Oral+History+Questions

__College Campuses during the Vietnam War with Mr. Georgeson__

~**What were you doing at the time of the Vietnam War? What college were you attending?** I was going to High school and graduated in 1967. The war was escalated in 1966. Johnson got on t.v. and said he would be going to send more troops. I was about to go to UWM. I went to Osh Kosh for 2 years then switched to UWM. I did not support the war, or any war. Had I been drafted, which I was, I would of served. I would of done my duty. My brother law had rather gone to jail than to Vietnam.

~**How old were you and where were you at the time of the Kent Shootings?** I was 20 years old and I was at UWM. . It was an overreaction by the national guard, or maybe protecting themselves. It was Kids vs. Kids; the national guard probalby wasn't too much older than the students themselves. People ending leaving it up to the professors if they wanted to continue classes at UWM. Students had the option to pass or fail the class with the idea of going or leaving school. I wanted to stay in school and get a better grade.They decided to close many campuses after 4 kids were shot.

Probably anger; I was mad. I thought there was a lot of police overreaction over protesting. It was people's rights to protest. They really overreacted. But then again, I don't know what i would do if I was the National guard.
 * ~What was your initial reaction of the Kent Shootings?**

There were, but not as many as other campuses. Madison was more active. UWM was an urban campus, so most students went home every day. They lived at home. The city of Milwaukee had civil rights marches and demonstrations led by a Father Groppi. He was very active in that movement which had supporters of the antiwar movement as well.
 * ~Were there any protests/riots at your college?**

I was never an active participant. More an observer of the events.
 * ~If so, did you participate?What were the protests for?**

~**What were you thinking in their duration?** I was thinking that the war was bad, I didn't want to fight, and that the country was messed up. We had just seen two leaders assassinated and were about to see a third (1968). People were unhappy with government, the war, the rights of individuals. I also was thinking some of the protesters were not as serious about the cause they were demonstrating against as they were to just be making trouble. There never seemed to me to be a good reason to burn buildings or bomb them. (As happened in Madison).

~**Did the Kent State Shootings directly or indirectly affect your life as a student?** It directly affected me in that classes in some cases were cancelled and the semester was ended prematurely. There was also the fear that if that kind of thing happened in Ohio it could happen anywhere. The protests were anti war and civil rights, but the feeling was anti establishment. In other words, the established institutions were seen by many as the enemy.

~**What was the reaction of other students to the shootings? Did you support it?** I am not sure-I know many students were glad to have an early end to the semester. Some students like conflict and so enjoyed that part of it. But most people I knew were shocked that kids were killed and felt that this was one more step on the road to the government taking drastic steps to controlling things. I read a few years after this that even the white house, the president, felt that the government was under siege. They feared for their lives and felt that things could easily get (more) out of hand.

That protests can become ugly and cool minds have to prevail. Also, the people in charge of controlling demonstrations need to have training in how to deal with situations that can get extreme. They need to know and be skilled in how to react to "mob" rule, and how not to overreact and make things worse. They are people, though, and when pushed can react by instinct.
 * ~What do you think the legacy of the shootings is, 39 years later?**