Allison Krause is a fearless American student who fell victim to her own country. Her story is a vivid example of how the state can not give a damn about its citizens, forgetting about the law and morality. And at the same time, this is a story about how courage and determination of people are able to repulse arrogant bureaucracy.
The glaring US problem in the early 70s
Many consider America a brutal and barbaric country. There are reasons for this. Over its relatively short history, the American government has repeatedly launched military campaigns against other peoples and states. In particular, in the early 70s, the United States, along with South Vietnam, invaded the territory of Cambodia.
This event caused a flurry of discontent among American citizens who did not want their loved ones to kill innocent people. Soon, protests aimed at withdrawing troops from Cambodia began to flare up across the country. At the same time, the hottest rallies took place on campus and university grounds.
Allison Krause: a few moments before the tragedy
No one knows when exactly the next life drama will happen. A student at the University of Kent, nineteen-year-old Allison Krause, did not know about this either. Being an excellent student and a pacifist, she, along with friends, tried to resist the dictatorial regime of the government. One by one, they wrote petitions to parliament in order to somehow attract attention: to say that the American people do not want war in a foreign land, do not want his sons to die there. Alas, their attempts were in vain, as officials simply ignored all requests and supplications.
Therefore, on May 4, 1970, Allison Krause, together with her comrades, came out for a peaceful protest. The action was organized on the territory of the university, and therefore, soon the remaining students began to join it. The city authorities did not like such self-will, and therefore they sent a unit of the national guard there in order to calm the students.
And a shot rang out ...
Allison Krause was in the forefront when the National Guard arrived . Confident in their abilities, the military began shouting at the protesters, ordering them to leave the square immediately. But the belief in the rightness of their cause did not allow the young people to retreat. Closing the ranks, they opposed the armed aggressors.
Unfortunately, there is no reliable data on who was the first to break the fragile balance between the two sides. Soon the first shot was fired, after which the student’s first body fell to the ground. Among the protesters a panic broke out, because of which the military again opened fire. As a result, 9 people were injured, and 4 died. Among the latter was Allison Krause. The photos taken at the scene the next day circulated all the news publications, bringing such a sad message to the people.
Flowers are better than bullets
A report on the deaths of students forced Americans to leave their apartments and go through the streets of the country in a march of protest. Two days had not passed, and about 20 thousand people gathered in Texas Square, demanding a trial over illegal shooting.
And on May 9, 1970, a protest rally against the war in Cambodia was held in Washington. On this day, more than 100 thousand people decided to express their dissatisfaction. At the head of this procession stood out a large poster, "Flowers are better than bullets." According to Allison's friends, it was these words that the girl said, dying in the square of Kent University.
Final story
As a result, US President Richard Nixon surrendered under the onslaught of the claims of the people. First, he forbade the troops to move deeper into Cambodia, and then completely removed them from there. And it happened on June 30, 1970. Alas, this was the only victory of the American people. Indeed, despite the fact that the court admitted the mistake of the military, none of them suffered a well-deserved punishment. Also, officials who ordered the cleaning of the university square escaped the proceedings.
However, even today, Americans respectfully pronounce the name Allison Krause. The film, shot by her friends, constantly reminds them of why this girl died. Unfortunately, only in 1980 did the authorities recognize her as an innocent victim. Having apologized in writing to Allison Krause's relatives, they paid them $ 15,000 in compensation.