radio
audience that the U.S. was sending
troops into Cambodia for the pur
pose of destroying important North
Vietnamese strongholds. The Presi
dent, speaking in a moment charged
with historical significance,
grimly told Americans that he believed
this most recent escalation would
ultimately bring peace and U.S.
troops out of Viet Nam. The decision
was made entirely by Nixon, as he did
not notify Congress before his
announcement. The attacks began
about an hour before Nixon spoke to
the nation.
The initial raids were exten
sive, penetrating into the sites
just north of the Demilitarized Zone
in North Vietnam. A reported 128
fighter-bombers struck at targets that
had not been authorized in the past
eighteen months.
"Guardsmen facing almost
certain injury and death were forced
to open fire on the attackers."
The university said the four
persons killed - two girls and two
boys - were students.
In a statement to the press.
President Nixon expressed sadness
at the deaths, but reminded that
"when dissent turns to violence it
invites tragedy."
BRAVE NEWWORLD-^
The startling events of the last
two weeks have had a disarraying
affect on most Americans. First, in
a totally unexpected move. President
Nixon ordered U.S. troops into neutral
Cambodia, a North Vietnamese strong
hold, causing more fighting, more
killing, and a sense of utter exhaus
tion with the war here at home. Yet,
Nixon continues to believe that this
action will lead to the eventual
withdrawal of troops from Vietnam
and "a just and honorable peace."
This war is difficult and frus
trating to understand and cope 'with.
It is a war that has dragged on with
painful slowness, sapping Americans
of their patience and energy.
Most want the war ended. However,
friction in the U.S. is caused by
the methods suggested for concluding
the war.
Certainly, at one time or another
we've all wanted to believe (and
probably did) that America's position
in Viet Nam was justifiable, if not
particularly likeable. But the dur
ation of our involvement, the stagger
ing death lists, and the lack of any
real progress toward a halting, have
weakened America's spirit. The U.S.
is in a vulnerable position. We
have held off on any major, large-
scale attack (until Cambodia), the
kind that might end the war. Instead,
we've played a deliberate waiting game,
the result being many dead and
wounded, nearly all weary of war.
But the fighting continues. Now,
an end is unforseeable. If Nixon's
latest escalation move succeeds (and
it well might), he will emerge as the
hero who ended the war (not, of course,
without several more thousands dead).
If it fails and if the North Vietnam
ese continue to re-group and come
back, the task of opposing this war may
well be a life-time occupation for
this generation.
CflfTlBODIR
Keni STflTG U.
It was a dramatic moment for
the president. Looking unusually
haggard and worn, he made it under
stood that the decision was his own.
Stating that he would rather be a
one-term president who did the
job than a two=term "do nothing"
president, Nixon admitted that his
decision would not be popular in
several liberal camps. He promised
the American people that Americans
would pull out of Cambodia as soon
as the threat of a North Vietnamese
take over was quelled.
Critics of the move have in
sisted that it will only draw the
war out longer and extend the geog
raphy of the fighting areas. Nixon
however, ihsisted that the attack
on Cambodia is the only method of
acquiring final and honorable peace.
He warned the North Vietnamese that
the U.S. would no longer tolerate
the disregarding of pacts. He also
served notice on any countries that
might choose to use the attack as a
provocation for further issue-making.
KflRen Dfluis
uuns PRize
Karen Davis, an eighteen-year-old
student of Irwin Freundlich at the
North Carolina School of the Arts,
won first prize of $1,000 in the com
petition for young pianists (under 23fT^
This program is sponsored by the
National Society of Arts and Letters.
Award ceremonies took place at Firenzie
House in Washington, D. C.
She played the Sonata by Alban
Berg, a Sonata by Beethoven, the
Italian Concerto by Bach, a nocturne
of Chopin, and the Fantasy in F Sharp ;
Minor by Mendelssohn.
"I was tremendously surprised
because I know that I did not play
my best—the pressure and excitement
made me quite nervous," Karen said.
Miss Davis, who is graduating
from high school this June, is from
Bethesda, Maryland. She is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Davis,
5904 Plainview Road, Bethesda, Md.
Criticism of the President's
decision has been divided and not
entirely predictable. This latest
move has caused many former "middle-
of-the-road" politicians to express
their disagreement. Many hawks
applauded the move, for it is
(seemingly) what they wanted: a
possible step toward military
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