Introduction
The Kent state Pulitzer photo was taken when there was a massacre and John Filo who was a photojournalist took the photo. When the photo was taken, the students from the Kent University were protesting against the Cambodian campaign. The Guardsmen who are stated to have fired over 67 rounds shot the students. These events are stated to have occurred for a period of 13 seconds. According to most witnesses, it is claimed that the guardsmen looked like they had been ordered to do the shootings in the way they were shooting. In all the events, the students who were killed are estimated to be four while those who were wounded were nine students (Filo). The students were shot while they were unarmed and others were not even involved in the protests.
The Kent State Massacre
Before the Kent state massacre occurred, there were a number of events that occurred prior to it. In 1968, the United States of America had elected President Richard Nixon to office. There were a number of American civilians and troops who were killed in the My Lai Massacre that occurred in Vietnam. This caused many people in America not to want the government to participate in the Vietnam War. The draft was changed and in the end, it ended up affecting the students as well as the teachers from college. Near the end of 1969, the war had subsided but then the government the invasion of Cambodia thus made many people angry with the government. This caused many students to protest from across the nation. This included the students from the Kent University in Ohio. The demonstrations in Kent University began in May 1 1970 when over 500 students took to the streets to demonstrate (Filo). The demonstrations took the wrong turn when a number of students started throwing beer bottles at the police officers. More people joined the vandalism, which caused many off duty police officers to be called back to work while the Mayor of the region had to declare a state of emergency of the area. The bars in the region were all closed in order to prevent damages or increasing the rioters.
The region began to get threats and there was a lot of fear in the region thus the governor gave a speech where he condemned the protests. He went further to state that what the students were doing was un-American. This speech was made on May 3 of the same year in a press conference. Rallies continued to be made but the guardsmen who were using teargases dispersed them. On May 4, that is when the massacre occurred. In the beginning of that day, the rallies were made but the officials from the university banned them or any sort of gathering that was not related to schoolwork (Filo). However, the ban did not stop the students instead, it is claimed about 2000 students gathered together in the commons areas at the university. It is stated that the protest began immediately after the campus iron victory bell went off. The guardsmen who were involved in the Massacre were from the companies stated to be from A and C. The guardsmen were heavily armed and were all taken to the campus grounds where they were supposed to stop the protest. In the beginning, the students were given warning and were told that they should stop the rioting. The students instead of listening began throwing rocks at the guardsmen.
The refusal of the rioters to disperse caused the Guards to start using the teargas to make them leave the area. This did not work as some of the protesters refused to disperse (Filo). This caused the guards made up of 77 people who had their riffles on to start going towards the students pointing at them with the riffles. The students dispersed leaving the common area and they separated as the guards were still advancing towards them. As the protestors had gone different directions, it is claimed that the Guards went towards the athletic practicing field of the university. In this area, it is stated that some of the guards knelt down pointing their riffles in the direction of the parking lot (Filo). Some of the protesters continued to advance towards the Guardsmen with a lot of anger. The first Guardsman who was claimed to have started the shooting at the students was Sgt. Myron Pryor. He used the 45-pistol caliber. When he started the shooting 28, other guardsmen shot towards the students.
The shooting occurred for about thirteen seconds. At the end of the shooting four students had been shot and nine other were wounded. No one knows who ordered the shooting of the students and many are still speculating of why the guardsmen took the action they took. Some of the remaining photos that showed the massacre were the one taken by John Filo. John Filo stated that one of the Guardsmen pointed a gun to him but instead of hitting him it hit the tree behind the reason why the bullet did not hit him, was because there was a wind that deterred the bullet to another direction (Filo). Filo only heard gunshots while he was doing some photography work while inside the university.
The details in the photo
This photo got Filo awards because of the courage that he might have had when there was the shooting and he was doing his job by taking photos. In the photography, it shows the picture of Mary Ann Vecchio who was kneeling down on one knee as she was screaming at the dead body of Jeffrey Miller. At that time it is claimed that Mary was 15 years old while the dead victim was twenty years old coming from the Kent University. Jeffrey is among the four victims who were killed in the Kent State Massacre that occurred in Ohio. The photo also shows the people who were still in shock of what has happened as some were looking at the body of Jeffrey while a woman was near the body of Jeffrey and standing besides Mar Ann seems to be talking to someone. Her face however, is not visible from the angle of the photo being taken (Filo). The photo however, has been altered in, which the fence that was Behind Mary Ann was edited by being air brushed.
In conclusion, the Kent State Pulitzer Photo summarized the events that occurred in the Kent State Massacre and the damages it caused. In the photo, it shows people who seem to look lost and were walking towards the dead body of Jeffrey Millers who was only twenty years old. Next to the body there is a young person crying who is identified as Mary Ann Vecchio who at that time is claimed to be 15 years old crying and screaming while kneeling in front of the body of Jeffrey.
Work cited
Filo, John. Photographer John Filo discusses his famous Kent State photograph and the events of May 4, 1970. CNN, 2000. Print
