Four Dead in Ohio

Recently, my friend Brant Davy reminded me about the first time he heard “Ohio” when we listened to my copy of 4 Way Street, the live album released by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (CSNY) in April 1971 – and the impact that it had. As Canadians, we lived with a next-door neighbour’s awareness of what was happening across the backyard fence – the draft, significant protests taking place across the country against the continued escalation of the War in Vietnam, and in the case of Kent State, students murdered by the national guard because of those protests.

This iconic image of a university student grieving the murder of her friend galvanized opinion internationally in a similar way to the recent images of ICE agents seizing students from campuses and families from their homes in order to deport them – or the vision of US troops facing off against protestors in the streets of Los Angeles. 

In the early 1970’s, I had the opportunity to befriend two American men who chose to cross the border, leaving behind their life and family rather than taking part in the killing of others in an unjust war. They were two of the most courageous, compassionate and righteous people I’ve had the privilege to know. Their spirit lives on in the hearts and voices of protestors across the United States, and we can learn a lot from them (then and now).

It seems significant that it was Young, the only Canadian in CSNY, who penned the most challenging songs on the album – Ohio and the anti-racist song of protest Southern Man. Throughout his 79 years, he has been a consistently prophetic voice on behalf of human rights, social justice and the planet.

Thank you, Neil! “Long May You Run”!