There's 4 Dead in Ohio
It was 40 year ago today that four students at Ohio's Kent State University were gunned down by the National Guard who fired into a crowd of students who were merely exercising their First Amendment rights.
Chrissie Hynde was there, as were Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerry Casale. All students at Kent State, Chrissie was participating in the protest and Casale was standing near slain student Allison Krause at the time of the massacre.
Chrissie talked about this incident at length in an interview that was part of a 5-hour documentary about the 1970s that I helped produce back in 1995 (and if it doesn't come up in your diligent youtube searches, I can at least recommend some reading about the historical tragedy here, at ohio.com. )
Kent State is but one of the several tragedies that have occurred throughout the course of human events when people seek to raise their voices in protest. Research these: Tlatelolco (La Plaza de las Tres Culturas at Tlatelolco, Mexico City, October 2, 1968), Tiananmen Square (China, June 1989) and you'll find that when you study one, others are referenced.
Perhaps this is a good segue to let you know about the new release by punk rock supergroup Batusis, featuring Dead Boy/Rocket From the Tombs (two of Ohio's finest bands) guitarist Cheetah Chrome and Syl Sylvain of New York Dolls fame with Blackhearts rhythm section Thommy Price and Enzo Penizzotto. If you appreciate the "question authority" position, then you'll love Cheetah's new song "Bury You Alive" that combines a scathing analysis of certain powers that be with some searing rock n roll by the genre's best players.
Find Batusis at Smog Veil Records.
Chrissie Hynde was there, as were Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerry Casale. All students at Kent State, Chrissie was participating in the protest and Casale was standing near slain student Allison Krause at the time of the massacre.
Chrissie talked about this incident at length in an interview that was part of a 5-hour documentary about the 1970s that I helped produce back in 1995 (and if it doesn't come up in your diligent youtube searches, I can at least recommend some reading about the historical tragedy here, at ohio.com. )
Kent State is but one of the several tragedies that have occurred throughout the course of human events when people seek to raise their voices in protest. Research these: Tlatelolco (La Plaza de las Tres Culturas at Tlatelolco, Mexico City, October 2, 1968), Tiananmen Square (China, June 1989) and you'll find that when you study one, others are referenced.
Perhaps this is a good segue to let you know about the new release by punk rock supergroup Batusis, featuring Dead Boy/Rocket From the Tombs (two of Ohio's finest bands) guitarist Cheetah Chrome and Syl Sylvain of New York Dolls fame with Blackhearts rhythm section Thommy Price and Enzo Penizzotto. If you appreciate the "question authority" position, then you'll love Cheetah's new song "Bury You Alive" that combines a scathing analysis of certain powers that be with some searing rock n roll by the genre's best players.
Find Batusis at Smog Veil Records.
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