Touched by History

Today is May 4. Many people, even those of you not from Ohio, may have heard of the Kent State Shootings on May 4, 1970. Four people were killed and nine injured when the Ohio National Guard fired into a crown of protesters [and hit some innocent bystanders, as well.]

I was not even a thought in my parents mind when this occurred, but I have my own personal connection to this piece of history.

While a grad student at Kent State, I worked as a student adviser for the Journalism and Mass Comm Department. My office overlooked THE HILL. Every day, I looked at the very place that the shooting occurred. And I had the pleasure of being a fellow student of Robbie Sparks- one of the nine wounded.

So, I can't help but pause and remember--and know that even though I won't be near the hill today, it will be blooming with thousands of daffodils. Because, despite these, and many other tragic and senseless deaths, we live in a country that offers MUCH hope. And MUCH freedom.

And it doesn't hurt to remember that!