His book tonight, moments of truth, is a collection of more than 150 photos around the kent state massacre of 1970 in which four students lives were lost. So without further ado, please welcome howard ruffner. [applause] howard first of all, i have to say it is nice to see some familiar faces out here. Lots of people from pasadena village and relatives. My daughter is here with my soninlaw, and his parents are here. People from near where i live. But most of all, i have to thank my wife for being here. If she will just raise her hand. [applause] as most of you know, whenever you endeavor on a real, good project, your spouse is the one who picks up the other stuff, and laura kept me organized and kept me going and made sure i did not lose too much of a focus on where i was going with this. So let me get started. The intention of my book is to let you know more about me at the beginning before i attended kent state, my introduction to photography. And then the rest of the story starts wi
People. Well, i dont know what im going to do now. Im going against my will, you know. And i might as well go in there and get it over with. Do you have any family . Yeah. I have a mother and father. Do they know youre going in today. Right. I talked to my mother last night. How did she feel about it . Upset. Yeah. What did she say. Well she said just take care and write me every day. Ive tried to. Theres no way. So what is your family going to do when youre away . Live. Worry, i guess. Well weve been hes been drafted before. And he just didnt go. And we tried everything. Medical excuse and everything and like right now im pregnant and i dont know what im going to do. The president said vietnam is in nations most anguishing problem but said the middle east is the most dangerous. He stressed that u. S. Military strength in the u. N. Now, ricky, do you want to eat something . What . Maybe ricky will. I really felt that way, too. I just feel that i cant possibly give another one of my boy
Neutrality. This is not an invasion of cambodia. The areas in which these attacks will be launched are completely occupied and controlled by north vietnamese forces. Our purpose is not to occupy the areas. Once enemy forces are driven out of these sankfrng ai areas, we withdraw. These actions are in no way directed to the securitien intere security interests of any nation. Now let me give you the reasons for my decision. A majority of the American People, a majority of you listening to me are for the withdrawal of our forces from vietnam. The action i have taken tonight is indispensable for the continuing success of that withdrawal program. A majority of the American People want to end this war rather than to have it drag on. The action i have taken tonight will serve that purpose. A majority of the American People want to keep the casualties of our brave men in vietnam at a minimum. The action i take tonight is essential if we are to accomplish that goal. We take this action not for t
They produced a virtual ceremony. Next on American History tv, we see footage of that program, which includes footage of the deadly confrontation between ohio guardsmen and students protesting the vietnam war and recollections from wounded survivors and eyewitnesses. Located right beside taylor hall is a parking lot, the parking lot that four students unfortunately passed away during the may 4th shooting. And i have parked in that parking lot. I have walked across it. I have talked to my friends while walking across it. And i think theres something incredibly powerful about something that people encounter daily, having such a wound located there. I really am grateful that i have been able to attend kent state and been around what happened on may 4th and be able to exist in that space because it fires me up, honestly, every time i see it, to just keep fighting. Because some of the things they were fighting for back then were still fighting for now and we cant become complacent. Complace
Well, i dont know what im going to do now. Im going against my will, you know. And i might as well go in there and get it over with. Do you have any family . Yeah. I have a mother and father. Do they know youre going in today. Right. I talked to my mother last night. How did she feel about it . Upset. Yeah. What did she say. Well she said just take care and write me every day. Ive tried to. Theres no way. So what is your family going to do when youre away . Live. Worry, i guess. Well weve been hes been drafted before. And he just didnt go. And we tried everything. Medical excuse and everything and like right now im pregnant and i dont know what im going to do. The president said vietnam is this nations most anguishing problem but said the middle east is the most dangerous. He stressed that u. S. Military strength in the u. N. Now, ricky, do you want to eat something . What . Maybe ricky will. I really felt that way, too. I just feel that i cant possibly give another one of my boys to t