 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2003 NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS from alancanfora.com ~ ~ ~ ~
Valerie Manning (Kahler), deceased
Condolences may be sent to: John Schmidt 1229 Treehaven Lane Columbus, OH 43204 **** Here's a brief obituary from the Athens Messenger newspaper (note CELEBRATION OF VAL'S LIFE on July 12): Valerie Jo Manning Died: Monday, June 30, 2003 Age: 50 COLUMBUS — Valerie Jo Manning, 50, of Columbus, died Monday, June 30, 2003, at Kobacker House, Columbus. She is survived by her husband, John Phillip Schmidt. A celebration of life gathering will be held July 12 at 2 p.m. at the family farm of John and Fern Beathard, 7320 Big Plain-Circleville Road, London. Arrangements are by Schoedinger Northwest Chapel, Columbus. / Alan Canfora 2003/Ohio bicentennial controversy
KENT-RAVENNA RECORD-COURIER newspaper Canfora: Ceremony wastes money Clarifies reason for dropping out of bell ringing By Mike Sever Record-Courier staff writer Alan Canfora said Tuesday his primary reason for stepping down from being part of the Ohio Bicentennial bell ringing ceremony at the Portage County-Randolph Fair was because the event is a waste of money. Canfora had agreed to be among the first to ring Portage County’s bicentennial bell, which will be cast next week at the fair, but was asked Monday by the Ohio Bicentennial Commission not to participate in the Aug. 23 event because he is not a county resident. He lives in Barberton. “I pointed out that I agreed to stand aside concerning the bell ringing. But at the same time, I wanted to clarify my primary reason for standing aside,” he said Tuesday. “In good conscience, I could not participate because each bell ringing ceremony wastes over $25,000 and the entire bell ringing strategy in all 88 counties wastes over $2 million, and $36 million overall for the entire bicentennial program. That’s the main reason I chose to stand aside.” Asked whether he will attend any of the Bicentennial Commission’s bell-related events, Canfora said “I’m keeping my options open.” Canfora said he became aware of the bicentennial’s cost at a May 15 rally at the Ohio Statehouse where students and teachers were protesting cuts in the state budgets for education. Canfora said he didn’t research to cost of the bicentennial events until last week’s controversy erupted over his role in the Portage County ceremony. Canfora was one of nine students wounded during an anti-war protest at Kent State University on May 4, 1970. Four other students died. *********************************** AKRON BEACON JOURNAL http://ohio.com/ Posted on Thu, Aug. 14, 2003 Canfora won't ring county bell 1970 KSU war protester withdraws from Portage bicentennial ceremony By Carl Chancellor Beacon Journal staff writer Former Kent State University student Alan Canfora won't be ringing a Bicentennial Bell at the Portage County-Randolph Fair. Canfora, the former student activist who was shot by Ohio National Guardsmen during the historic May 4, 1970, anti-war demonstration that resulted in the deaths of four other students, decided earlier this week not to accept an invitation to participate in the Aug. 23 ringing of the Ohio Bicentennial bell at the county fair. When word circulated that Canfora had been invited to ring the Portage County Bicentennial Bell, at least two veterans groups informed the fair board that they would not take part in the celebration -- meant to commemorate Ohio's 200th birthday. ``I got a call Monday from someone on the Bicentennial Commission and agreed to withdraw,'' said Canfora. He said the caller for the commission explained that because Canfora, who is head of the Barberton Democratic Party, wasn't a Portage County resident, perhaps it wouldn't be quite proper for him to participate in the bell-ringing celebration. Canfora was initially asked to participate in June. That invitation -- unlike the call Monday -- came as a surprise. ``The invitation came out of the blue by e-mail. They wanted me to one of the first bell ringers... I was honored,'' Canfora said. According to the e-mail invitation, one of the goals of the bicentennial celebration events is to create ``opportunities for individual communities in Ohio to celebrate their own history.'' Canfora said he initially saw the bell-ringing ceremony as a way to pay tribute to the historical significance of the Kent State tragedy. Then the controversy started, said Canfora, ``whipped up'' by a Portage County newspaper. A person answering calls at the Portage County fair's office Wednesday said that Charles Breiding, fair board president, wanted all calls concerning the bell-ringing ceremony directed to the Bicentennial Commission in Columbus. ``A handful of people were upset,'' said Fred Stratmann, communication director of the Bicentennial Commission. He said his office received a few calls from individuals complaining about Canfora's participation. Stratmann said the commission decided to rescind the invitation to Canfora because Canfora wasn't a resident of Portage County. He downplayed Canfora's past as the reason for the commission's change of direction and said that Canfora and the commission ``mutually agreed'' that Canfora withdraw. ``We regret having made a mistake (about residency). Hopefully our error won't stop people from attending this significant event,'' Stratmann said. The Bicentennial Commission is casting 88 commemorative bells, one for each of Ohio's counties. The bells are meant to highlight the state's manufacturing and industrial roots. Each bell, made from 500 pounds of bronze ingots, is being cast in each county. Portage's bell will be cast at the fair on Aug. 22 and then removed from its mold, polished and rung on Aug. 23. Although originally honored by the commission invitation, Canfora said that after he researched the Bicentennial Bell celebration, he has no regrets about not participating. ``It's such a waste of taxpayer money,'' said Canfora, noting that each bell costs about $25,000. Canfora complained that at a time when ``education funding has been slashed'' and health care funds reduced, the ``Republican Governor Bob Taft wastes millions'' to celebrate Ohio's birthday. The Portage County-Randolph Fair, to be held at 4215 Fairground Road in Randolph, runs from Aug. 19 through Aug. 24. Carl Chancellor can be reached at 330-996-3725 or cchancellor@thebeaconjournal.com *********************************** NEWS RELEASE: August 11, 2003 Alan Canfora has agreed to withdraw from the controversial Portage County Fair's bicentennial bell ceremony on August 23, 2003. A mutual agreement was achieved between Alan Canfora and a representative of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission this morning. Canfora was originally invited by the Ohio Bicentennial Commission on June 26, 2003. Canfora researched the Ohio bicentennial campaign and decided against participating in events which are basically a tremendous waste of Ohio taxpayers' funds. The Ohio Bicentennial Commission has been allocated $36 million dollars including over $2,250,000 for bicentennial bells in all 88 counties. At a cost of over $25,000 per bell, Canfora decided he could not in good conscience participate in the Portage County event. Although originally honored to be selected as a bell-ringing participant, Canfora's own research concluded that the entire bicentennial celebration was a great waste of Ohio funds. Especially during hard economic times aggravated by Republican mismanagement and tax increases in Columbus, the waste of $36 million causes direct harm to Ohio citizens. Education funding has been slashed, health care funds are reduced and Republican Governor Bob Taft wastes millions of dollars to celebrate Ohio's birthday. The Ohio Historical Society (OHS) budget has been reduced by 16.5% since 2001. Since 2002, 69 staff positions have been cut at the OHS. During 2003, OHS receives $2.4 million less than originally allocated in 2001. Meanwhile, the Ohio Bicentennial Commission stumbles and fumbles away millions of dollars and brings avoidable controversy upon the Kent State community. Clearly, the state of Ohio cares little about legitimate education and recognition of history. Meanwhile, the feel-good bicentennial celebration wastes millions. Canfora regrets this lost opportunity to pay tribute to the historical significance of the May 4, 1970, Kent State tragedy but other opportunities remain elsewhere. Canfora expects publication of his 1967-1970 memoir soon and the creation of a major Hollywood film in the near future. Alan Canfora also remains active as the director the Kent May 4 Center and chairperson of the Barberton Democratic Party. *********************** *** original email invitation to Alan Canfora from Ohio Bicentennial Commission: Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 14:20:53 -0400 To: alan@alancanfora.com Subject: Proposal Mr. Canfora, My name is Allyson Rey and I work for the Ohio Bicentennial Commission in Columbus, Ohio. Our objective is to commemmorate, educate and celebrate our state in honor of the 200th birthday of Ohio, which is taking place this year. One of the most important facets of our celebration is creating opportunities for individual communities in Ohio to celebrate their own history. One way in which we do this is by traveling to each of the 88 counties in Ohio with a mobile bell foundry, and having that county participate in creating a bell that will be theirs for centuries to come. Local children and adults alike are invited to come to the bell-making site, where we present four different programs showcasing the different elements of the bell-making (history-making) process. To date, we have completed 58 of these bell castings with great success. One of the 30 remaining bell castings on our schedule is in Portage County. I am writing to invite you and other victims of the May 4 shootings to participate in the Portage County event. Specifically, I would like to propose that you be the very first person to ring the Portage County Bell once it is completed. (This honor is given to a person in each county who has contributed greatly to their county's history.) The program during which the bell is rung for the first time is a solemn one that focuses on honoring the legacy of veterans of the county and the country. This event will take place August 23, 2003 at 5 p.m. at the Portage County Fairgrounds. (I realize the bell-casting events may be difficult to visualize in a brief explanation like the one I have offered. If you are interested to learn more about the castings and what you would be doing, please visit our website at www.ohio200.com. There is a section titled "Bell Project" that has photos and explanations of the process.) I appreciate your time and hope to hear from you. Allyson Rey Government & Public Relations Coordinator Ohio Bicentennial Commission ********************** EMAIL MESSAGE TO ALAN FROM A VIETNAM VETERAN August 10, 2003 I just finished reading the article about the bell ringing in the "Retched -Courier". First of all, I commend you for your courage in standing up to the ages old "blinder mentality" of Portage (the land that time forgot) County, Ohio. I was born there and grew up there, so I know what I'm talking about. Please allow me to give you a little background on myself that might help to clarify the position from which I make my comments. I served three years in the U.S. Army from 3/66 to 3/69, the last eleven months of which were spent in Viet Nam. I enrolled at Kent State U. in September 69. I was 22 years old. When that week in May came, a good friend of mine (a fellow army veteran) called me on the 4th to tell me what had happened, this terrible thing. Just over a year before, I had been in a place where one gets plenty of exposure to such terrible things. It's one thing to have to deal with it as a soldier in a far off land, quite a different thing when it happens in your own house. As a young soldier, I thought that my military service to my country was for the purpose of protecting and defending the liberties that all Americans are supposed to be guarenteed. The young Americans attending Kent State on May4, 1970 did not have their rights defended. In fact, they had them stripped from them with gunfire by their neighbors who were sworn to protect their rights. I felt that way then and I feel that way now. The truly sad thing is that the attitudes that are being leveled at you are a microcosm of the attitude of much of the nation today, I think. I wish it weren't so. Many Americans want life to be easy so they do as they're told and take whatever crumbs they're given and live with it. Their pride will never allow them to think, even for a moment, that that is not the "right thing" to do. And they will try to destroy anyone who threatens their delusion. They're quick to wrap themselves in the flag and attack the dissenter with dreaded slogans like "My country, right or wrong" or "America, love it or leave it". Simple answers for simple minds. The pride of the slave. Well, the main reason I'm writing to you today is to let you know that there is at least one American citizen, one former Kent State student, one Viet Nam veteran who does not believe that the Nation will collapse if Alan Canfora rings a bell. Anyway, I wish you all the best in your efforts against "The Dark Side" of the "Force" ( or is that "Farce") of Portage. May the Force be with you. Michael / Alan Canfora Radio/TV May 5, 2003 online Alan Canfora was interviewed twice on May 5, 2003 for national radio and international TV by Pacifica Radio and Amy Goodman of DEMOCRACY NOW! Check out both Alan Canfora interviews on the internet now by streaming RealAudio at: http://webactive.com/pacifica/peacewatch/peace20030505.html http://www.webactive.com/pacifica/demnow/dn20030505.html Thanks very much to Amy Goodman at DEMOCRACY NOW and also the folks at Pacifica Radio in Washington, DC, too! These broadcasts were heard on Pacifica Radio stations across America and on DEMOCRACY NOW international TV at Free Speech TV (FSTV) on Dish-TV satellite network. / Kent State May 4, 2003 NEWS UPDATES
UPDATE: May 10, 2003: CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER article reprinted below re: May 4, 2003 ARRESTS **** NOTE: local news articles are copied here below re: May 3-4, 2003, at KSU, the commemoration, anti-war rally/march/arrests, etc. **** NOTICE: complete text of selected speeches May 3-4, 2003, are added here -- including comments by Joe Cullum and Phil Arway -- at BOTTOM below. *Chic Canfora's oration words coming here ASAP* **** for May 4, 2003, photos, comments, etc., see http://cleveland.indymedia.org/ Also, see DAILY KENT STATER free online newspaper: http://stater.kent.edu/ **** The 33rd annual May 3-4 commemoration of the Kent State massacre was very memorable this year. All hail the students of the May 4 Task Force at KSU for their continued dedication to truth and justice at Kent State! For the first time ever, the Presidents of Jackson State and Kent State University addressed the annual commemoration at KSU on May 4, 2003, outdoors on the KSU Commons. Other excellent speakers included Ms. Kerry Kennedy-Cuomo, the daughter of Robert Kennedy. Kennedy passionately spoke out against the cruel political and economic policies of "president" Bush. Outspoken anti-war leader Jello Biafra eloquently inspired continued student activism and awareness of the importance of learning the historical lessons of Vietnam war and the Kent State massacre. Chic Canfora delivered a sharp criticism of conservative attacks upon American rights and freedoms. Current KSU students also paid a dear tribute to their fallen fellow-students. A separate event -- a militant anti-war rally and march -- followed the annual May 4 Task Force students' commemoration event. The attempted march in the streets of Kent was attacked by police while downtown Kent traffic was disrupted for hours. 12 anti-war protesters were arrested by hundreds of police from Kent and neighboring communities. Highway Patrol helicopters roared in the sunny, blue Kent skies overhead. Strange days, on May 4 in Kent, Ohio. Indeed. For local news coverage, see BELOW: ______________________________________ DAILY KENT STATER 5/5/03 Speakers reflect, encourage change Leana Donofrio and Matthew Schomer Phil Arway told a crowd gathered for the yearly May 4 commemoration yesterday he tried to understand what it would have been like for Bill Schroeder to serve his country and then be gunned down by Ohio National Guard troops. Arway was part of the commemoration of the death of four Kent State students May 4, 1970 during an anti-war protest. Arway said today's students need to understand the lies told to them by their government and said May 4 serves as a reminder of these lies. "We must never forget that government troops murdered their own citizens," he said. Schroeder was in ROTC and was shot in the back as he walked to class. "We will not let his memory fade," said Arway, a 56-year old teacher from London, Ohio. Former Undergraduate Student Senator Seth Kujat spoke on behalf of Jeffrey Miller. Miller was an active participant in the anti-war protest on May 4. "I'm not a hippie. I'm not a radical. I am a student, and I am honored to be able to commemorate Jeff," Kujat said. Kujat said May 4 and Miller's death are about freedom. He said May 4 shows that "no member of our community will ever be knocked down and left behind." Billie Cambell was friends with Allison Krause. Krause was also part of the May 4 protest, and, like the other three students, was shot and killed in the Prentice Hall parking lot. "There are people who have said we were all just trouble makers and deserved to be shot," Cambell said. "I hope this campus always serves to remind us that that was a lie." Cambell said Krause was an honors students who did not want to see more people die in Vietnam. Kellee Disbro, a junior theater major, spoke on behalf of Sandy Scheuer. Scheuer was in the same sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, that Disbro is in now. Scheuer was not part of the anti-war protest on May 4. "She was the victim of a confused National Guardsmen rifle," Disbro said, choking back tears. Disbro said her father, who was a friend of Scheuer, said "There wasn't anything Sandy wouldn't do for you." The commemoration of the four dead also served as a platform to discuss current political issues. Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, founder for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, critiqued U.S. foreign and domestic policies. "Are we more secure now than before Sept. 11?" Cuomo asked. "The resounding answer is no." Cuomo claimed the U.S. use of preventive attacks could allow countries such as India, Syria and North Korea, to justify attacks on other non-aggressive nations. She also criticized U.S. domestic policy, noting racial profiling and discrimination against Arab Americans after the Sept. 11 attacks. Chic Canfora, sister of Alan Canfora, a student injured on May 4, 1970, compared Operation Iraqi Freedom to the Vietnam War. Canfora said the control of news media by corporations like General Electric, which she said has close ties to the Bush administration, allows hiding of facts from U.S. civilians. "The watchdog must now be the people," Canfora said. "Together we must demand the truth, share the truth and act on the truth." Jello Biafra, former lead vocalist for punk rock band Dead Kennedy's, said he was against Operation Iraqi Freedom, but that he was still patriotic. "Patriotism does not mean giving blind loyalty and a blank check to George W. Bush," Biafra said. He also denied the concept that "the only way to support our troops is to support the president who put them in danger in the first place." Biafra also agreed with Canfora's stance that the people should become a watchdog for the news media. "Don't hate the media," Biafra said. "Become the media." Ronald Mason, Jr., president of Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., where a similar shooting happened 10 days after the Kent State shootings, said people's actions can either "do God's will or tear it apart." Mason said the "Enrons of the world" work to tear God's will apart. "It will even turn on its own children if it has to," Mason said. To do God's will, Mason said, people must put forth an effort and be willing to change. "If you do what you've always done, you will get what you've always got," Mason said. "Yesterday is a memory, and tomorrow is a vision. If we fight for the kingdom of God today, that will make yesterday a memory of happiness, and tomorrow a vision of hope." E-mail: ldonofri@kent.edu and mschomer@kent.edu *********************************************** *********************************************************** AKRON BEACON JOURNAL -- May 5, 2003 Kent State remembers slain students May 4 tragedy recalled Hundreds show up, pay tribute to those killed in 1970 protest By Karalee Miller Beacon Journal staff writer For more than three decades, May 4 has been reserved in the hearts and minds of many as a day of reflection, remembrance and learning. The tradition continued Sunday as hundreds of people gathered on the Kent State University Commons to remember those killed on the campus in the 1970 shootings. Four students -- Sandra Scheuer, Alli son Krause, Jeffrey Miller and William Schroeder -- were killed and nine others were wounded when Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire during a protest of the Vietnam War. The commemoration ceremony began as it has for the past 32 years -- with the ringing of the Victory Bell at 12:24 p.m. The bell is rung each year to honor the victims at Kent State and Jackson State University, where two young men were shot and killed May 14, 1970, after more than 70 law-enforcement agents fired 250 rounds into a crowd of protesters. ``Our universities have shared the same page in history,'' said Kent State President Carol Cartwright, who became the first Kent State president to speak at the event. Cartwright introduced Jackson State President Ronald Mason Jr., who told the crowd to ``love and see God'' in themselves and their neighbors. ``And those rules apply whether rich or poor... Vietnamese or Iraqi,'' Mason said. ``There is only one race, and that is the human race.'' Mason's appearance at Kent State marked the first time a president of Jackson State had spoken at a May 4 commemoration. Mason cited the words of Martin Luther King Jr. to inspire the audience. ``He said, `I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future,' '' he said. ``It is up to each of us to decide what it is we believe in -- not by what we say, but by what we do.'' The appearance of Cartwright was ``historical,'' said Susie Erenrich, 46, a founding member of the May 4 Task Force. ``Most of the presidents have wanted to slip the history under the rug,'' she said. The chance to learn more about May 4 was the appeal for 16-year-old Christian Justice of Salem, who attended the ceremony for the first time Sunday. ``It inspired me a lot,'' he said. ``It made me think differently about our government.'' Christian's parents, Robert and Mary, have attended the event several times and were happy to see the impact it had on their son. ``It gives you a more unbiased representation of what our country is all about,'' Robert Justice said. ``It's still an emotional experience.'' Another key speaker was Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, the daughter of assassinated U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy. Kennedy Cuomo criticized the ``preventive attack strategy'' conducted by the U.S. military under the leadership of President Bush. ``The question we have to ask ourselves is, `Are we more secure now than before Sept. 11?' The resounding answer is no,'' she said to cheers and applause from the crowd of 300 or so. The ceremony also included four remembrance speeches for the fallen Kent State students. Seth Kujat, a 21-year-old Kent State junior, spoke in memory of Miller. It was an honor he said he will never forget. ``May 4 is more than just a tragedy,'' he said. ``It's an energy -- an energy that motivates people to speak out.'' ****************************************** KENT-RAVENNA RECORD-COURIER May 5, 2003 Fallen students honored By Chad Murphy Record-Courier staff writer Ronald Mason, president of Jackson State University in Mississippi, said he found new meaning in a familiar prayer recited during the candlelight vigil Saturday night to honor the memory of four students killed May 4, 1970 at Kent State University. During the annual May 4 commemoration, held Sunday at KSU, Mason said the phrase, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven, from the Lord's Prayer took on a whole new meaning for him. What we do each and every day determines whether our actions serve to build God's kingdom on Earth or serve (tear it apart), he said. Mason was one of the guest speakers, along with Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, for the commemoration, which marks the day four students - William Schroeder, Jeffery Miller, Allison Krause and Sandra Scheuer - were shot by the Ohio National Guard. Sarah Scheuer, Sandra's mother, and Albert and Ann Canfora, parents of Alan Canfora, who was wounded in the shootings, were in the audience. Mason said these four students, and other soldiers in the battle against oppression, are still around, spiritually wielding the truth against evil. In order for their sacrifice to not be in vain, he thought it was up to the individual to decide how to respond to the events. Not by what we say, but by what we do, he said. The theme of this year's commemoration was Peace 1970 2003, Remembering Kent State and Jackson State. Ten days after the shootings at KSU, two student protesters at Jackson State were killed by local police and Mississippi Highway Patrol officers. KSU professor Linda Walker, a student at Jackson State at the time, said a glass bottle was either thrown or dropped, breaking with a loud pop. At the same time, an officer stumbled backward, hit by piece of debris thrown by a student. Police then fired upon the students, killing students James Earl Green and Phillip Lafayette Gibbs. Walker said police later claimed they saw the powder flash of a gunshot and fired in self defense. Since then, our universities have shared the same page in history, KSU President Carol A. Cartwright said. Kennedy Cuomo, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, established the RFK Center for Human Rights, which seeks to protect the protection rights codified by the United Nations. She asked the audience why May 4 should be remembered. Why should we care about what happened at this place 30 years ago? she said. Because, the White House is run by hawks, she said, as it was 30 years ago, who are waging what many view as an illegal war in Iraq, similar to many people's view of the Vietnam War 30 years ago. She fears the preventative strike doctrine adopted by the Bush administration will be adopted by other countries, creating a Syrian preemptive strike against Israel or a Pakistani preemptive strike against India. Kennedy Cuomo also questions the erosion of liberties for the sake of national security. She said the government now has the right to profile Arab men and the right to secretly detain and question prisoners without Miranda rights or a lawyer, among others. We must ask ourselves if we are truly free, she said. Adria Crannel, who is co-chair of the May Fourth Task Force with Seth Kujat, said the commemoration went well. Though there were a few outbursts directed at KSU administration, she thought the crowd was well behaved. / ****************************************** Kent-Ravenna RECORD-COURIER May 5, 2003 12 arrested for entering street By Chad Murphy Record-Courier staff writer Police in riot gear clashed with protesters from Kent State University Sunday in front of Rockwell Hall, resulting in 12 arrests. Protesters were marching down the middle of East Main Street in Kent when police ordered the group to leave the street and disperse. The skirmish lasted about 20 minutes, then protesters headed through campus to the memorials near Taylor Hall, marking where four students were slain on May 4, 1970. Police estimated the crowd to be between 250 and 300 protesters, including KSU students and several members of anarchist movements. About 200 officers, armed with batons, shields and non-lethal weapons, formed lines both in front of and behind the protesters, forcing them off the street. The protest kicked off on Manchester Field, behind the Kent Student Center, at 3 p.m. Protesters banged drums, five-gallon buckets and metal bowls and pans for about 45 minutes before several people climbed to the top of a black-painted wagon to voice their opinions. While a helicopter from the Ohio Highway Patrol hovered overhead, speakers used a bullhorn to address the crowd. A sound system and stage were going to be provided by KSU before officials pulled their sanction of the event. KSU officials said the Kent State Anti-War Committee, organizing the protest, misrepresented the purpose of meetings to be held Saturday, and revoked the group's space reservations. Officers from Kent State University, Kent, Ravenna, Aurora, Streetsboro, Stow, Brimfield, the Portage County Sheriff's Office, the Metro SWAT team and the Ohio Highway Patrol responded to the demonstration, according to a Kent Police Department press release. Additional charges and arrests may result from a follow-up review of the incident, according to the release. Fire departments from Brimfield, Ravenna, Rootstown, Mantua Shalersville, Aurora and Ravenna Township also were on hand to assist. Christopher Fox, president of the Kent State Anti-War Committee, thought people came out to listen and learn. He said the events that happened at KSU on May 4, 1970 - where the Ohio National Guard fired on a group of Vietnam War protesters, killing four students passing by - are the events that are happening in Iraq, where Iraqis protesting the U.S. presence were shot by the military. KSU freshman Giovanni Giusti said he was standing right next to several people who were arrested. I almost got arrested myself, he said. It was a little more eventful than I thought it would be. Carrying a sign that read No Blood for Oil, Giusti said he really wanted to protest against the U.S.-led war in Iraq. He thought it was being waged for control of oil and the financial gain of President Bush. Standing next to Giusti, student Nowar Katirja carried an American flag, fastened upside-down on a pole. Katirja said he'd seen Iraqis suffer under U.N. sanctions imposed after the first Gulf War, and also has seen the effects of sanctions against his homeland of Syria. Though the U.S. succeeded in its goal of ousting Saddam, Katirja said he's sure the streets of Baghdad reek with the rotting corpses of casualties. Before heading to East Main Street, protesters read anti-war poems at the memorial site for the four students who were killed. Then protesters went past Taylor Hall, through the commons and down Terrace Drive to East Main. The KSU police were waiting in the White Hall parking lot, warning students via megaphone to leave the streets or they would be subject to arrest for marching in the streets. Several jeered the KSU police and walked on. A bystander on Manchester Field during the protest, Mickie Cain said she came to listen. Even if it won't do any good, it's important to make a stand, she said. - E-mail: cmurphy@recordpub.net ****************************************** CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER Dozen arrested at Kent anti-war rally 05/05/03 Sarah Hollander Plain Dealer Reporter Kent- Police in riot gear arrested a dozen protesters at an anti-war rally that spilled off the Kent State University campus yesterday, hours after a peaceful commemoration of the May 4, 1970, student shootings. About 200 police from Kent and surrounding communities stopped a group that police estimated numbered between 250 to 300 marchers after they left campus, arresting 12 on charges of disorderly conduct. Police said additional charges and arrests may follow after the incident is reviewed. None of those arrested were Kent State students. The arrests ended a tense day of uncertainty. A State Highway Patrol helicopter buzzed overhead for hours because police feared an anti-war protest would turn disruptive. The demonstration was scheduled in conjunction with the university's official memorial to the four students killed during a Vietnam War protest 33 years ago. University spokesman Ron Kirksey called it unfortunate that the commemoration day was marred by arrests. "There's always a group that wants to exploit the day and get attention," Kirksey said. The Kent State Anti-War Committee planned the separate rally to oppose the recent war and actions in Iraq. Last week, however, the university's Office of Campus Life revoked the group's registration amid worries that the rally might attract violence. The committee decided to hold the rally anyway, meeting at 3 p.m. on Manchester Field. "It's planned as a peaceful thing," Chris Fox, a Kent student and rally organizer, said earlier this week. "The only violence we expect is from the police." The group banged on drums, pans and buckets and made anti-government and pro-peace speeches for several hours before beginning to march through campus. Students read poems at the sites where Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder were fatally shot by Ohio National Guardsmen in 1970. The group then continued, chanting: "Bush, you liar! Your number has expired!" As the group approached the edge of campus, police told marchers that it was against the law to walk in the street. "Anyone on the street is subject to arrest," a policeman warned. The group continued into the city and made it about three blocks, to East Main Street and University Drive, before police wearing helmets and armed with tear gas, pellet guns, clubs and shields attempted to deter them and direct them back toward the campus. In response, the protesters retreated to a sidewalk and began chanting and yelling at the police. Suddenly, police began handcuffing select protesters, pushing some to the ground. A woman who had been crying softly on the commons hours earlier during speeches honoring the students killed in 1970 was handcuffed and led to a mini-bus waiting to cart protesters away. The remaining protesters eventually wandered back onto campus and dispersed after another warning from police. The war in Iraq added an extra sense of immediacy, sadness and frustration for many at the annual commemoration. More than 300 people attended the official memorial, which was peppered with speeches about similarities between 1970 and now. "The feeling we have about this war parallels the feelings of many Vietnam protesters," said Adria Crannell, a Kent junior and co-chair of the task force that organized the official memorial. Featured speakers included activists Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, the niece of President Kennedy, and Jello Biafra, former singer for the Dead Kennedys punk band. Rosanne "Chic" Canfora was 19 in 1970 and remembers crouching behind a car in the parking lot during the shootings. "It makes me cry to stand here and know once again that the topic on this commons is war," she said. Plain Dealer reporter John Horton contributed to this story. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: shollander@plaind.com, 216-999-4816 *********************************************************************** DAILY KENT STATER 5/5/03 Protestors face day of new challenges Kent Police break up anti-war protest yesterday; many arrested by Leana Donofrio Daily Kent Stater Anti-war protesters clashed with Kent police on East Main Street yesterday as they tried to march downtown, resulting in at least 10 arrests. More than 150 protesters were met by police in riot gear and a State Highway Patrol helicopter hovering close overhead on East Main as they chanted, "The people united will never be defeated" and "This is what democracy looks like." The confrontation came after the commemoration of the death of four Kent State students, who were shot by the Ohio National Guard during an anti-war protest in 1970. The protest began on Manchester Field shortly after the end of the May 4 commemoration. After leaving Manchester Field and marching to the street, protesters were warned to disperse or be arrested. PAT JARRETT | DAILY KENT STATER A protester is tackled by police on the lawn in front of Rockwell Hall yesterday afternoon. There were numerous arrests on the blocked off state Route 59. A police officer told the protesters over a speaker that the group was "in violation of law" and should leave the roadway as they walked down Terrace Drive toward Main Street. The group moved into the street and then onto the sidewalk as police lining all sides of the street stood blocking any routes to move, holding shields, dogs and rubber-bullet guns. As tensions rose between the protesters and the police, students and others on the sidewalk were thrown to the ground and handcuffed. One person threw a glass bottle toward the officers, while some were arrested trying to communicate with the police. The Kent State Anti-War Committee organized the event that took place for more than two hours on Manchester Field before the crowd moved off campus. The university would not sanction the event, citing a fear of violence or disruption. After a number of confrontations between the protesters and the police, protesters began to back away from a line of officers and moved back to campus. When the crowd reached the Prentice Hall parking lot, police warned the protesters they would be arrested if they did not either leave campus or go back to their dorms. While the majority of protesters left, one student was arrested as he sat in the spot were Allison Krause, one of the students killed in 1970, died. The rally, called a protest against the "U.S. War Against the World," was aimed at a number of issues including the U.S. presence in Iraq and what protesters are calling global, economic and military imperialism and a lack of accurate information being provided by American media. "KSAWC members were on the sidewalk and within our rights," freshman Damian Baeslack said. Baeslack said he and other protesters believed that if they stayed on the sidewalk, they would not be arrested. He also said 10 police in riot gear chased a number of students who were walking to hear Jello Biafra, an anti-war activist, who spoke during the May 4 commemoration. Dan Apalenik, a 1976 graduate of Kent State from Akron, said he came to honor the students who died in 1970 but instead found an empty parking lot and a number of shocked students. "I came to pay my respects to the students, and I could not get to the campus because the street was blocked," Apalenik said. He said he is upset that students and others were arrested while practicing free speech. "I think it's fucking outrageous," he said. "It is important for everybody to fight for liberty or it won't be here in the future," he said. Protesters said they saw the confrontation with the police as a direct violation of their first amendment rights. The police would not comment on the incident and would not give out an exact number of arrests. Sheryl Smith, director of the Office of Campus Life, said the decision not to support the event did not have an affect on the police presence. Smith said she could not comment on the arrests but said, "Once the law is broken, the circumstances change." PAT JARRETT | DAILY KENT STATER A State Highway patrol helicopter flies low over the parking lot of Taylor Hall yesterday as a protester waves a peace sign. The crowd was ordered to disperse from Taylor Hall about 5:15 p.m. "I never like to see a situation where there is interaction between the police and students, but the most important thing is that no one was hurt," said Smith, who made the decision not to sanction the protest. Many protesters said this recent action is just another example of the suppression of the anti-war movement at Kent State. Recently seven people, including four students and two professors, were charged with disorderly conduct in connection to an anti-war protest March 20 in which a group of 100 people marched in the street and blocked traffic. E-mail: ldonofri@kent.edu **** NEWS UPDATE: RE: May 4, 2003 ARRESTS: CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER newspaper -- May 10,2003 http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/105256053831680.xml From The Plain Dealer Kent State protester denies felony charge 05/10/03 Steve Luttner Plain Dealer Reporter Kent- A woman who was charged with a felony at an anti-war rally at Kent State last Sunday said yesterday that she shattered a bus window unintentionally after she was pushed by police while handcuffed. Two witnesses - who also were arrested - said they saw police push Linda Beeler, a psychologist from Morgantown, W.Va. "I'm very upset about this," said Beeler, 53. Her right arm bore large bruises she said she suffered at the hands of police. Kent Police Chief Jim Peach said Beeler's version is inaccurate. "The facts will come out as to what took place," he said. "We are very comfortable with this case. She was very angry about being arrested and could not understand why she could be arrested for just being in the street." Kent Safety Director Bill Lillich said, "The indication I have is that it [the window breaking] was something she did on her own." Beeler appeared yesterday in Municipal Court for a preliminary hearing. Eric Fink, an assistant Portage County prosecutor, said the case may be presented to a grand jury that could indict Beeler on a felony vandalism charge. Beeler, who said she graduated from Kent State in 1971, said she came back to her alma mater last weekend to attend memorial services for the shooting deaths of four students May 4, 1970. Beeler said she knew Jeffrey Miller, one of the students who was shot to death by Ohio National Guardsmen 33 years ago. Beeler said she had watched an anti-war rally, then went to a coffee shop across the street from campus. She later saw anti-war protesters marching. She said she left the coffee shop, crossed the street, and was about 30 feet from protesters when police moved in. She said she sat and was arrested. Police arrested Beeler and 12 others and charged them with disorderly conduct for blocking traffic and for failing to disperse. Beeler said the only time she was in the street was when she left the shop. She said she heard no police order to disperse. Beeler said she was handcuffed and placed in a bus. She said one of her pant legs was above her boot and she asked police to lower it. She said they declined, so Beeler, standing in the bus, stomped her foot to get the pant leg to fall. "I was trying to get my pants down over my boot," said Beeler, who weighs 135 pounds. Beeler said two officers pushed her into a plastic seat and she hit her spine. She stood because her back hurt and was shoved again, she said, and her head hit a window and shattered it. "I was pretty much in shock at that point," she said. "I couldn't understand it. I don't understand the necessity of that level of force." Daniel Bell, 42, said he saw police shove Beeler. "I saw them pushing her to try and force her to sit down," he said. "I don't think she was particularly cooperative. I think she was angry. But there was no reason they couldn't have sat her down in a more controlled way. . . . " Brian Fry, 54, said he was sitting in another bus 10 to 12 feet from Beeler. "It was not an intentional act on her part," he said. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: sluttner@plaind.com, 1-800-628-6689 © 2003 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission. _________________________________________________________ TEXT OF SPEECH BY JOE CULLUM -- May 4, 1970, eyewitness. Joe Cullum is currently a high school teacher in Ohio. Here's Joe's excellent May 3, 2003, address at the May 4 Task Force students' educational forum in the KSU student center Kiva: **** In the U.S., the right to dissent is often considered to come from the 1st amendment's prohibition of laws meant to abridge the right to speak freely, petition the government and peacefully assemble. But I think this right has a more fundamental source that traces back to the ideas of Locke, Hobbes and Montesquieu that have come to be known as the Social Contract. If government is a creation of the people meant to serve the people it can have no authority of its own, only what is freely granted by the people to the government for their benefit. So while I think it is important that we have codified individual rights in the Constitution, I don't believe that it is enough to rely on a document that could ultimately be interpreted by 5 people who have been appointed to serve the interests of an elite. We have seen in the past that a Supreme Court majority has outlawed certain speech that it deemed to be a clear and present danger during time of war (Schenck v. U.S.). This was the case involving a member of the Socialist party who was convicted of counseling young men to resist the draft for the war where the powerful fought against the powerful while using the powerless, the workers as cannon fodder. I don't doubt that the current Court will also uphold the most recent example of the erosion of the right to think, act or be different: the U.S.A. Patriot Act. Beyond the legal machinations of those who may be in control of our government or any government at a particular time, we see that dissent can be attacked in more brutal ways than a majority opinion. We are here to commemorate events of 33 years ago that are examples of the government's willingness and ability to deal with dissent through murder. There are recent examples of the intolerance of legitimate dissent. One of the more striking is the murder by armored bulldozer of a young women, Rachel Corrie, while wearing a neon orange vest and acting as a human shield in protest against the Israeli practice of demolition of houses of anyone that the Israeli government sees as a threat. How will the local and university authorities deal with what has conveniently been found to be a protest that "substantially threatens to materially disrupt the activities of the university." What exactly are the legitimate activities of the university? Over thirty years ago people of my generation began to suspect that the purpose of the university was to produce more cogs in the machine of war. That war was like the current one which is clearly about advancing the interests' of a small but powerful group that has essentially taken power, taken the government that was created to be our servant and used it to serve the interests of the Halliburtons, the Bechtels and the Exxon Mobils that will so clearly benefit from the imminent privatization of the Iraqi Oil industry. So if this panel was meant to discuss dissent then and now, my contribution is that things haven't changed much in 33 years -- just as they hadn't changed much between 1919 and 1970. Dissent is tolerated by the elites until it begins to actually expose the reality that the emperor is naked. So whether you are an antiwar protester at Kent or Jackson State, whether you are a human shield in the Gaza strip or a country musician daring to announce that you're ashamed of the warmonger and war profiteer who comes from your home state, or an actor who is disinvited from the Baseball Hall of Fame, if you begin to actually threaten the hold that the elite have on power, you will be dealt with. What also hasn't changed is that there continues to be a small but courageous group who will, at considerable peril to their own freedom and safety, continue to do what they can to stand up for themselves and those of us who are not so courageous. I thank them. ____________________________________________________ TEXT of speech by Antioch University Graduate student, Phil Arway, on May 4, 2003. On behalf of Bill Schroeder, murdered at Kent State, May 4, 2000... Mrs Scheuer, Mr. and Mrs. Canfora: Before I begin I would like to thank the families and friends of Bill and Sandy, Jeff and Allison for never giving up in their search for the truth and their search for justice. The resolve of these very special families has been an inspiration to all of us who have gathered here over the past 33 years. I would also like to thank the Canfora family for their self-sacrifice. Their devotion to the cause of justice and truth in what happened on May 4th has been inspiring. I remember as if it were yesterday, when we struggled over the Gym annex and Mr. Canfora was arrested. I remember how his arrest came at great personal and political sacrifice. I thank and salute the Canfora family for your dedication and perseverance over the years in forcing the state and the university to accept responsibility for the murders and subsequent attempts at cover-up and whitewash, that took place here. Finally, I would like to thank President Carol Cartwright for doing what NO other Kent State President had the human decency and courage to do. She replaced the oil stains in the parking lot with permanent memorials in their proper locations to honor the memories of the four students who were murdered here. President Cartwright is to be commended for taking the action that previous Presidents were too cowardly to do! Unlike past, presidents at Kent State, President Cartwright has not been involved in trying to make May 4th disappear from Kent State history. When I was asked to speak on Bill's behalf, I read about some of the things that have been said about Bill in the past. Often, when I am in Kent, I have tried to picture how it must have been for Bill, to love one's country, wear its uniform and then get shot in the back from a distance of well over a football field away. What a sense of betrayal Bill would have felt had it not been for the wonderful comrades and family who have come back to Kent State every May to remember, reflect and learn. We will never allow Bill's memory to fade. Already successive generations have shown their devotion to his memory and the memory of Allison, Sandy and Jeff. Recently I have thought of my own personal experiences and even what I was doing on that fateful day in May when Bill was murdered. That fateful day was my 23rd birthday. Like Bill, I too had been in ROTC while in college. But on May 4th 1970 I found myself in front of the Dayton Public Library. This is where we got the news about the students being murdered at Kent State. We had gathered there for a protest against the invasion of Cambodia. As we stepped off from the library, we intended to go down a side street to approach Main St., instead the Dayton police blocked our path and herded us to the next street over. As we got to the center of the block, a crowd of plain clothes police emptied out of a bar. They were armed with sawed off 2x4 clubs. This group of about 20 middle-aged men waded into the crowd and began smashing heads. As the crowd attempted to retreat, the uniformed officers who had directed us into this trap pulled, out their Billy Clubs and began busting heads. This took place only minutes after we had heard about the deadly shootings at Kent State. This was my 23rd birthday present. None of the protesters were killed in Dayton that day, but it was a "heads up" about repression in America. We had just witnessed the Conspiracy Trial in Chicago. We had watched on TV pictures of Bobby Seale being chained to a chair and gagged. Some of us had felt the pain of losing Terry Robbins, Diana Oughton and Ted Gold in the townhouse explosion. Like Bill, I too believed in my country and our government. I had worked for Bobby Kennedy in Indiana in 1968 and had been gassed in the streets of Chicago later that summer for calling for peace in Vietnam. What took place at Kent State and Jackson State, at Peoples Park and Lawrence Kansas, At Orangeburg and Attica and My Lai changed all that for me. One thing we must never do is believe governments. I t was Bob Dylan who said "don't follow leaders, watch your parking meters." And it was Henry David Thoreau (On Civil Disobedience) who said: " I heartily accept the motto, that government is best which governs least"; and Thoreau continued "that government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that is the kind of government which they will have." (On Civil Disobedience) Today, again we witness our government involved in an immoral war. Again we watch as Kent State students bury the constitution for a second time, in protest to the growing war fever. We watch now, as we did in 1970, as our so-called leaders lie to us about what is taking place. They lie about children being held prisoner at the Guantanamo Base. They lie about the reasons for this war for oil. They lie about the fifteen Iraqi protesters in Fallujah, Iraq who were murdered last week while protesting the U. S.. Army takeover of their elementary school. Fifty were injured in this massacre. And our news media, the great apologists for governor bush, had the gall to throw out the old lie, one of the protestors had a gun. Like the great lie about the sniper on top of Taylor Hall! Unfortunately for Bush, the world media did not pick up on his lone sniper lie. There is this old Holly Near song that I just haven't been able to get out of my mind this week: "It could have been me, but instead it was you. So I'll keep doin' the work you were doin' as if I were two. I'll be a sower of seeds, a singer of songs A healer of pain, and a righter of wrongs. It could have been me, but instead it was you." Bill made the world his family and we can too. I know that the poet in Bill Schroeder would understand these words and the real feeling behind them. I have two sons and I can't imagine hearing news that they have been shot by the government! I can't imagine the pain of Mr. And Mrs. Schroeder when a Cleveland reporter called their home and asked them "Is your son dead?" Not a call from the President of Kent State, not a call from the National Guard, but getting this news from a reporter. What an outrage! It could have been Bill, the basketball player in high school, who coached basketball teams, instead it was me. It could have been Bill's son who played basketball and now coaches instead of my son. It could have been a son of Bill's who married another Kent State student and resides here. Instead, it was a son of mine. Moments before Bill was murdered, his long time friend, Lou Cousella saw Bill moving along the outside of the crowd of students. Lou described the scene: "a warm, wonderful guy, detached from the whole operation, a beautiful soul apart." (from the book: Kent State, by James Michener) Bill's mom, Florence Schroeder, had an extraodinarily close relationship with her son. She described the four students best when she referred to them as "gentle souls with an artistic, literary flair and a great sense of purpose" in her speech here on May 4, 1990. When the Kent State Students were exercising their constitutional rights on May 4th 1970, they were gunned down by the Ohio National Guard. We must never forget this. Government troops gunned down innocent UNARMED civilians. Government troops murdered their own citizens! Just as they murdered the civilian population of the village of My Lai. We must not forget that the First Amendment to the Constitution was what was murdered on May 4th 1970 along with Bill Schroeder, Allison Krause, Sandy Scheurer and Jeff Miller. Bill Schroeder was not killed by accident. One author said "the lesson of Bill Schroeder - that even a straight ROTC cadet had better not turn his back on his brothers-in-arms, maintaining the peace with their weapons of war." It was not an accident that an Ohio National Guardsman shot Bill in the back and killed him from a distance of 750 feet. You do not gun down Allison, Sandy, Jeff and Bill by accident. Orders were given. The only real question now, is by whom? Who said fire? Who gave the orders? Rhodes and DelCorso are dead and presumably rotting in Hell. But there are men who know what happened and who could come forward today. They could tell the families that they are sorry and the truth of what happened. We demand that truth, and I know if we persevere, in the way we have been shown by the families of the victims, we will achieve the TRUTH! In closing I would remind you of a sentence spoken almost a century ago by another peace protester and a great anti-fascist fighter, Mother Jones. Her words ring so very true today as they did when they were said. And when you think of what these families have done and accomplished in the memory of their children these words ring out like that bell over there. "PRAY FOR THE DEAD AND FIGHT LIKE HELL FOR THE LIVING." Fight the power! Free Mumia! // Kent State in the NEWS 2003
Friday, October 16, 2003 THE LESSON OF MAY 4 The lesson of May 4 In the Oct. 5 Beacon Journal, I read the text of the May 4 ``letter of regret'' that was printed as part of the article (``Antique startles viewers'') on its value as an antique. The letter's value as a historical document is priceless. I was moved by it to consider it my duty to add my own ``letter of appreciation'': In retrospect, the tragedy of May 4, 1970, should not have occurred. The Kent State University students who protested the Cambodian invasion were right. It was their constitutional right to assemble to protest government actions that were based on lies. That government was fearful and anxious that if we lost in Vietnam, all of Asia would be taken over by communism. Hindsight suggests they were wrong. No other country in that part of the world has since become communist, and the government of Vietnam itself is not included in anyone's ``Axis of Evil.'' Those who fought for their nation in Vietnam were heroes and patriots. We should never question that. The students who faced armed soldiers on that day in Ohio also were fighting for their country. Gov. James Rhodes labeled them ``the worst element of our society.'' He was wrong. The deaths of four students and the wounding of nine others started this nation on the road to questioning the deceit on which a bloody war was being fought. No amount of money could repay them for their suffering. No amount of money can repay the debt we owe them. They were true heroes and patriots. Alan Witkin Akron ************************* Posted on Sun, Oct. 05, 2003 --AKRON BEACON JOURNAL http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/6937345.htm Antique startles viewers Regret letter to May 4 victims appraised on TV By David Giffels Akron Beacon Journal staff writer It was sandwiched between a Roy Rogers movie poster and a lover's ring. One of the most significant documents from one of the most significant American events of the 20th century popped up last week on Antiques Roadshow, startling some who recognized it and sparking questions across Northeast Ohio. The item was the ``statement of regret'' signed by the 28 defendants in the civil trial that followed the May 4, 1970, shootings on the Kent State University campus. It, along with a $675,000 cash settlement, was an attempt to close one chapter in a tragedy that has never been completely resolved. The PBS show, in which people bring all manner of artifacts for appraisal by experts, was taped last year in Cleveland and aired three days last week. Steve Thomas, the son of the judge in the case, brought the framed document for evaluation. Sitting across from him was Selby Kiffer, an appraiser from Sotheby's in New York. He looked over the legal-sized typed document, pointing out the signatures of Ohio Gov. James A. Rhodes and Ohio National Guard Adjt. Gen. Sylvester Del Corso and reading its text, which begins: ``In retrospect, the tragedy of May 4, 1970 should not have occurred.'' As Kiffer made his assessment, he said, ``It's difficult with something like this to think of it in monetary terms. We very seldom see something from recent history that strikes such a chord.'' He placed its insurance value at $10,000 to $15,000. Then it was on to that lover's ring. But wait... How had this letter, intended for the victims, fallen into the possession of a judge? Was it the original? And if so, didn't it belong in a case file? And was it appropriate to place a price tag on it? The answers follow a backward course through a tumultuous three decades. The three-paragraph document, which some interpret as a carefully worded statement of regret but not guilt, was taken by others as an apology. Gov. Rhodes and more than two dozen guardsmen and officers signed it on Jan. 4, 1979, ending four years of civil trials and appeals in which guilt was never assigned. Cleveland federal court Judge William K. Thomas, a man highly respected by both sides, composed it on a Royal manual typewriter. In pressing for a settlement, he took all nine surviving victims into his chambers and, one by one, examined their scars. Once the settlement was complete, 13 copies of the letterwere given to the plaintiffs -- the families of the four students who died and the nine who were wounded. At least one additional letter went to an attorney for the defendants. Whether those were all originals or high quality color copies is unclear. But since then, they have served as the few black-and-white moments in a story painted mostly in ambiguous gray. As history settled, some have hung in private homes, others carefully placed in storage. Making public aware Steve Thomas, a Chagrin Falls attorney, said last week his father received the document as a retirement gift from one of the defense attorneys. William Thomas, who considered it an achievement of diplomacy, hung it on his living room wall. When the elder Thomas died two years ago, it passed on to his surviving relatives. In June 2002, Steve Thomas got tickets to attend the Cleveland taping of Antiques Roadshow. (The show was taped then but didn't air until last week.) He thought about items he might want to take along and decided on the letter. ``I thought it would be of interest to people on Antiques Roadshow,'' Thomas said. ``I think it's an important document; I think it's an important event in the history of my lifetime. I just wanted to have the public aware, to have that resolution.'' After the program aired, Thomas said, federal authorities contacted him to make sure he was not in possession of a court document. He assured them he wasn't. Thomas said he and his family have no intention of selling the letter. He has considered loaning it to Kent State University or the Western Reserve Historical Society. His father, who was also a judge in the Sam Sheppard murder trial, donated his papers to the historical society, but he did so before he received the Kent State document. Alan Canfora, who was wounded in the shootings, received one of the copies after the settlement. The most outspoken of the victims, he said he found it odd, but not particularly inappropriate, that the statement showed up on Antiques Roadshow. ``We've suffered so many insults in the last nearly 34 years that this seems to be a relatively minor controversy,'' he said. Likewise, Tom Grace, another of the victims, said he thought it was fine as long as the item was treated as a historical artifact and not a commodity. Grace, who recently earned a Ph.D. in American history, helped contribute to the language and praised Judge Thomas for prompting the statement. ``I can't imagine a more appropriate family other than the victims to hold (a copy),'' Grace said. Canfora said he has always believed there was just one original and that the copies sent out were color copies distributed by the Rev. John Adams of the National United Methodist Church, who had helped oversee the compromise in the civil trial. And he said he's certain that Thomas' is one of those copies, which are of such quality that the lettering is raised. But Thomas maintains his is an original. Compared to 9/11 Regardless, all parties agree on the historical significance. John Lawson, now co-director of Cleveland Works Inc., was an attorney for the victims and helped draft the statement. It so happens that Antiques Roadshow is his favorite TV program. When he attended a preview party for the Cleveland segment last month, he saw that Thomas' document was one of the items displayed. And he saw two people crying as they read it. As far as Lawson is concerned, May 4, 1970, is equal to Sept. 11, 2001, in its impact. ``Between 1970 and 2000, what other event was as significant in American history? I think it's great that Steve Thomas has (the document) because he knows the significance of it. This isn't a day we should forget. We started shooting our own.'' But seeing the piece of paper in this context also struck a personal chord for Lawson, who was a college student in 1970. ``I still think of myself as a young lawyer. And now -- the thought that something I helped to draft being treated as an antique... '' he said, trailing into a chuckle. Beacon Journal columnist David Giffels can be reached at 330-996-3572. ************************* The current controversial Vietnam-style war against Iraq provokes widespread protest and dangerous divisions among the American people--as well as increased news media focus upon us at Kent State in 2003. ************************** May 5, 2003: Alan Canfora was featured in a live interview on DEMOCRACY NOW hosted by Amy Goodman in New York City. Also interviewed: a young female protester shot in Oakland, CA, on April 7, 2003. This international TV show/radio show was featured LIVE on Free Speech TV (FSTV). Listen to it ONLINE in RealAudio at: http://www.webactive.com/pacifica/demnow/dn20030505.html ************************** May 5, 2003: Alan Canfora was also featured in a separate Pacifica Radio news interview from Washington, DC, broadcast on Pacifica Radio stations across America. Listen to it online in RealAudio at: http:webactive.com/pacifica/peacewatch/peace20030505.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ An Oregon newspaper, the SALEM STATESMAN JOURNAL will soon focus upon the current pro-war/anti-war hostilities in America...comparing Kent State 1970 to the recent shooting of anti-war protesters in Oakland, California, on April 7, 2003. CNN-TV was in Kent again in March, 2003, and featured a segment re: Kent student anti-war activism 1970/2003. As in the earlier US-Persian Gulf War in 1991, Kent State anti-war activism remains alive and well in 2003. Thanks again, CNN! BBC Radio also returned to Kent recently for a second international radio segment re: Kent State anti-war activism in 2003. Thanks BBC! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Check it out: February 17, 2003, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation national radio feature story includes-- Kent State, anti-war, Alan Canfora, Chic Canfora, Ohio school students, and more. Nice job by Curt Petrovich, parliamentary reporter for CBC Radio-Canada. Check it out online with RealAudio at: http://cbc.ca/the current/ ******************************************** Thanks also for excellent recent European news media focus upon our Kent State tragedy, including: Algemeen Dagblad, newspaper in Rotterdam, Netherlands, reporter Carl J. Houtkamp; VRT Belgian Television, Washington office correspondent Greet De Keyser; NOS Dutch National Public Radio and Television, Washington bureau chief Charles Groenhuijsen; BBC Radio One, England -- reporter Nigel Wrench. **** **** 2003 -- BALTIMORE SUN newspaper articles from April 13 and May 4, 2003, below republished in newspapers nationwide. Nice job by reporter John Woestendiek! Check out these comprehensive news features in the April 13 and May, 2003, BALTIMORE SUN newspaper on the internet now at: http://www.thehollandsentinel.net/stories/ 050403/fea_050403070.shtml http://www.sunspot.net/features/arts/balas.kent13apr13,0,3145782.story?coll=bal-artslife-society OR SEE COPIES OF TWO ARTICLES HERE BELOW... Or check my LINKS section here at alancanfora.com way down at the bottom and CLICK to see these fine articles by a top reporter re: 1970 Kent State photos by John Filo AND: 2003 US war in Iraq, Kent State, 1970 and today Includes quotes by Alan Canfora, KSU prof. Jerry Lewis, KSU prof. Laura Davis, KSU students and others. ********************************************* BALTIMORE SUN newspaper Web posted Sunday, May 4, 2003 Student captures moment of history By John Woestendiek The Baltimore Sun *PHOTO* CAPTURED MOMENT:This photograph of a girl kneeling beside a victom of the 1970 Kent State University shootings won the photographer, KSU student John Filo, a Pulitzer Prize. The girl, Mary Ann Vecchio, was a 14-year-old runaway visiting friend on campus. John Filo ________ KENT, Ohio -- Kent State student John Filo had set out on May 4, 1970, to capture the defiant spirit of student protest on the campus. Through his lens, he found it in Alan Canfora, who was waving a solid black flag in front of rifle-carrying national guardsmen. Growing up, Filo had been transfixed by powerful photographic images of Vietnam, the kind of photo that remains etched in one's mind. "I thought 'That's my picture,' I was really proud of that photo," Filo said of the Canfora picture. "That was the best picture I had ever taken up until then." Minutes later, shots rang out, and Filo heard the scream of Mary Ann Vecchio. She was kneeling over the body of Jeff Miller. Filo snapped away. "That one was really more just a reaction," he said. Filo, who is now director of photo operations for CBS News, also worked for the Valley Daily News in Tarentum, Pa., and sent the photo out over the wire. Within a week, it would appear in Life magazine, and it would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize. To this day, for many, the words Kent State evoke that picture -- Mary Ann Vecchio, a 14-year-old runaway. "I get e-mails from eighth-graders all over the country working on history projects, and they all mention the famous picture," said Kent State sociology professor Jerry M. Lewis. "In many ways that's what drives it. It was one of the most powerful images of the 20th century." ******************************* |