Fire In the Heartland: Kent State University 1970

On May 4th, 1970 a horrific event occurred at Kent State University. 13 students were injured by an attack from army reserves, 4 of them died. The film Fire In the Heartland provides an in-depth view on the events leading up to this day. In the film the 1960’s was referred to as the “Decade of Death” starting with the death of President John F. Kennedy, then Martin Luther Kind, Robert Kennedy, and  ending with the shootings at Kent State. First hand accounts from students whom attended Kent State during these troubling times were the meat of this film. Organizations such as Students for a Democratic Society, B.U.S., and the Weatherman were the backbones of many protests and movements on campus.

After the film, producer Daniel Lee Miller and some of the former students featured in the film, such as Roseann "Chic" Canfora, and her brother Alan Canfora, answered questions from the audience. Miller was also a student at Kent State University and witnessed the horrific events on May 4th. One viewer asked if this film would be used for educational purposes at Kent State to inform students of their schools history. Miller explained that, just the other day actually, some professors from Kent State University had watched the film and suggested that it be used on campus. He also explained that he feels as if he was called to tell the whole story of what happened and what led up to the events of that day and this was his way of telling it. In the film, it showed that a gym was built in 1977 to cover up the scene of these shootings at Kent State. A viewer asked if any of the panel knew if any places on campus were permanently going to be preserved for historical reasons. They informed us that President Obama claimed Kent State University as a historical site. The parking lot where many injured students were taken before being rushed to the hospital will be preserved.

As well all know, not everyone shares the same opinions. One audience member made this very clear. During the question and answer period she began to explain her position. She felt that the film was trying to speak for the entire student body of that time period. Being a student at Kent State during this time and also witnessing the shooting, she felt as if this was her time to speak up. She stated that not the entire student body was as radical as the film portrayed.  She used the riot that erupted one Friday night before the shooting as an example. That night, some speeches were being told at different bars and police began pulling people out into the streets. Chaos broke. Windows were smashed in shop fronts and parked cars. This was a sign of protest but some students were just drunk and having fun! The disagreeing viewer stated this latter fact and that she thought it got way out of control and people did not realize the consequences of their actions. Chic Canfora replied, “ Students were willing to go to jail for this because they were sick of injustice and risks should be able to be taken with out fear of outcomes. As the crowd dispersed the theater I caught up with this viewer to hear the rest of her side of the story. She reiterated that the film portrayed the student body at Kent State, during this time period, as a group of radicals. If you weren’t a radical, you were a “bull-headed” conservative. She explained that many parties quickly would turn into political events and protests. This was a time of radicalism but not everyone was a radical at Kent.

Overall this film opened my eyes to many things I did not know. It’s shocking to see how so many different events can be related. The events that happened on May 4th, 1970 were horrific. Those who died will never be forgotten.