Tom Grace, The Shooting at Kent State (1970)

“On May 4, 1970, units of the Ohio National Guard… shot and killed four student protestors and wounded nine others during a demonstration against the U.S. invasion of Cambodia”

This quote written by Tom Grace, a student who was injured during a protest at his school, captures the kind of suspicion and violence that was embedded in the United States during 1970’s. This was an extremely radical time in terms of social disorder and how individuals identified themselves as part of the society. There was a sense of alienation, and Americans were losing trust in the government and the bureaucratic system. Violent outbursts were so widespread during this time that even after students at their campus were shot and killed, the public reaction was that the students were wrong and had no right to protest.

This quote is important because it reflects on a time where students were shot and killed just for the crime of peacefully demonstrating. This incident was an example of the little power that the people had to control what happened in their country, and it was actually the leaders and the government that called the shots. Much of the young generation was against America’s war on Vietnam, yet they were drafted to join the military and could not even protest against it without the fear of getting killed while doing so. Thus, it is not surprising why much of the 1970’s were plagued with feelings of helplessness, alienation and resentment against the bureaucratic system of America.