On this day in 1970, four Kent State University students were killed by National Guardsmen while protesting the Vietnam War. The soldiers, whose mission was to protect the United States, instead killed those they were charged with protecting. Krause, Miller, Scheuer and Schroeder died while exercising their right to protest.

And I fear that something similar could happen again. The current White House is not overly tolerant of dissent, and the tensions between those who are pro-war and anti-war are slowly increasing – something that always seems to happen as a war gets more and more unpopular.

So, in hopes that this won’t happen again, I present the lyrics to “Ohio,” a song written by Neil Young after witnessing the madness of Kent State. The song was recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and released on May 14, 1970, only ten days after the tragedy.

Ohio (Neil Young)

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.