On May 4, 1970 the Ohio National Guard fired bullets into college students in a non-violent demonstration at Kent State University. They were protesting the Vietnam War and Cambodia Campaign of illegal bombing by the United States Government and Military Industrial Complex. We were bombing huge areas of another country because they wanted a different type of government than the USA had.
3.1 million Americans were shipped to Vietnam to kill people of all ages.
BAD GUYS:
130,000 North Vietnamese CIVILIANS killed
849,018 North Vietnamese MILITARY killed
250,000 North Vietnamese MISSING IN ACTION
600,000 North Vietnamese MILITARY WOUNDED
1,000 Chinese KILLED
4,200 Chinese WOUNDED
TOTALS of "Bad Guys" NORTH VIETNAMESE: 1,100,00 KILLED / MISSING. 604,000 WOUNDED
GOOD GUYS:
300,000 South Vietnamese CIVILIANS killed
300,000 South Vietnamese MILITARY killed
1,170,000 South Vietnamese MILITARY wounded
58,000 United States MILITARY killed
303,000 United States MILITARY wounded
15,000 Laos MILITARY killed
5,000 South Korea KILLED
10,000 South Korea WOUNDED
521 Australia KILLED
3,100 Australia WOUNDED
351 Thailand KILLED
37 New Zealand KILLED
TOTALS "Good Guys" USA and ALLIES:
300,000 KILLED 1,300,000 WOUNDED 1,000,000 CAPTURED
TOTAL HUMANS KILLED for USA Government goals: 1,300,000
On May 4, 2018 I was the "Featured Poet" of the North Hollywood monthly poetry performances at a small theater. As I prepared for my 25-minute show I realized this was the anniversary of the "Kent State Massacre" of college students protesting the Vietnam War. I was 16 years old on May 4, 1970 and had participated in antiwar marches and as a young hippie was part of the flower power counterculture.
So I decided to dedicate my "Featured Poet Show" of "Richard Del Connor Philosopher Poet" as "Kent State Murder Day." I organized my existing poetry that I'd written in the last couple years criticizing the Military Industrial Complex, USA Politics, and printed my handwritten lyrics and poetry into a libretto that I printed up for my performance audience. This book contains these poems and copies of the original handwritten libretto. I was homeless at that time and performing more than once per week in various open-mics, poetry readings and book fairs as, "Richard Del Connor Philosopher Poet."
I would like to keep this "Kent State Massacre" alive as a reminder to future generations as part of my own antiwar activities. I hope you find this inspiring.
In 2021 I spent the year in cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and cobalt radiation treatment. I wasn't sure how long I would live and created the AMERICAN ZEN PEACE FOUNDATION to continue my antiwar writings, websites, and my music albums and books.
Let's "End All Wars(TM)"
War can only be stopped by the common people, convicts, and vengeful killers. The Government makes money off every war everywhere. I believe that ALL WARS are bad and created by bad politicians. It's up to you. I'm doing more than anyone I know.
