May 4th + 55 Years

Every year on this date, I’ve written about the shootings at Kent State University, now 55 years ago. I lived close to KSU, about 20 miles away. I was 17 at the time and have always maintained that I was the first in my school to know about it because I was out riding around, having a couple of smokes.

My uncle and others from our little town were in the National Guard that day. Other young people from home were students at KSU. I still have the jacket my uncle wore that day.

Over the past 15 years on Facebook, I’ve written what amounts to a small book. I had an unusual perspective on what happened—not just because my uncle was there or because I knew students at KSU, but because I worked on the school newspaper and covered the political groups on campus.

Since it was always a topic of discussion, and because of my work on the paper, I had access to people involved and interviewed many of them. After 55 years, what’s left to say?

Some compare this to the Boston Massacre 200 years earlier. The second president of the United States, a nation’s founder, defended the British in court, and all but two were found innocent. The other two were guilty of reduced charges. The defense argument was similar to that of the National Guard.

But there really isn’t a comparison. The first led to the founding of this country. May 4th was indeed a tragedy—death almost always is. Some from my generation feel it led to ending the war in Vietnam. It didn’t. The war dragged on for three more years, followed by an almost Afghanistan-type withdrawal a couple of years later.

I learned a lot from talking to people and recording their stories in print. I never accepted that the Guard was solely at fault. It is also unfair to suggest that the students were at fault. I spent my first year at Ohio State and participated in protests.

Today, we see campus protests; some students do not even know what is being protested. There’s speculation that some are paid, and others are curious and hanging around.

For me, protesting wasn’t so much about calling for an end to the war. I liked to be where things were happening. I should be ashamed to say this, but I liked throwing rocks and busting (my wife hates when I use that word) things. But at the last protest I attended, a Columbus police officer changed my mind. Not in a bad way. They were busting heads with batons and billy clubs. But when it was over, I talked to him. He had a bandaged face from being hit by a brick the night before.

The reality for me was that I wasn’t anti-war. That doesn’t mean I favored war. I find it abhorrent but, at times, necessary.

My last active involvement was five years ago. The 50th anniversary was set to have Jane Fonda as a featured speaker. I, Ohio’s Secretary of State, and others opposed her coming, not because we opposed free speech, but because we felt the event should be about remembrance and healing. But her appearance and the rest of the speakers would open old wounds. And to those who claim she apologized for her actions in North Vietnam, she did not.

For me, it was mostly a writing campaign. Fonda did not speak live on campus, but not because of anything I did. The 2020 pandemic wiped out the ceremony.

There was a virtual program, but I didn’t participate. Based on a personal online debate with the sister of one of the wounded students organizing the program, I know there was no intention of reconciliation. The listed speakers were there to assign blame for the “murders” 50 years earlier.
By the way, the picture is of a bullet hole in a metal sculpture by Taylor Hall, where the shootings occurred and where I had all of my journalism classes.

After over five decades of talking and writing about it, I’m done—forevermore. I could say a lot more, but why? I mentioned fault early on. Governor Jim Rhodes bears responsibility for what happened, in my opinion. I could explain why I believe this, but I won’t. But fault is less important than what happened, and I hope it never happens again.

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Hebrews 13:8 powerfully reminds us of God’s unwavering nature: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

It’s comforting to know that in a world full of change, uncertainty, and shifting values, God remains constant and that His love, grace, and truth never waver. No matter what happens, we can rely on Him with absolute confidence.

This verse is about His reliability, offering stability when everything else seems unpredictable. It reinforces the idea that His promises remain constant, just as they did in the past, and will continue to in the future.

Another note: the Bible is an unchanging truth that guides people across all generations. The verse affirms Christ remains the same forever. So do his words. It’s like the Constitution, a foundational document that establishes enduring principles.

God’s words remain constant. His moral standards don’t shift with societal trends or cultural changes. What was right and wrong in His eyes thousands of years ago remains the same today.

With scripture, the idea is that God’s word stands forever, and its truth is absolute, regardless of cultural or historical changes. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever,” emphasizing this permanence.

These truths are seen throughout the Bible in the Old and New Testaments. Times may change, but good and bad do not. It’s important not to change the words to meet what you want them to mean to fit personal desires or changing worldviews.

The beauty of it is God doesn’t change the promises for us; we shouldn’t change them for our convenience.

Ashli Babbitt

DOJ Reaches Agreement to Settle Lawsuit by Family of Ashli Babbitt

It’s a first step. Michael Byrd needs to be held accountable. There are still questions to be answered.

NIP IN THE BUD

A teacher wants you dead. Barney Fife knew the answer.

A teacher at Waterville Senior High School in Maine, JoAnna St. Germain, posted on Facebook calling for the U.S. Secret Service to “take out” President Donald Trump AND his supporters to prevent a civil war, claiming Trump is not a legitimate president. She expressed willingness to do it herself if she had the skills.

I figure she realized she had committed a serious crime because she tried to clarify what she meant but failed miserably. As is customary by the Left, she also compared Trump to Hitler.

If she believed she had committed a crime, she was right. Her statements prompted investigations by local law enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security, and the school district, with the superintendent addressing safety concerns.

So, it was time to double down. St. Germain remained defiant, aware she might lose her job, but refused to retract her statements. But here’s the problem: it’s becoming a trend of increasing political violence and extremist rhetoric from the Left.

Continual references to Hitler in the context of comparing someone like Trump to him escalate tensions and potentially incite violence. The reality is we don’t have a Hitler in our midst and haven’t in this country as long as I can remember, but the comparison is highly charged.

For the ignorant, it evokes extreme historical connotations of tyranny and genocide, designed to inflame and polarize. When repeated, it vilifies a person or their supporters; it may contribute to a climate where some individuals feel justified in extreme actions, including violence.

By who? Well, the ignorant have been mentioned. There is another group. Repeatedly stating “Trump is Hitler,” there is a group on the fringe that sees it as a call to action and escalates the chance of violence among unstable individuals. My concern is that the fringe element on the Left continues to grow.

100 Days

In his first 100 days, despite relentless lawfare and resistance from Democrats and the media, President Trump has fortified border security, driven economic growth, eliminated excessive regulations, and reestablished America’s global leadership. In contrast to the Biden administration or a potential Democratic alternative, Trump’s leadership has delivered rising family incomes, flourishing businesses, and renewed international respect for the nation.

I wish I had started a few days earlier in looking at the first 100 days of the Trump administration. There are others I would like to do. [Article linked below]

Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) was driven by President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary RFKJr. Where are we during their first 100 days? The initiative aims to transform American food systems and healthcare by taking on chronic disease and regulatory inefficiencies.

Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced a ban on petroleum-based synthetic food dyes, with reviews of additives like BHA and seed oils taking place.

States like West Virginia and Texas are adopting MAHA policies, such as banning certain preservatives in schools and proposing SNAP soda bans. I know this is good, but I like pop (soda).
Kennedy plans to cut 10,000 HHS jobs to streamline operations.

The MAHA Commission, established by Trump, is investigating chronic diseases like autism.
Kennedy’s is pushing for healthcare pricing transparency and reduced corporate influence. resonates with supporters.

MAHA emphasizes holistic healthcare and real food advocacy but mandates neither. This may catch on. My doctors are all at the Cleveland Clinic, and it has a holistic department, though it is called something else.

The article portrays MAHA as bold but polarizing. When you challenge an entrenched swamp system, both depictions make sense.

Article Link: MAHA In 100 Days: How Trump And RFK Are Transforming Food And Healthcare In America

 

Other happenings

On April 9, 2025, FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi held a press conference in Florida, announcing a significant drug bust, the seizure of 49,000 pounds of illegal narcotics valued at over $509 million.

The drugs were intercepted near Peru, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. The U.S. Coast Guard led the four-month operation, using drones, aircraft, ships, and surveillance.

Here’s a good part: the drugs were tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel, recently designated foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration.

Bondi said it was a critical hit against the cartels’ finances, with prosecutions underway. Even better, since February, 59 tons of drugs worth over $1.5 billion have been seized. So, don’t say the Trump Administration isn’t getting things done; it is.
The Trump administration is aggressively taking on the cartels, violent crime, and illegal immigration. Promise made, promises kept.