Four Dead In Ohio

54 years ago today, May 4 [1970] -- Four students at Kent State University in Ohio, two of them women, were shot to death by a volley of National Guard gunfire. At least 8 other students were wounded.  But why?

1) Who might Neil Young be referring to in the line “found her dead on the ground”?

2) What did students at Kent State think about the Vietnam war then?  What do they think now?

3) Do you think everyone agreed with Neil Young’s view of what occurred at Kent State? Why do you think “Ohio” might have also been a “touchstone of opposition” for people that supported the Vietnam War?

4) In what ways do you think the song “Ohio” might have been a more effective method of expressing shock and opposition than any journalism could have been? 

5) What comparisons can we make from the events of 50 years ago to what is happening on college campuses right now?  What have we learned from the past?