After Walk Summary
(as posted to Facebook)
(my apologies for the delayed post. I was sick earlier in the week and events since then have kept me very busy)
The day began inauspiciously when at least 5 of us travelling separately from Cincinnati were delayed ~45 minutes by an accident south of Columbus. I called and let Lt. O’Neill of the KSU PD know, for his benefit, and to pass on to retired KSU professor Jerry Lewis, who had graciously agreed to speak to Walk participants at 1PM about the events and times of May 4, 1970. Fortunately, the assembled media had time to speak to participants – whose congenial and safe nature were apparently a surprise to some.
I arrived at 12:30 and didn’t have time to thank everyone (about 35 people) for coming before interviews began. Unfortunately, because of how the interviews were conducted, I wasn’t even done by 1:15PM. Professor Lewis had agreed to speak to participants at 1PM, so we scurried up to the pagoda, guided by a couple of students, while being asked questions along the way. I immediately apologized to Prof. Lewis for the delay, which he had somehow heard about. (he doesn’t have a cell phone)
Professor Lewis started his presentation by telling us that we were standing where members of the Ohio National Guard were when some of them fired on students, then as the group walked to various markers indicating where students had died, told us various things such as the number of shots fired, and indicated that he had been standing behind a female student (Sandy Scheuer) who was shot and killed. He also told us of a Jewish tradition involving rocks on a person’s grave, and as he did so he took a rock from Jeffrey Miller’s marker to bring it to another student’s marker. Among other things, I was struck by the relatively short distances and angles of the shots.
At some point, protesters of the Walk, some holding signs, started chanting something but were quieted by something that Professor Lewis or a Walk participant said. Although later some of us had civil conversations with some of the protesters, I felt it was disrespectful for them to act as they did during what was clearly a respectful gathering of interested people. Even the children of one of the Walk participants took a clear interest in what Professor Lewis had to say.
We then walked over to what I believe is called the May 4 Memorial, where Professor Lewis held a Q&A session. Once concluded, a number of Walk participants stayed back to ask him additional questions, and the rest of us continued on our walk, first to Risman Plaza where pictures were taken. It should be noted that at the conclusion of the Q&A session, a number of participants had other obligations, and had to leave before group pictures were taken. We probably missed about ten people in the group photo, who can be seen in other pictures.
We continued our leisurely walk around campus, guided by yet another student, talked to a few students and circled around to the May 4 memorial, where a number of us spoke to two of the protesters, Abbey Jones and Liz Schmidt, after Robert & Christina Mozena made first contact.
On the way off campus, some people ran into more students, one of whom was from the Ukraine and who supported the right to keep and bear arms. We ate lunch at Penn Station (thank you!), walked around downtown a bit, then returned to the campus parking lot.
My sincere thanks to everyone who came from near and far, especially the KSU Young Americans for Liberty members, who, only given one day’s notice of the Walk the day by KSU, bought holsters and came, at least one University of Akron student who came *armed*, a former BGSU student, and yet another Kent State (I believe) student who carried a holstered water pistol.
I will try and post some additional thoughts, though not today, about the Walk and its aims, as well as some additional commentary.
*** Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences. ***