Laurel Krause, the Mendocino coast, March 28, 2020
… An account from Barry Levine who accompanied Allison Krause at Kent State on May 3, 1970 just a day before her killing
Sunday was a peaceful day, the sun was warm and the breeze was gentle. Allison spent the day quietly strolling the campus, sometimes laughing and joking, sometimes seriously discussing the past two days of disturbances on the campus. It was late afternoon when we decided to walk to the front campus and fraternize with some guardsmen.
Upon arriving, one particular guardsman caught our eye. He stood quietly alone, a lilac in his gun barrel. Taking me by the arm, Allison walked over to him, his name was Meyers, and unlike many of the soldiers we had met that day, Meyers wore a pleasant smile, and when he spoke, he did so with a gentle compassion. He said he did not want to be guarding the campus, but when asked why he didn’t leave, he looked at the ground and shyly said he couldn’t.
Disturbed at the pleasant rapport one of his men was enjoying with us, an officer slowly strolled over and placed his arm around Meyers’ shoulder. As we watched inquisitively, Meyers’ face tightened up, his back straightened and his smile completely disappeared. The officer, yelling in Meyers’ ear, ordered him to identify himself and his division. Meyers did so, and as we watched the fear swell in the young guardsmen’s eyes, the officer began:
O: Doesn’t your division have target practice next week, Meyers?
M: Yes, sir.
O: Are you going there with that silly flower?
M: No, sir.
O: What is it doing in your rifle barrel?
M: It was a gift, sir.
O: Do you always accept gifts Meyers?
M: No, sir.
O: Then why did you accept this one?
… No Answer
O: (Holding out his hand) What are you going to do with it Meyers?
… Meyers feebly began to remove the lilac
O: That’s better Meyers. Now straighten up and start acting like a soldier and forget all this peace stuff.
Realizing the officer would merely throw the lilac away, Allison grabbed it from his hand and gave him a look of disgust, but he only turned his back.
As the officer walked away, Allison called after him, “What’s the matter with peace? Flowers are better than bullets!”
***
Flowers are better than bullets by Barry Levine
Just a few gentle words
coming from her heart, there
was no profundity intended –
just a natural reaction in defense
of a stranger she had taken a
liking to. Five simple words
that will never be forgotten.
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