May 4 memories not entirely accurate

Dear Editor:

The Stater published an interesting fairy tale about what happened 36 years ago yesterday; unfortunately, it is totally inaccurate. As one who was a Kent State student on May 4, 1970, who lived through that weekend and saw the shooting from the 12th floor of Leebrick Hall, let me disabuse the Stater staff of some of its misconceptions.

May 4 was not about democracy, or taking a stand; indeed, a legitimate anti-war protest that Friday drew a scant few hundred students at best! May 4 was a riot, pure and simple, devoted to the wanton destruction of property, all in the name of fun and frolic. These rioters, dedicating themselves to trashing Kent State University (who were far from a majority of the student body), led by outsiders (such as Mary Vecchio, the 14-year-old Florida runaway) had no business on this, or any college campus. They had no cause other than themselves and their own stupidity.

These same people, who return to the campus every year like mosquitoes, lecturing the world about non-violence should be held in the same disregard you would hold a prostitute lecturing about chastity. And the former 14-year-old runaway from Florida who, by some strange coincidence, found her way onto the Kent campus that day shouldn’t be allowed to step foot on that campus to use the ladies room, let alone be asked to officially address the student body.

To spend five minutes of its time, or five cents of its treasury, to commemorate this riot is a disgrace. To the officials at Kent State University, who can’t stop themselves from perpetuating this stupidity, let me state that I am truly ashamed of you.

Ira M. Pesserilo

Class of ’72

Democratic election story misses point

Dear Editor:

We at the College Democrats protest the unfair article that was rife with blatant political bias involving our election. We believe the intentions of the club were misrepresented, and the article was more about what the outgoing and incoming presidents of the College Republicans thought of our election than an unbiased account of the event itself.

Due to the concern of holding a fair and democratic election, the College Democrats decided to hold a closed meeting for our election. We feel that the hype around our election was completely blown out of proportion, and our election process did not receive the respect it deserves. After announcing the closed session, two students had to be asked to leave. During a voting session, our bylaws specify that a voting member must attend at least two meetings or events, and be a Democrat. After these regulations had been announced at the election and others not voting complied by leaving the room, former president of the College Republicans, Matt White, had to be asked to leave by our adviser. We appreciate White’s interest in our group, but ask for respect in the future from his organization. Also, Breanne George, the Stater reporter covering our election, had to be asked to leave by club president Margaret Stambaugh after being caught attempting to hide in the back row.

Given George’s reputation as a conservative and the fact that she had previously spoke at a College Republicans meeting, which she was covering under the position of reporter from the Stater, we feel that her article showed clear political bias, a complete violation of journalistic ethics and integrity and a serious lapse of judgment in choice of quotes. As far as the College Republicans’ door being shot with a squirt gun, while we do not presently know what, if anything, that information had to do with the election, we do know that it was not a member of the College Democrats and we reject the obvious implication that it was a member of our club. We sincerely hope that in the future, either George will be more accurate and unbiased in her reporting or that the Stater will be more selective in its pick for student politics reporter.

The College Democrats at Kent State University