MAY 4, 1970
Current Kent State University students are often struck by the similarities they share with the students of the 1960s and ’70s. They can still grab a drink at J.B.’s or hear a destined-to-be famous band, like the James Gang or Devo, play at the Kent Stage. They can attend rallies for the biggest names in politics, from senators to presidential candidates, feverishly working to win the youth vote. And, of course, they can join a cause. Perhaps here the similarities are most striking. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s lives on in Black Lives Matter. The Women’s Movement echoes in the voices of #MeToo. The fight for equality, the environment and Native American rights—just to name a few—are still alive and well.
Yet, there are some very big differences that line the 50-year divide between the students of 1970 and 2020. Today, unlike 1970, most college students can vote. In 1971, the 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, giving young people far more power to register their frustration with government officials, policies and organizations.
Although the United States is still sending troops to war, today the combat feels distant. The draft ended with the Vietnam War. Young people do not have to sit in front of a television, desperately hoping for a high number or considering their options should they face a tough choice. Some may not even understand what it means to register with the Selective Service System. Furthermore, very few students know what it is like to lose a friend or family member on the battlefield. The 58,180 daffodils, each representing a fallen U.S. soldier, that bloom during the annual commemoration of the May 4 shootings are a stark reminder of the magnitude of the brave lives lost in the Vietnam War.
May 4, 1970, is often called the “Day the War Came Home.” Fifty years later, it is important to remember that young people, whether soldiers in
