I grew up in the middle of the anti-Vietnam and then anti-nuke protests with parents who were deeply involved in the peace movement. It's easy for me to take that for granted and not realize that most other people have a very different perspective on public protest, largely less perspective on the inner workings, strategies, and even just that there are often conflicting views within groups protesting the same thing. Largely the point of protest is public awareness - which is amplified by the press, especially when police are involved. My father recently sent me a recommendation of a book a friend of his wrote on his experience with Vietnam era protests and more. I also chose when I was 18 to commit a felony as protest and not register with Selective Service. While I did make it into the local and national news for the choice, I never chose to make it an ongoing issue and thus it only comes up occasionally. I haven't followed the student protests closely but I do hope the organizers are learning from history, as has been tradition repeatedly through time. The Vietnam peace movement was certainly informed by the civil rights movement, which was heavily influenced by the Ghandi's Indian independence movement, to mention but a very few... https://www.tworiversbooks.com/search/Felon%20for%20Peace
A, I just love this: "silently/invisibly/ineffectively?" Of course, they want no protest. When you were in Kent, was the 1970 killings something people brought up often? Interestingly, I'd never heard of this PSU protest until that funny breakfast with my dad. But of course no one was killed! Still... 4,000 people mobilizing overnight at that time seems amazing to me. I'm picturing everyone knocking on each other's doors, abandoning their plans, jumping in each other's cars!
Awesome, Lola! Thank you for your history lesson! The similarities are so blatant. And some differences in that there were not camps then. Money was not so much the focus back then, though it should have been. Following the money is getting more and more sophisticated, and I am so glad. If we are to learn from these times, women and mothers will lead the way again. It is what Mothers' Day is all about!
Great writing and thinking on your part. I will be passing this on!
I grew up in the middle of the anti-Vietnam and then anti-nuke protests with parents who were deeply involved in the peace movement. It's easy for me to take that for granted and not realize that most other people have a very different perspective on public protest, largely less perspective on the inner workings, strategies, and even just that there are often conflicting views within groups protesting the same thing. Largely the point of protest is public awareness - which is amplified by the press, especially when police are involved. My father recently sent me a recommendation of a book a friend of his wrote on his experience with Vietnam era protests and more. I also chose when I was 18 to commit a felony as protest and not register with Selective Service. While I did make it into the local and national news for the choice, I never chose to make it an ongoing issue and thus it only comes up occasionally. I haven't followed the student protests closely but I do hope the organizers are learning from history, as has been tradition repeatedly through time. The Vietnam peace movement was certainly informed by the civil rights movement, which was heavily influenced by the Ghandi's Indian independence movement, to mention but a very few... https://www.tworiversbooks.com/search/Felon%20for%20Peace
Thanks for unearthing these great photos. As someone who went to high school in Kent Ohio I've been thinking about these parallels a lot recently.
I also often wonder what critics think would be the "right way" to deliver a protest message: silently/invisibly/ineffectively?
A, I just love this: "silently/invisibly/ineffectively?" Of course, they want no protest. When you were in Kent, was the 1970 killings something people brought up often? Interestingly, I'd never heard of this PSU protest until that funny breakfast with my dad. But of course no one was killed! Still... 4,000 people mobilizing overnight at that time seems amazing to me. I'm picturing everyone knocking on each other's doors, abandoning their plans, jumping in each other's cars!
May 4 was and is def an integral part of the character of the town of Kent. That was immediately apparent when I moved there.
But no, I hadn't heard of the PSU protests either!
Awesome, Lola! Thank you for your history lesson! The similarities are so blatant. And some differences in that there were not camps then. Money was not so much the focus back then, though it should have been. Following the money is getting more and more sophisticated, and I am so glad. If we are to learn from these times, women and mothers will lead the way again. It is what Mothers' Day is all about!
Great writing and thinking on your part. I will be passing this on!
John Brown