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Campus "Unrest" demonstrations and consequences, 1970-1971

1971-11-12 American Report: Review of Religion and American Power Page 15

AMERICAN REPORT  11-S

The Attorney General Speaks...

Attorney General John N. Mitchell issued the following statement on Friday August , 1971

The Department of Justice has completed its analysis and evaluation of all available facts and information surrounding the tragic deaths of four Kent State University students on May 4, 1970. 
Immediately after the incident occurred. I requested the Civil Rights Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to make a careful, thorough and intensive investigation, which continued through the summer. Hundreds of persons were interviewed, including students, National Guardsmen, school officials and townspeople. Reports totally approximately 8,000 pages were submitted. 
As the investigation was drawing to a close, the State of Ohio proposed to convene a special grand jury. In accordance with our policy of deferring to local action, we extended our cooperation to state officials and made copies of the complete F.B.I investigation available to the Attorney General of Ohio. We also made copies of it available to the President Commission on Campus Unrest. 
When the Ohio special grand jury made its report public on October 16, 1970 the Department of Justice resumed and intensified its evaluation of the entire matter, including the reports of the state grand jury and the Commission. 
All of this information has been thoroughly analyzed by Department attorneys to determine whether there existed any violations of Federal laws. Subsequently, I received a recommendation from the Civil Rights Division. In addition I have personally reviewed the case. 
The facts available to me support the conclusion reached by the President;s Commission that the rifle fire was, in the words of the Commission "unnecessary unwarranted and inexcusable" However, our review persuades me that there is no credible evidence of a conspiracy between National Guardsmen to shoot students on the campus and that there is no likelihood of successful prosecutions of individual guardsmen. 
It is my judgment that further action by the Department of Justice would not be warranted. In view of the massive Federal investigative resources already committed and the intensive examination of the results of the investigation. It appears clear that further investigation by a Federal Grand Jury could not reasonably be expected to produce any new evidence to which could contribute further to making  prosecutive judgment. 
A sense of tragedy over the events which took place at Kent is as common to everyone in the Department as it is to the American people, bu this incident cannot be undone. I am satisfied that the Department has taken every possible action to serve justice. 
I have communicated this decision to the parents of the four students who died and restated my sympathy with the full knowledge that nothing can be said to mitigate their remorse and sorrow. We can only hope that any type of recurrence can be avoided by this experience and that incidents like this will never again be part of our national life. 

Last Rites 

KENT STATE KILLINGS BY NATIONAL GUARDSMEN - MAY 970
HOPE OF ANY ACTION BY US DEPT OF JUSTICE - BURIED AUGUST 1971. 

.... And the Families Respond

The shock of learning of the decision of the Department of Justice not to convene a Federal Grand Jury is nearly as great as the shock that came to us when our children were killed at Kent State University on May 4, 1970. When National Guard troops fired high powered combat weapons and killed unarmed students, we suffered an inestimable personal loss, but our nation' Bill of Rights was seriously damaged as well. It was demonstrated that the Government could condone the indiscriminate killing of those who oppose its policies and even those who innocently stand near to a protest demonstration.
Peaceful protests are, even if indirectly, an expression of faith in our system of Government. The protest rally at kent State University on May 4, 970 was peaceful until the National Guard illegally moved to disperse it. The reaction of the students was to resist, for they saw the invasion of their rights as serious as the invasion of Cambodia, against which they were intending to peacefully protest. They saw the system as working against them and they felt its power unleashed against them. 
We, as parents like many of our age and generation, retained a faith in our system. Even after the deaths of our children, we believe that our system of justice would be activated and would show clearly the wrong that was done, and would identify those who were responsible for its having happened. We have tried not to prejudge the case. We have struggled to not let our feelings indict those who appeared to be responsible for we knew that the judicial system would make such a determination. We had faith in the action that would ultimately be taken by the Department of Justice and we had faith in the system of justice for which it is responsible. 
Now we know the Department of Justice will not act. It is inconceivable to us tthat this is so, particularly because its own investigative reports indicate that such action would have been fully appropriate. Throughout these past 15 months the time that has elapsed between the day of the killing at Kent and this time at which the decision has been made - we were told by innumerable young people "Stop trying. There will be no justice. You will see."
We continued to believe that "the system works" or that it can be made to work. Now we know that it may work for some but that it does not work for all and at times it does not work at all. We deeply regret this, for the loss of faith in our Government, in this instance, is nearly as great as we ave said as the loss of our own children. We now have sorrow for both.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Krause 
Parents of Allison Krause

Mrs. Elaine Miller
Parent of Jeffrey Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Martin Scheuer
Parents of Sandy Scheuer

Mr. and Mrs. Louis Schroeder 
Parents of William Schroeder

The above press release was issued by the Board of Christian Social Concerns of the United Methodist Church for the parents of the four youths killed on May 4, 1970 following Attorney General Mitchell's announcement that the Justice Department would not seek further action,. 

She was only with us for nineteen years. And when we go to her grave tomorrow what do we say? Do we say that there is no justice, Allison? No one cares that you're Dead Allison? That you were - executed? Or do we say there is justice, Allison?
- Mrs Doris Krause

ALLISON BETH KRAUSE
BELOVED DAUGHTER AND SISTER
APRIL 2, 1951 - MAY 4, 1970 

"Flowers are better than bullets" May 3, 1970

Saving...

AMERICAN REPORT 11-S The Attorney General Speaks... Attorney General John N. Mitchell issued the following statement on Friday August , 1971 The Department of Justice has completed its analysis and evaluation of all available facts and information surrounding the tragic deaths of four Kent State University students on May 4, 1970. Immediately after the incident occurred. I requested the Civil Rights Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to make a careful, thorough and intensive investigation, which continued through the summer. Hundreds of persons were interviewed, including students, National Guardsmen, school officials and townspeople. Reports totally approximately 8,000 pages were submitted. As the investigation was drawing to a close, the State of Ohio proposed to convene a special grand jury. In accordance with our policy of deferring to local action, we extended our cooperation to state officials and made copies of the complete F.B.I investigation available to the Attorney General of Ohio. We also made copies of it available to the President Commission on Campus Unrest. When the Ohio special grand jury made its report public on October 16, 1970 the Department of Justice resumed and intensified its evaluation of the entire matter, including the reports of the state grand jury and the Commission. All of this information has been thoroughly analyzed by Department attorneys to determine whether there existed any violations of Federal laws. Subsequently, I received a recommendation from the Civil Rights Division. In addition I have personally reviewed the case. The facts available to me support the conclusion reached by the President;s Commission that the rifle fire was, in the words of the Commission "unnecessary unwarranted and inexcusable" However, our review persuades me that there is no credible evidence of a conspiracy between National Guardsmen to shoot students on the campus and that there is no likelihood of successful prosecutions of individual guardsmen. It is my judgment that further action by the Department of Justice would not be warranted. In view of the massive Federal investigative resources already committed and the intensive examination of the results of the investigation. It appears clear that further investigation by a Federal Grand Jury could not reasonably be expected to produce any new evidence to which could contribute further to making prosecutive judgment. A sense of tragedy over the events which took place at Kent is as common to everyone in the Department as it is to the American people, bu this incident cannot be undone. I am satisfied that the Department has taken every possible action to serve justice. I have communicated this decision to the parents of the four students who died and restated my sympathy with the full knowledge that nothing can be said to mitigate their remorse and sorrow. We can only hope that any type of recurrence can be avoided by this experience and that incidents like this will never again be part of our national life. Last Rites KENT STATE KILLINGS BY NATIONAL GUARDSMEN - MAY 970 HOPE OF ANY ACTION BY US DEPT OF JUSTICE - BURIED AUGUST 1971. .... And the Families Respond The shock of learning of the decision of the Department of Justice not to convene a Federal Grand Jury is nearly as great as the shock that came to us when our children were killed at Kent State University on May 4, 1970. When National Guard troops fired high powered combat weapons and killed unarmed students, we suffered an inestimable personal loss, but our nation' Bill of Rights was seriously damaged as well. It was demonstrated that the Government could condone the indiscriminate killing of those who oppose its policies and even those who innocently stand near to a protest demonstration. Peaceful protests are, even if indirectly, an expression of faith in our system of Government. The protest rally at kent State University on May 4, 970 was peaceful until the National Guard illegally moved to disperse it. The reaction of the students was to resist, for they saw the invasion of their rights as serious as the invasion of Cambodia, against which they were intending to peacefully protest. They saw the system as working against them and they felt its power unleashed against them. We, as parents like many of our age and generation, retained a faith in our system. Even after the deaths of our children, we believe that our system of justice would be activated and would show clearly the wrong that was done, and would identify those who were responsible for its having happened. We have tried not to prejudge the case. We have struggled to not let our feelings indict those who appeared to be responsible for we knew that the judicial system would make such a determination. We had faith in the action that would ultimately be taken by the Department of Justice and we had faith in the system of justice for which it is responsible. Now we know the Department of Justice will not act. It is inconceivable to us tthat this is so, particularly because its own investigative reports indicate that such action would have been fully appropriate. Throughout these past 15 months the time that has elapsed between the day of the killing at Kent and this time at which the decision has been made - we were told by innumerable young people "Stop trying. There will be no justice. You will see." We continued to believe that "the system works" or that it can be made to work. Now we know that it may work for some but that it does not work for all and at times it does not work at all. We deeply regret this, for the loss of faith in our Government, in this instance, is nearly as great as we ave said as the loss of our own children. We now have sorrow for both. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Krause Parents of Allison Krause Mrs. Elaine Miller Parent of Jeffrey Miller Mr. and Mrs. Martin Scheuer Parents of Sandy Scheuer Mr. and Mrs. Louis Schroeder Parents of William Schroeder The above press release was issued by the Board of Christian Social Concerns of the United Methodist Church for the parents of the four youths killed on May 4, 1970 following Attorney General Mitchell's announcement that the Justice Department would not seek further action,. She was only with us for nineteen years. And when we go to her grave tomorrow what do we say? Do we say that there is no justice, Allison? No one cares that you're Dead Allison? That you were - executed? Or do we say there is justice, Allison? - Mrs Doris Krause ALLISON BETH KRAUSE BELOVED DAUGHTER AND SISTER APRIL 2, 1951 - MAY 4, 1970 "Flowers are better than bullets" May 3, 1970