Tag Archives: Thomas D. Gotowka

A View From My Porch: The President’s Coattails Are Tattered and Threadbare—A Treatise on Misbehavior

Posted on by

Epigraph:
“Johnny’s in the basement, mixing up the medicine;
I’m on the pavement, thinking about the government.”
[Bob Dylan (1965): Subterranean Homesick Blues.”]

Prologue:

Thomas D. Gotowka

So, what is there really to think about?

Well, I’m opining on why this Republican President, still supported by a “look the other way” Republican Congress, has shut down the Government; and once again, is threatening our Nation with massive job cuts in the federal workforce — a reprise of his first term shutdown, which lasted 35 days, the longest ever; and resulted in the furlough and/or firing of about 800,000 government employees. 

That 2018 Trump shutdown centered principally on funding for his vanity wall along Arizona’s border with Mexico — which he falsely claimed would be paid for by Mexico. Like America’s current crisis over access to affordable health insurance, the Republicans controlled Congress in 2018, too. 

I sincerely hope and pray that he does not seek to lengthen his appalling record of 35 days down. Check my math, but if the government remains closed beyond November 5, it becomes the longest shutdown in U.S. history, and this President breaks his own record.

On October 13th, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson already predicted that this current shutdown may become the longest in history: “We’re barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history.” He went on to say that “he won’t negotiate with Democrats until they ‘hit pause’ on their health care demands and reopen the government.” 

Unfortunately, Johnson had recessed the House, making negotiations nearly impossible. He claimed that his decision to keep House members out of Washington was not politically motivated. Rather, “lawmakers need to be at home to help constituents weather the effects of the shutdown.” 

Johnson has also been holding up the swearing-in of newly elected Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), a month after she won an Arizona special election. Once sworn in, her vote would be the last one needed by the Democrats to require the Justice Department to release “the Epstein files.” 

The President is in full “Biff the bully” mode; and his shutdown is clocking towards that new record.  He announced at an October 9th Cabinet meeting that “the administration will begin cutting programs backed by Democrats. 

“We’re only cutting Democrat programs, I hate to tell you, but we are cutting Democrat programs,” “We will be cutting some very popular Democrat programs that aren’t popular with Republicans, frankly.”  I think we got it the first time, Mr. President!

Note: “Biff Tannen” is a fictional character in the “Back to the Future” trilogy, depicted as a hulking, belligerent, and fatuous bully.

White House Improvements:

Meanwhile, the President has garishly gilded the Oval Office, is building a “big, beautiful” 90,000 square foot ballroom, now estimated to cost $300million, and planning a grand arch on the Arlington, VA, side of the Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River.

 CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe asked the President who the arch is for, and Trump pointed at himself: “Me.”

Note that in July, Trump falsely claimed that the ballroom’s price would be $200 million and would be constructed adjacent to the historic East Wing of the White House and “wouldn’t interfere” with the building’s existing structure. 

The shocking demolition of the historic East Wing began on October 20th.

And that’s not all! Trump said on Truth Social that “I renovated the Lincoln Bathroom.” “I did it in black and white polished Statuary marble.”

I respectfully quote Trump’s ever-present boogeyman’s favorite retort: “Come on, man!”—i.e., former President, Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

I am certain that President Trump has already guaranteed himself a place in American and world history, even without his ridiculous leasehold improvements.

“Golf is a Good Walk Spoiled”:

Trump marked the first full month of his government shutdown on Halloween by blaming it all on Democrats and taking a $3.4 million golf trip to Florida, bringing the total that taxpayers have spent on his hobby to $60.7 million since January. 

Trump doesn’t walk much on the golf course, as he almost exclusively uses a  golf cart. His golf party can include security in a dozen golf carts, generally two to a  cart; and one cart always occupied by a single person, Donald Trump. 

The expression, “Golf is a good walk, spoiled” was used by the author, Harry Leon Wilson, in his 1905 novel, “The Boss of Little Arcady: A Satirical Tale of Power and Corruption in Small-Town America.”

Personal Best?

On October 10th, Trump announced his administration’s plans to slash thousands of workers from several departments, including Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Treasury, and Commerce. 

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that “It’ll be a lot, and we’ll announce the numbers over the next couple of days, but it’ll be a lot of people.”  Again, Trump said that “many of the affected employees worked for programs that were ‘Democrat-oriented’ or were “people that the Democrats wanted”— “More cuts are under consideration.”

Trump’s firings mark the first large-scale expulsion of federal employees during a funding lapse in modern history, going beyond the furloughs that characterized past temporary shutdowns. His move ups the stakes in his standoff with Democrats—and as usual, he’s looking for someone, anyone, to accept the blame for his actions. 

OBBB:

All that said, in my last “View,”— “Exercise your franchise and cast your vote on Tuesday, November 4th,” I considered the horrific financial consequences of this President’s tariffs and his alleged “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) on Americans—especially, our neediest Americans; and on education and green energy programs. 

Notably, millions of disadvantaged Americans will lose their Medicaid health coverage, nutrition assistance, and access to school lunches; —and an estimated 22 million, including four million small business owners, who access their health coverage via the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) will experience considerable increases in premiums — it is estimated that 4.2 million Americans will become uninsured as costs rise to unaffordable levels.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called Trump’s OBBB “the most dangerous legislation in modern U.S. history,” and claimed that “it is a billionaire-funded payoff.”

Strikingly, even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA.), a staunch Trump supporter, blames Republican leaders for the shutdown, repeating the Democrats’ concerns about increases in health insurance premiums and Medicaid takeaways—which, as noted, is the debate at the core of the shutdown battle: The Georgia Congresswoman wrote: “I’m going to go against everyone on this issue because when the tax credits expire this year, my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are going to DOUBLE, along with all the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district.”

Pharmaceutical Tariffs:

To make matters even worse, on Thursday, Sept. 25; Trump announced a 100 percent tariff on brand-name or patented pharmaceutical products— i.e., beginning Oct. 1st, unless the drugmaker is building a manufacturing plant in the U.S. 

He also announced a 50 percent tariff on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 30% on upholstered furniture, and 25% on heavy trucks made outside the U.S. Trump, of course, said these new pharmaceutical tariffs will fulfill his vow to lower drug costs, although economists aren’t so certain.

China’s Restrictions on Rare Earths:

Incredibly, it gets even worse. China announced plans to implement tighter restrictions on their export of rare earths, used to manufacture products including semiconductors, electric car batteries, jet engines, and defense weapons. Intelligence indicates that they may produce more than three-quarters of the world’s rare earth magnets.

Trump threatened to retaliate by imposing additional 100 percent tariffs over current levels.

In reaction, the Chinese Government announced that “it is willing to work with North Korea to explore the potential for practical cooperation and add more impetus to the development and construction in the two countries.”

President Clinton also presided over two shutdowns during his tenure—five days ending in 1995 and 21 days ending in 1996. 

At the time, polling generally showed that Americans largely blamed the Republican Congress for the shutdowns and their conflicts with Clinton over funding for education, the environment, and public health.

This essay is a factual, roughly chronological, account of the events and actions that have consumed my attention since my last “View;” and is, really, what’s keeping me up at night. 

This “View” is longer than usual, as Trump’s administration has been so relentless in their actions, but if you are not sleeping so well, anyways …

If you are only scanning this “View,” each section represents a major theme in this unusually manic administration and may be reviewed independently. Whenever possible, I use relevant quotations to illustrate and support the issues.  

Disclaimers:

This “View” will not consider ICE brutality or the President’s personal vanity war with Venezuela, which, according to the Washington Post, has driven Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to reach out to Russia, China and Iran for support. 

Moreover, I do not do salacious, so beyond this disclaimer, I am not considering the “Epstein Files” or whatever relationships, if any, existed amongst Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Epstein’s “associate,” Ghislaine Maxwell; —which puts me in good company. The Supreme Court just declined to take up Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal of her sex trafficking case, crushing her final hope of fighting her 2021 conviction.

Bizarrely, maybe not “her final hope.” After the Supreme Court declined, Trump said that he would have to talk to the Department of Justice and review the Maxwell case. He has not ruled out granting a pardon. He has pardoned worse.

The President has labeled the Epstein files “a hoax perpetrated by the Democrats to undermine his ‘success’.” 

I continue with an overview of the “coattails effect” in American politics, and then review the rhetoric that precipitated my concerns regarding Trump’s aggressive redistricting push; and the events that inspired my assertion that “the President certainly realizes that his coattails are shabby. I follow with a review of Trump’s personal wars with our cities.

As always, these thoughts and observations are mine. 

I usually stand at the liberal side of center; and so, for example, I support school lunch programs, as credible research demonstrates that they are important for improving student health, academic performance, and can be a big factor in addressing food insecurity; ultimately  fostering  a more equitable learning environment, i.e., they level the learning field.

I don’t know whether there are families in Old Lyme who require nutrition assistance, but the weekly food pantry at FCCOL always appears very busy.

Coattails?

As a political term, the “coattail effect” refers to the influence of a victorious candidate on down-ballot elections—i.e., a phenomenon that appears when the popularity of a political candidate or leader results in higher voter counts for other candidates of the same party.  A candidate who wins an election because of another candidate’s popularity is said to be “swept in on the coattails” or “riding the coattails” of that candidate. 

So, a popular candidate can help sweep other Election Day contenders into office. In contrast, a controversial leader or unsuccessful presidential candidate may spoil the chances of those running for offices lower down on the ballot.

Trump’s Shady Solution:

I believe that Trump’s actions over the past several months demonstrate that he and his Republican supporters are aware of his probable negative impact on the midterms, scheduled for November 3, 2026. 

After all, Democrats “flipped the House” two years into his first term, and he certainly doesn’t want a repeat.

In mid-July, Trump began pushing Texas Republicans to redraw the state’s Congressional maps to create more House seats favorable to him and his party. 

Trump stated in an early August CNBC interview that “we should have many more seats in California, it’s all gerrymandered.” (see below). He went on: “we have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are ‘entitled’ to five more seats.”

Historians will place an asterisk next to Trump’s “highest vote in the history of Texas” claim.

George W. Bush won a higher share of Texas in both of his successful presidential campaigns:  59 percent in 2000, and 61 percent in 2004. Ronald Reagan won an even greater share of Texas in 1984—nearly 64 percent. 

Nevertheless, Trump’s 56 percent was solid, but do the math. 

What really matters here is not the truth of Trump’s claim, but that in his view, he and his Republican allies are “entitled” to seats held by five duly elected representatives.     

I am not going to provide the ugly play-by-play, but Texas Republican lawmakers pushed through a plan over fierce Democratic opposition; and on August 29th, Gov. Abbott approved a new set of district maps strongly favoring Republicans, and positioning them to possibly gain up to five additional seats. 

Four of those seats are currently held by Black or Hispanic lawmakers. Rep. Sylvester Turner, a Black Democrat, occupied the other one until his recent death. Abbott’s signature launched a national redistricting war. 

California immediately retaliated with redistricting bills that lawmakers and Gov. Newsom approved on Aug. 21st. The bill will go to the State’s voters on Nov. 4, and if approved, could net the Democrats five additional seats.  Editor’s Note: The bill passed convincingly on Nov. 4th with roughly 64% supporting it and 36% opposing it.

With intensified pressure from Trump, Republicans have also initiated efforts to create new districts in Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio, which increased calls for Democratic-run states to counter by redrawing their own districts. 

Note that redrawing district borders does not circumvent the individual voter’s personal decision.

The Decennial Census:

Redistricting usually occurs every 10 years, triggered by the decennial census conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Preparation and conduct of a decennial census can take several years. 

Of course, despite that time requirement, the President ordered a new census in August, “with restrictions;” apparently ignoring the 14th Amendment, which requires that the “whole number of persons in each state” be counted. Instead, and per the President: “the census data collections will be based on ‘modern day facts and figures’ and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024.” Fudge the results? 

Undeniably, states do have the authority to redistrict more frequently, often following legal challenges against maps accused of being gerrymandered, which means redistricted in a manner that favors one political party.  States like Florida and Virginia have seen this sort of redistricting in the last decade.

The Current Scorecard:

Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the House: 219 Republicans versus 213 Democrats. In the Senate, Republicans have 53 members, and Democrats, 45, though the two independent senators – Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Angus King (I-ME) – caucus with Democrats.

No Kings:

Americans staged two massive national protests this year. At the most recent, October 18th, nearly 7 million people marched at more than 2,700 events in all 50 states; including more than 100,000, each, in NYC, Philadelphia, and at the Boston Common. — and another 250,000 in Chicago. Nationwide, the protests were largely peaceful, although there were a few incidents. Organizers did not host an event in Washington, D.C. 

Trump returned to a familiar tactic and tried to denigrate the weekend’s protests; — speaking about the events with reporters aboard Air Force One, he said that they’d been “very small, very ineffective;” and dismissed the demonstrations against him as a “joke.” He also rejected suggestions that he is acting like a monarch. “I think it’s a joke,” 

He described those protesting against his administration as “whacked out.” 

“I looked at the people. They’re not representative of this country, and I looked at all the brand new signs paid for, I guess it was paid for by Soros and other radical left lunatics.”

Despite the insult, George Soros remains a billionaire philanthropist, who supports progressive and liberal political causes through his Open Society Foundations. 

Republicans maintained that the protests were “hate America” rallies and claimed they are prolonging the federal government shutdown.

On the other hand, Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke to demonstrators in front of the U.S Capitol building and said “we’re here because we love America; President Donald Trump and his billionaire allies, like Elon Musk, are endangering self-government.”

The first “No Kings” on June 14th, drew more than five million people at over 2,100 rallies and protests, countrywide. The LA Times reported that tens of thousands demonstrated in the city, roiled by Trump’s recent brutal immigration enforcement. The New York Post reported that 50,000 people showed up in NYC.

June 14th was the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army, and Trump’s 79th birthday; which made him the oldest President, ever.

There were no planned protests for Washington, D.C. — organizers stated that “instead of allowing this birthday parade (below) to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day.

Trump’s “Unbirthday” Military Parade:

The June 14th parade was the largest U.S. military parade since the 1990s, but several media outlets, including the New York Times and the Wall street Journal,  reported that the crowd was sparse; TIME estimated tens of thousands came out to witness the event; Although Trump, whose preoccupation with crowd size is well known, claimed “250,000 patriots showed up to celebrate.”

In an interview at the Capitol, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, called the parade “wildly inappropriate” and said that while he has no problem celebrating the U.S. military; “We do not celebrate individual leaders. We celebrate the Constitution, and we celebrate the Country.” 

“It’s clear Trump is doing this as a celebration of his power, not as a celebration of the military,”

The Army reported expenses of $30 million; which covered the cost of hauling dozens of tanks and armored vehicles by train and truck from military bases in Texas to Wahington, D.C., travel expenses for 7,000 soldiers, Warplanes that flew overhead, and Army parachutists  that came down from the skies The Army’s tabulation does not include the cost of the parade’s significant security requirements, including the Secret Service, DHS, FBI and local police personnel required to secure a large area  of downtown Washington and monitor possible threats, or damages to the City’s infrastructure by the tanks.

The idea of one’s “unbirthday” first appeared in Lewis Carroll’s 1871 novel, “Through the Looking Glass.” (Note that I have not used the term in the same manner as Lewis Carroll.).
N.B.
The Navy, which also celebrates its 250th anniversary in October of this year, has no plans for a similar parade; neither does the Marine Corps, for its 250th in November.

The Democrat Power Center:

The day after the June protests, Trump ordered Democratic cities be “targeted with raids by immigration authorities; — he said that “he’s ordering his entire administration to attack cities that he calls “the Democrat Power Center.”

Trump’s Invasion and Occupation of American Cities Governed by Democrats:

This is “insanity.” Perhaps not a diagnosis you’d find in ICD-11, but the look and feel is definitely there.

Los Angeles:

In June, responding to protests of heavy-handed immigration raids in Los Angeles, Trump ordered 2,000 soldiers from the California National Guard into the city to “protect ICE agents. He also ordered the Pentagon to dispatch regular U.S. troops “as necessary” to support the California National Guard. 

Trump later claimed that he saved Los Angeles by deploying Marines on protestors, stating that “Los Angeles would be burning to the ground.” 

CA Gov. Newsom, another Trump boogeyman, decades younger than the President, responded with a lawsuit, noting that the President’s action threatens state sovereignty. 

Washington, D.C.:

On Aug. 11, after a “trumped up” public safety “emergency,” The President announced plans to deploy some 800 members of the Washington, D.C. National Guard to the nation’s capital. Trump claimed the deployment is part of a city-wide effort to combat violent crime such as homicides, robberies, and burglaries – even though such crimes have sharply fallen over the past two years. “This is liberation day in D.C. and we’re going to take our capital back.” These moves generated intense outrage from Congressional Democrats, while the GOP just looked the other way.

Chicago:

In early September, Trump posted what appeared to be an AI-generated image of himself in front of the Chicago skyline with helicopters, flames, and the phrase “Chipocalypse Now;” referencing, I suppose, the 1979 movie “Apocalypse Now.” “I love the smell of deportations in the morning.”

“Chicago is about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” 

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker responded: “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn’t a strongman; he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”

In early October, Trump responded on Truth Social that Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker “should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers!” 

It wasn’t immediately clear what Trump was specifically objecting to with those threats, but it was an example of his deliberate calls for his opponents to be prosecuted or locked up;”— in this case, guilty of opposing his deployment of National Guard troops in their city. 

Finally, on October 9th, two hundred Texas National Guard troops started working in the Chicago area. 

Portland:

In his first term, Trump declared Portland to be an “anarchist jurisdiction.” As unlikely as that claim sounds, he carried it through to this term. NYC and Seattle also received that designation.

While addressing our military leaders (see below), he described Portland as “like a war zone and claimed the city looked like World War II.” 

In a mocking manner he related his conversation with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek.: “I get a call from the liberal governor: “Sir, please don’t come in, we don’t need you.’” “I said, ‘Well, unless they are playing false tapes, this looked like World War II. Your place is burning down. I mean, you must be kidding.”

Trump repeated that claim to reporters at the White House: “I looked at Portland over the weekend. The place is burning down, just burning down … it was on fire over the weekend.”

On Sep. 27th, in a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that “at the request of the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, he was directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “provide ‘all necessary Troops’ to Portland.” He wrote that the troops would “protect War ravaged Portland” and protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities that he claimed “are under siege from attack by ‘Antifa’ and other domestic terrorists.”

Trump added that he is “authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” but without clarification.

He then issued a press release that said “the Radical Left’s reign of terror in Portland ends now,” 

Portland’s mayor, Democrat Keith Wilson, said “Our nation has a long memory of acts of oppression, and the president will not find lawlessness or violence here unless he plans to perpetrate it.”

Similarly, in September, the conservative editors at the Wall Street Journal warned the GOP that  their  failure to resist Trump’s executive power excesses will hurt their party and the country in the future; and give Democrats precedent to use the same tactics against them.

Trump and Hegseth Meet with the Military’s Senior Officers: 

Hegseth ordered some 800 military leaders with a rank of one-star general, rear admiral, or higher and senior non-commissioned officers to travel with little notice and without an agenda to Marine Corps Base Quantico. The gathering was highly unusual, given the disruption and logistical effort required to have military leadership travel from all parts of the world with only a few days’ notice; and given that the military has a well-established ability to hold secure meetings remotely.

Trump had spoken with reporters at the White House in advance of the meeting and said “I’m going to be meeting with generals and with admirals and with leaders; and if I don’t like somebody, I’m going to fire them right on the spot.”

Hegseth began the meeting with a speech extolling the “warrior ethos” to our Nation’s senior-most warriors, and promoted the new name, the Department of War, although it has not been officially changed by Congress. 

“This speech is about fixing decades of decay,” “This is part of the Trump administration’s effort to strip away the “social justice, politically correct and toxic, ideological garbage that had infected our department.” “We are done with that s***.”

He slammed “toxic leaders,” who he accused of lowering standards to make the Defense Department a “woke” culture” at the Pentagon. “He complained about “fatties” and “beardos” and went on with: “If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, you should do the honorable thing and resign.”

Trump followed Hegseth with his own speech, and was met with grim faces and silence.

As he took the stage, he said that “I’ve never walked into a room so silent before “If you want to applaud, you applaud. There was no applause. “If you don’t like what I’m saying, you can leave the room.” Trump covered a range of topics in his 70 minute ramble:

  • his decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.  
  • the “possibility” of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state.
  • the quality of stationery he uses. 
  • former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen. 
  • his pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize; repeating his false claim that he has “settled seven” wars.

He called for the production of more battleships, and noted that “they were building a ship a day in World War II, but we don’t build ships anymore.” He suggested that his tariffs could fund an expanded production of battleships. 

Journalist Philip Bump, national columnist for The Washington Post, wondered “Does he not realize that the military needs of 2025 are different than those of 1945?”

Amazingly, Trump then continued with “We’re under invasion from within,” “No different than a foreign enemy but more difficult in many ways because they don’t wear uniforms — at least when they’re wearing a uniform, you can take them out.

“We’ve brought back the fundamental principle that defending the homeland is the military’s first and most important priority. That’s what it is,” Trump said. “Only in recent decades did politicians somehow come to believe that our job is to police the far reaches of Kenya and Somalia, while America is under invasion from within.

At one point, Trump said he suggested to Hegseth that “We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military – not national guard, but military” – because we’re going into Chicago very soon, that’s a big city with an incompetent governor,” He noted allegations that protesters were throwing bricks at vehicles driven by federal agents and the National Guard, and suggested that military members should exit their vehicles and “do whatever the hell you want to do” in response.

The senior military officers at the meeting remained professional throughout, but never broke into applause. 

A Note on the Oath of office:

All officers of the eight uniformed services of the United States swear or affirm an oath of office upon commissioning: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. 

A senior officer in the military may question whether an order is illegal when they suspect the order is contrary to the Constitution, the laws of the United States, or lawful superior orders. They may also question an order if it appears to be manifestly illegal;—e.g., orders to target civilians or to commit crimes. 

If a senior officer has concerns about the legality of an order, they are obligated to seek clarification or confirmation of its legality. 

Author’s Thoughts: This “View has been very difficult to research and write. My approach was  to present the Administration’s issues and themes “in his own words,“ which has been gut-wrenching. He joins an ignoble body of international figures, who turned their own armies inward on the very people they were supposed to protect. 

  • Adolf Hitler sent the SA, SS, and Gestapo into neighborhoods long before WWII — intimidating, silencing, and brutalizing his own citizens.
  • Benito Mussolini unleashed his Blackshirts in Italian towns to attack and terrify his political opponents.
  • Joseph Stalin used the NKVD and Red Army inside Soviet cities to purge, deport, and control through fear. 
  • Francisco Franco in Spain kept soldiers in the streets to crush dissent and make silence a way of life.

I complete this “View” with the words of Joseph N. Welch, Special Counsel for the Army, during the televised Army-McCarthy Hearings in Washington, D.C.;   who responded on June, 9th, 1954 to Sen. Josph McCarthy’s (R-WI) specious attempt to accuse a young associate in Welch’s firm of Communist ties. 

“Until this moment, Senator, I think I have never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Have you no sense of decency sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” Now nearly three-quarters of a century later, I feel that recent events make this poignant comment relevant again.

Editor’s Note: This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka..

About the author: Tom Gotowka’s entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.

Bibliography:
Adams, C. “Donald Trump’s Bizarre Crowd-Size Diss in ‘No Kings’ Protests Rant.” Daily Beast. 10/20/2025.
Bennett, B. “Trump’s Military Parade Overtakes Washington, and Kindles ‘No Kings’ Protests Across Rest of U.S.” Time. 06/14/2025.
Blossom, P. “What are the benefits of free school meals? Here’s what the research says.” The University of Illinois at Urbana Food Science & Human Nutrition 10/17/2023
Cameron, H. “China floats closer ties with North Korea following Trump escalation.” Newsweek. 10/12/2025.
Cappelletti, J. & Riccardi, N. “Trump tells Texas Republicans to redraw the state congressional map to help keep House majority.” Associated Press. 07/15/2025.
Carroll, Lewis (1872). “Through the looking-glass, and what Alice found there.” London: Macmillan and Co.
Cerullo, M. “Trump threatens to jack up tariffs on China over rare-earth controls.” CBS News. 10/10/2025.
Charalambous, P. et al. “Here’s a list of the individuals, including Letitia James, targeted so far by the Trump administration.” ABC News. 10/09/2025
Cunningham, T. et al. “Streets filled across the country for ‘No Kings’ peaceful rallies protesting Trump.” ABC News. 10/18/2025.
Davies, E. & Viser, M. “Trump tells a roomful of silent generals to join a ‘war from within’.” WaPo. 09/30/2025
Dylan, R. (1965). “”Subterranean Homesick Blues.” [Lyrics] On “Bringing it All Back Home.” [LP record]. NYC: Columbia Records.
Dorn, S. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Blames GOP Leaders For Shutdown—In Latest Break With Her Own Party.” Forbes. 10/09/2025.
Foran, A. “‘Like World War II’: Trump talks Portland during address to military leaders.” CBS News. 09/30/2025.
Galston, W. “What history tells us about the 2026 midterm elections.” Brookings. 08/28/2025.
Gans, J. “Trump says GOP ‘entitled’ to 5 more House seats in Texas.” The Hill.08/05/2025
Glass. A. “McCarthy assailed by Army Counsel, June 9, 1954.” Politico. 06/08/2011.
Goldberg, J. “Trump: “‘I Need the Kind of Generals That Hitler Had’.” The Atlantic10/22/2024
Gotowka, T. “A View From My Porch: A Closer Look at ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ (OBBB), Tariff Impacts.” LymeLine. 09/06/2025
Hernandez, M. “Trump says LA ‘would be burning to the ground’ if he did not send troops.” Anadou Agency. 10/06/2025.
Jaramillo, A. & Cohen, E. “Trump calls for a new census to exclude undocumented immigrants.” CNN. 08/07/2025.
Knowles, H. & Wells, D. “The states where Trump, Republicans plan to bring redistricting fights next.” WaPo. 08/23/2025.
Johansen, B.  & Kapos, S. “‘This is not a joke’: Chicago leaders slam Trump after president declares ‘Chipocalypse Now’.”Politico. 09/08/2025.
Johansen, B. “Trump promises cuts to programs favored by Democrats.” Politico. 10/09/2025.
Kim, J. “Where has Trump suggested sending troops? In cities run by Democratic mayors.” NPR. 10/10/2025
Korte, G. et al. “Trump Fires Federal Workers, Escalating US Shutdown Fight.” Bloomberg. 10/10/2025.
Lubin, R. “Trump now says his ballroom will cost $300M and the entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished to make space.” The Independent. 10/22/2025.
Luhby, T. “A 100% tariff on some imported drugs is coming October 1, Trump says.” CNN 09/26/2025.
Lillis, M. “Johnson says House will remain closed until shutdown ends.” The Hill. 10/10/2025.
Mayes-Osterman, C. “Tanks and thousands of soldiers marched in DC Army parade. What was the cost?” USA TODAY. 07/22/2025.
Marquez, A. et al. “Trump directs defense secretary to deploy troops to Portland.” NBC News. 09/27/2025.
Mitchell, E. “What to know about Trump’s DC National Guard deployment.” The Hill – 08/11/2025 
Moore, N. Trump craves a war in Chicago. Chicago Sun-Times. 10/25/2024.
Price, M. & Tareen, S. “Trump says Illinois governor and Chicago mayor should be jailed as they oppose Guard deployment.” AP. 10/08/2025.
Quinn, M. “Trump, Hegseth rally troops at rare meeting, rail against “woke” standards.” CBS News, 09/30/2025
Ray, S. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Says She’s ‘Disgusted’ Health Insurance Costs Could Double.” Forbes. 10/07/2025.
Rimmer, M. et al. “Speaker Johnson said he’d swear in new House Democrat ‘as soon as she wants.’ Now Republicans are backtracking.” CNN. 10/07/2025.
Samuels, B. “Trump on pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell: ‘I’d have to take a look at it’” The Hill. 10/06/2025
Savage, D. “Supreme Court is set to rule on Trump using troops in U.S. cities.” L A Times. 10/24/2025.  
Sentner, I. “Trump open to invoking the Insurrection Act.” Politico. 10/06/2025. 
Whisnant, G. “Opinion: Could Donald Trump invoke the Insurrection Act? What we know.” Newsweek. 10/06/2025.
Watson, K. “Arc de Trump?” President shows off model of ‘Independence Arch’.” CBS News. 10/16/2025.

A View From My Porch: A Closer Look at ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ (OBBB), Tariff Impacts

Posted on by

Exercise Your Franchise, Cast Your Vote on Nov. 4th

Tom Gotowka

Epigraph: “There’s no such thing as a vote that doesn’t matter”
[President Barack Obama. Remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 46th Annual Phoenix Awards.* 09/18/2016.] * The Phoenix Awards recognize significant contributions in literature and social justice within the Black community, with notable distinctions for children’s literature and achievements.

I was editing the final essay in my “Lest we Americans ever forget” series of “Views” just as Old Lyme’s DTC and RTC released their nominations for the upcoming election. 

I decided to postpone  “The Nixon Chronicles” and devote this “View” to CT’s municipal elections; — which are unique this year in that they occur amidst the financial fallout from Trump’s unrestrained vanity tariff war and the societal impacts from the passage and implementation of what he called the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB).

Clearly, “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.” Other descriptors include “cruel” and “harmful,” though I am satisfied with “mean-spirited.”

This “View” is a domestic “lay of the land,” and reflects my observations on what, in my opinion, an unprincipled Republican President, supported by a “look the other way” Republican Congress, can inflict on America. 

The 119th United States Congress has been unwilling to impose even the most fundamental guardrails on the Trump administration. 

I consider the OBBB version that Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025 in the following, and its impacts on both our neediest Americans and education in America. I present what I think are many of the key points of Trump’s OBBB, which was said to be about 1000 pages long, although this précis is considerably shorter.

I also consider the impacts of Trump’s tariffs.

Why it all Matters:

This will all be on my mind this November, and I am certain, may remain there for the 2026 midterm elections, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, which will be critical for shaping the makeup of the House of Representatives and the Senate and determining the political landscape of the country for the second half of Trump’s term. 

I. OBBB—By the Numbers:

“These are the times that try men’s souls.” 
[Thomas Paine. “The American Crisis.”  The Pennsylvania Journal. 12/19/1776] 

  • OBBB imposes a nearly $1 trillion cut to Medicaid over the next decade, and substantial cuts to education, student loans, nutrition assistance, and green energy programs.
  • Local green energy cuts: On Friday, August 22nd, The Day carried the headline, “Trump halts New London-based Revolution Wind project” Trump indicated that it was a national security issue, but did not say exactly what that issue was. (“need-to-know,” too?)

Senator Blumenthal called the decision to halt work on a fully-permitted project “insane,” and one that would likely be overturned in court.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a respected nonprofit and nonpartisan Washington-based policy group, indicates that “the ‘harmful’ Republican ‘mega bill’ gives huge tax breaks to wealthy individuals, businesses, and large corporations, while leaving behind or raising costs for millions of working families.” 

Incredibly, VP J D Vance referred to OBBB as a “working families’ tax cut” on Aug. 21, 2025 at a speech in Peachtree City, GA. 

  • The Budget Lab at Yale University found that any OBBB tax benefits disappear for all but the wealthiest 10 percent when the rising consumer costs associated with Trump’s tariffs are considered. 
  • OBBB will reduce net federal tax revenues by an estimated $4.5 trillion, largely due to the extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) policies and the new changes in tax credits and deductions.
  • National Debt: The Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation, both non-partisan institutions working for Congress, estimate that the national debt will be increased by $4.1 trillion over the next 10 years. 

In anticipation, OBBB included an increase in the statutory debt limit by $5 trillion, the largest in history; making the bill the most expensive law passed by Congress since the 2012 American Taxpayer Relief Act, which cost $4 trillion and made most of the expiring Bush tax cuts permanent. 

Note that increases in the statutory debt limit require Congressional approval. Economists warn that expanding the national debt can eventually lead to stagnant wages, higher interest rates, rising inflation and a weaker U.S. dollar.

Trump has claimed that his tariffs will bring in so much revenue that they will pay down national debt and fund a “public “dividend.” Unfortunately, Treasury data show that, while substantial, the tariffs fall short of even covering monthly interest costs.

  • A “Positive”: OBBB expands or extends the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, Opportunity Zones, and New Market Tax Credits—which collectively can stimulate economic growth and investment in low-income communities and incentivize developer and investor interest to expanding affordable housing opportunities.

II. OBBB—Impacts on our Neediest Americans: 

    “Threw the Bums A Dime.” [Bob Dylan. (1965) “Like a Rolling Stone.”]

  • Cuts to SNAP: OBBB cuts more than $279 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade, which would also affect eligibility for free school meals. The Urban Institute, estimates that 18 million children will lose access to free school meals. SNAP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and provides financial assistance to low- and no-income individuals and households for food. (aka “food stamps”)
  • In FY 2024, 42 million Americans received SNAP benefits via an electronic benefits transfer card that enables the purchase of food locally at authorized grocery stores and markets.
  • The program has eligibility requirements, including monthly income and assets limits.
  • Under current federal rules, benefits are paid by the federal government but administered at the state level.  At present, states pay one-half of the cost of administration.
  • Shifting Costs to States: Notably, OBBB begins to shift SNAP costs to the states and requires them to contribute to benefit costs if their payment error rate exceeds 6 percent — the first time states will be responsible for paying a share of SNAP benefits. In addition, states will be required to pay 75 percent of administrative costs, up from the current 50 percent.  (Also see “Impact on CT” below.)
  • In FY 2023, the USDA reported a mean monthly SNAP benefit among all households of $332, where the average household had a monthly net income of $527.
  • Cuts to Medicaid:  As noted above, OBBB makes the largest cuts to Medicaid in the program’s history—a nearly $1 trillion cut over the next decade.
  • Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that, together with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), provides health coverage to over 77.9 million Americans, including children, pregnant women, parents, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. 
  • Planned Parenthood, or other “essential community providers” that offer abortion care will not receive reimbursement for any provided health service, extending their ban beyond abortions. 
  • Post-OBBB, Medicaid enrollees will face increased administrative hurdles when applying for or renewing coverage.
  • Medicaid Work Requirements: OBBB mandates certain work requirements to maintain eligibility for both Medicaid and SNAP: “Able-bodied adults without dependents will be required to complete 80 hours of work or community service activities per month.” Additionally, the law requires that non-pregnant, non-disabled, childless adults between the ages of 19 and 64 complete at least 80 hours of “community engagement activities” prior to their initial application to be eligible for Medicaid.
  • Note that the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a respected independent health services research organization, reported that in 2023, 92 percent of non-disabled Medicaid enrollees under the age of 65 were already  employed full- or part-time — largely in lower wage, or hourly jobs in manufacturing, agriculture, and the service or health industries, that either do not offer employer-sponsored health insurance or offer coverage that is unaffordable on limited income. Non-workers include those with caregiving responsibilities, illness, disability, or attending school.
  • Premium tax Credits: OBBB ends the premium tax credit enhancements, which are vital in  making health coverage in the Affordable Care Act marketplace more affordable. Without an extension of this credit enhancement, about 22 million people, including 4 million small business owners, will see their health coverage costs rise sharply.
  • CBPP estimates that 4.2 million people will become uninsured by 2034 as costs rise to unaffordable levels — in some cases quadrupling.

III. Economic Impacts of Trump’s Tariffs:

Fortune referred to tariffs as “the equivalent of a national sales tax that will hobble U.S. economic growth.”

  • Yale estimates that American consumers will face an overall mean effective tariff rate of 18.6 percent, the highest since 1933. 
  • Tariffs are anticipated to increase prices on everyday necessities like clothing, groceries, and electronics; and have a disproportionate impact on lower income Americans who may spend a larger portion of their income on consumer goods.
  • Finally, Yale projects that the price increases from all 2025 tariff actions will result in an average income loss of $4,700 per household.  

IV. Impacts on Education:

As an introduction to this section, wrestling billionaire Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, asserted in testimony before the House of Representatives that “federal education dollars are wasted on low-income students.” She also claimed that she has the power to defund programs for disabled American children.

  • McMahon was charged by Trump via a March 20 executive order to “facilitate” the Education Department’s closure.
  • Since then, the Department of Education (DOE) has cut half its staff, is withholding nearly $7 billion in grant funding to school districts  for before- and after-school programs, teacher training, services for English language learners and other programs. 
  • Biden’s “Saving on a Valuable Education” (SAVE) plan is ending, and borrowers in SAVE will have to change plans by July 1, 2028, when SAVE will be officially shut down. If they wait, they will see their loans explode with interest.

Beginning July 1, 2026, new loans will be subject to new borrowing limits. Undergraduates won’t see any changes to their loan limits, but there will be significant limits for graduate students and parents using the Parents PLUS program.

Tax Credits for Private Schools K-12 Programs: Starting in 2027, taxpayers who earn up to 300 percent of their area’s median income can donate up to $1,700 in cash or marketable securities to an eligible “scholarship granting organization/ educational non-profit and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit.”

The donation would be made in the form of a scholarship for private schools to fund tuition, boarding, books, and other expenses for a student.

The non-refundable credit would be available instead of a charitable contribution deduction. 

States must opt in to the tax credit, so it may not be available everywhere.

Harvard et al: OBBB imposes higher “graduated” taxes and new reporting requirements on certain private post-secondary institutions, based on the value of their “net investment income,” which includes but is not limited to endowment funds.

The Department of the Treasury is directed to promulgate regulations designed to “prevent avoidance of such tax through the restructuring of endowment funds or other arrangements.”

Income-Based Repayment (IBR): In mid-July, without notice to borrowers or Congress, DOE stopped the student loan forgiveness program included in the IBR Plan, a federal program available to those facing financial hardship and designed to make student loan payments more manageable. 

Suspension impacted about 3 million borrowers and reportedly created confusion for those who had made payments for decades and could result in denials of legally mandated relief or unexpected tax bills.

Note that more than 40 million Americans carry federal student loan debt, and the outstanding nationwide balance exceeds $1.7 trillion.

Perhaps by design, Connecticut’s Office of Higher Education announced in mid-August, that the Student Loan Reimbursement Program reopened for applications on Friday, August 15. The program provides up to $5,000 annually and a maximum of $20,000 over four years to eligible applicants. The program has been modified to enable greater access. 

Connecticut Governor Lamontsaid that “We’re proud to reopen the doors to this impactful program. The adjustments made this year reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting those who choose to build their lives and careers right here in our state.”

Fare thee well, Bert, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Ernie, and Kermit: 

On May 1st, Trump signed an executive order instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” 

He later posted on social media that the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”

V. OBBB Impacts on CT:

In May 2025, 1,086,000 children and adults were enrolled in CT Medicaid (aka HUSKY) programs. 

73 percent of adults were working, with 44 percent full-time. 

Connecticut is projected to spend $11.6 billion on Medicaid this fiscal year, with the federal share accounting for 59% of that.

  • The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) projects that more than 170,000 Connecticut residents could lose Medicaid coverage and another 9,000 who receive subsidized care on the health exchange could lose coverage as premiums increase.
  • Connecticut serves more than 391,000 residents annually through the SNAP, providing $894 million in benefits.
  • As detailed below, Connecticut will be required to pay tens of millions extra to support SNAP benefits, while about 34,000 residents, including children, are at risk of losing assistance.

The actual costs will not be known for months.

  • Connecticut OPM estimates the cost of administering SNAP will be an extra $32 million for CT in FY 2026, and nearly $43 million extra annually starting in FY 2027 because of the shift of administrative costs to the states (see above).
  • Connecticut will also begin to pay for the benefit costs, beginning in October 2027; — up to $130 million annually, by 2029 or 2030, partially because OBBB tightened rules for states with higher “error rates;” i.e., how often they issue SNAP benefits to ineligible households, or how frequently they issue the incorrect amount.
  • The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities projected that more than 170,000 CT residents could lose Medicaid coverage. Another projected 9,000 who receive subsidized care on the health exchange could lose coverage as their premiums increase.

Governor Lamont said that “We’re going to do everything we can to protect the most vulnerable,” “I think that’s sort of a core responsibility we’ve got.”

Connecticut Next steps:

This will be a huge and complicated endeavor for CT’s leadership.

State legislative leaders anticipate convening a late September or October special session to begin to respond to OBBB. Leaders have conceded that most of CT’s adjustments likely will not happen for months. Federal agencies have been slow to provide states with the information required to determine the full fiscal impact.

Author’s Comments: After bearing witness to what is approaching a year of unchecked retribution, I must say that I have not warmed to this President. I am very concerned why he seems to be bound and determined on redistricting in anticipation of the midterms. Redistricting and reapportionment generally take place following the decennial census that is mandated by the Constitution. Consequently, at this moment, I feel that my next “View” might be a primer on redistricting and gerrymandering.

In closing, I do not think that there has been a better time to consider the following axioms, which are not included in “The Naval Officer’s Guide” that I received after my commissioning.: “If you can’t salute the man, salute the rank,” and “the Presidency deserves respect, even when the President does not.”

Respectfully, “May God bless America and may God protect our troops.

Editor’s Note: This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka.

About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.

Sources: “Exercise your franchise and cast your vote on November 4th”:

Carrillo, S. et al. “What the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ will change for students, schools and colleges.” NPR. 07/18/2025.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “By the Numbers: Harmful Republican Megabill Favors the Wealthy and Leaves Millions of Working Families Behind.” 08/01/2025 
Clausing, K. “Three ways the big budget bill fails Americans.” The Peterson Institute for International Economics. 07/02/2025.
Dylan, R. (1965) “Like a Rolling Stone.” [Lyrics] On “Highway 61 Revisited” [LP record]. Santa Monica, CA: Universal Music Publishing Group.
Editors. “Thomas Paine publishes “The American Crisis.” History. 11/13/2009.
Fenster, N. “Trump tariffs will cost average American family $4,700 per year, Yale study says.” CT Insider. 04/12/2025. 
Goldman, R. “What is the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and Its Impact?” League of Women Voters. 07/25/2025
Hanke,S & Tully,S.  “It’s time to unmask the Trump tariffs for what they really are: A giant national sales tax that will hobble U.S. economic growth.” Fortune. 08/26/2025
Hinton,E. & Rudowitz, R. “5 Key Facts About Medicaid Work Requirements. KFF Health News. 02/18/2025 
Jiang, N. “Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Adds Private School Tax Credit—Here’s How It Works.” Forbes. 07/14/2025.
Manuel, O. “Why Trump’s tariffs may hit low-income households hardest.” NPR. 07/15/2025.
Mascaro, L. “Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR.” PBS News.05/02/2025.
Minsky, A. “Department of Education Suspends Student Loan Forgiveness Under IBR.” Forbes. 07/21/2025.
Moritz, J. & Spiegel, J. Blumenthal: Trump decision to halt offshore wind project is ‘insane’.” CT Mirror. 08/25/2025.
Office of the Press Secretary. ”Remarks by the President at Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 46th Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner.” [Press Release] The White House. 09/18/2016.
Phaneuf, K. “Federal cutbacks could cost CT food stamp program $180M. CT Mirror. 08/08/2025
Phaneuf, K. “Legislators mull how Conn. should react to One Big Beautiful Bill.” CT Mirror. 08/10/2025.
Price, M. “Vance pitches Trump’s sweeping new law as a ‘working families’ tax cut’ in swing-state Georgia.” AP. 08/21/2025.
Pringle, B. “Trump’s Tax Bill Will Starve Public Schools. Kids are Next.” Time. 08/11/2025
Pringle, E. “In Trump’s year of cost-cutting and efficiency, national debt soars past $37 trillion.”Fortune. 08/13/2025.
Pringle, E. “ Trump says tariffs are going to be enough to pay down national debt. They likely won’t even touch the sides.” Fortune. 08/17/2025.
Schmerle, Z. “Amid Education Department cuts, Trump’s nominee to oversee schools faces lawmakers.” USA Today. 02/13/2025
Schultz, B. “Trump Order Tells Linda McMahon to ‘Facilitate’ Education Department’s Closure.” Education Week. 03/20/2025. 
Sokoloff, N. “What to know about Connecticut’s expanded student loan reimbursement program.” CT Insider. 08/12/2025
Tait, K. “From one millennial to another: If you can’t salute the man, salute the rank.”The Hill. 11/17/2016
Tolbert, J. Understanding the Intersection of Medicaid and Work: An Update.” KFF Heath News. 05/30/2025.
Turner, C. “What borrowers should know about student loan changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill.” NPR. 07/24/2025.
Walrack, J.  “Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Just Raised the Debt Ceiling by $5 Trillion: Here’s Why That Matters to You.” U.S. News & World Report. 08/11/2025
Wehner, P. “The Presidency Deserves Respect—Even When the President Does Not.” The Atlantic. 10/29/2019.
Wheaton, L. et al. “How the Senate Budget Reconciliation SNAP Proposals Will Affect Families in Every US State.” The Urban Institute. 07/02/2025.

A View from My Porch: “Tin Soldiers and Nixon Coming,” Part 2 — A Retrospective on the War in Vietnam.

Posted on by
Tom Gotowka

Epigraph: “But little Mouse, you are not alone in proving foresight may be vain. The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew; and leave us nothing but grief and pain for promised joy.” — N.B., translated from the original Scots dialect.
(Robert Burns: “To A Mouse on turning her up in her nest with the Plough.” November, 1785)

Burns’ “best laid schemes of mice and men” serves as a reminder that, regardless of our preparation, unexpected events can disrupt our best intentions.

Coincidentally, another 18th century dignitary—Anglo-Irish statesman and philosopher—Edmund Burke, said, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” Or to put it another way, by acknowledging and learning from the mistakes and successes of our predecessors, we can avoid making the same mistakes and errors.

I examined the predisposing events and actions that triggered the violence against unarmed students at Kent State University by the Ohio National Guard after a weekend of student anti-war protests in my last “View.”

As then noted, Christina and I had attended a program at the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library on April 29: “Oral History: Kent State, 1970;” presented by Mike Alewitz, who as a student anti-Vietnam War organizer at Kent State University and the University’s chairman of the Student Mobilization Committee Against the War, witnessed the bloodshed that occurred there 55 years ago.

Alewitz is Professor Emeritus of mural painting and street art at CCSU. In 1999, he was named a Millennium Artist by the White House Millennium Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. He is a now a resident of New London, CT. 

His presentation was very moving and inspired me to re-examine that other very dark period in American history and expand on his observations to assure historic accuracy.

Recognizing our history is especially important now as the President attempts to rewrite or erase important segments of our past.

In January, Trump ordered the Attorney General to shut down the database documenting the criminal charges and convictions of the January 6 rioters in the Department of Justice’s website—which detailed the largest criminal investigation in modern history.

The website enabled access to a searchable repository of all January 6, 2021 cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

Removal coincided with Trump’s decision to pardon all convicted January 6 defendants and the early release of 14 members of far-right extremist groups, including 10 convicted of seditious conspiracy. 

He instructed the federal courts in Washington to dismiss the more than 300 cases that had not yet been resolved. Trump absurdly said, “These are the hostages.” 

Of course, January 6, 2021 is the day the Capitol was attacked by a violent mob of Trump supporters attempting to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. 

Amazingly, Trump has also called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the 2020 election, repeating his phony claims that the election was tainted with widespread fraud—in his own words, “stolen from him.”

Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has made no public comment on either action.

Trump has also issued several unusual executive orders, which seem to similarly have the goal of re-writing or erasing our history. I will cover executive orders and pardons in an upcoming “View:” ‘A Lesson in Civics,’ Part 2.” 

I consider in this “View” the factors and incidents that led to America’s entry and increased involvement in Vietnam, and the War’s dire outcomes.

I have organized this essay in what I consider important subject areas—so, if you are only scanning, each section is factual and can stand alone. 

You should bear in mind the recent bombings of Iran’s three nuclear facilities by six USAF B2 stealth bombers as you review the comments regarding President Johnson and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (below). Trump’s order was evidently made without consultation with the Senate. 

I pray that we not enter another Trump vanity war. His administration has already lost America’s allies and jeopardized our economy through his tariff war.

The issues of Presidential overreach and who, in our system of separation of powers and checks and balances, holds the power to wage war will also be included in “A Lesson in Civics, Part 2.”

I. The Vietnam War— The Key Facts:

This brutal and undeclared war began in 1959 as a military campaign launched by North Vietnam against South Vietnam—in essence, a civil war. 

  • The United States entered the War in earnest with “boots on the ground” and “B-52s “in the sky” in 1964—in reaction to North Vietnam’s August 2, 1964 attack on the American destroyer, USS Maddox, which was stationed in in the Gulf of Tonkin in international waters, 28 miles off the coast of North Vietnam. 
  • The U.S. supported the South, while China and Russia supported the North.
  • The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, passed by Congress on August 7, 1964, authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war; indicating a transition from advisory support to active military engagement.
  • 58,220 American soldiers were killed in the war; and 153,303 more were wounded. About 1,700 others were missing in action or prisoners of war.  
  • Extraordinarily, North Vietnam lost 1.1 million soldiers, while 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. Both sides lost more than 2 million civilians. 
  • The United States led a coalition of countries and five other nations committed troops, materiel, and bases; including Clark Air Force Base and the Naval Base at Subic Bay; both in the Philippines.  
  • South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the Philippines, altogether, sent nearly 400,000 troops and lost more than 5,000 in combat.
  • Vietnam was the most heavily bombed “theater of operations” in history. Between 1965 and 1975, the United States and its allies dropped more than 7.5 million tons of bombs on North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia—twice the amount dropped on Europe and Asia during World War II (WW2) in a sustained aerial bombardment campaign known as “Operation Rolling Thunder.”
  • Moreover, U.S. warplanes dumped 20 million gallons of herbicide defoliants (e.g., Agent Orange and others), decimating 5 million acres of forest and 500,000 acres of farmland.
  • Since the ceasefire on January 27, 1973; unexploded bombs and explosive remnants of the war have killed more than 40,000 people in North Vietnam and injured about 60,000 more—many of them children or those simply farming the land. Across the wider region, the death and injury toll exceed 100,000.
  • The Vietnam War is the only American conflict remembered as much for the opposition it sparked at home as for its battlefield victories and losses. 
  • Regrettably, American soldiers returning home from the “never-ending” War often faced scorn. There were no parades or singing: “When Johnny comes marching home again, Hurrah! Hurrah! We’ll give him a hearty welcome then …”

II. Falling Dominoes and Five Administrations:

The “Domino Theory” was espoused in U.S. foreign policy after WW2 when the Soviet Union brought most of the nations of eastern Europe and central Europe into its sphere of influence; and  accordingly, the “fall” of a non-communist state to communism would precipitate the fall of noncommunist governments in neighboring states, each falling like a row of dominos. 

  1. President Truman sent military advisors to Vietnam in 1950 to assist France in the First Indochina War between France and North Vietnam, which declared its independence from French colonial rule in 1945, announcing the formation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.  
  • The French finally withdrew from the region in 1954 after an unsuccessful colonialization effort that originated from decisions made in 1857 by Napolean III.
  1. President Eisenhower referenced the “Domino Theory” during a news conference on April 7, 1954, while discussing the threat of communist insurgency in Southeast Asia and to justify our support for a brutal non-communist dictator, Ngo Dinh Diem. 
  • He ordered covert CIA operations in South Vietnam to counter opposition to the regime and increased the budget for South Vietnam from $5 million in 1950 to over $200 million in 1955 (equivalent to $2.5 Billion in 2025); and deployed 900 military advisors to assist in training and tactics.
  1.  President Kennedy authorized sending additional special forces troops and military advisors in May, 1961; and by the end of 1962, there were about 11,000 American troops in South Vietnam—increasing to 16,000 by the end of 1963. 
  2. President Johnson further escalated our involvement after passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; and increased the number of American combat troops to 100,000 in 1965—further expanding to more than a half million in 1968; with swelling opposition and protests at home. 
  • Afterwards, anti-war protestors began assembling day and night outside the White House and marched along the fence, carrying signs and chanting: “Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?”
  • The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was repealed by the Senate on June 24, 1970 in response to growing opposition to the War and concerns over the expansion of presidential war powers.
  • On March 31, 1968, Johnson delivered a televised address to the Nation: “Steps to Limit the War in Vietnam”—closing with the announcement that “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.” 
  • The Johnson administration quietly opened peace talks with North Vietnam in Paris on May 12, 1968; hoping to build on his earlier public statements expressing a willingness to negotiate with Hanoi. 
  • However, in 1966, the leader of North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, referring to  what he felt was the “Second Indochina War,” declared that he was willing to “make war for 20 years;”  but added that “if the Americans want to make peace, we shall make peace and invite them to afternoon tea.” 
  • The only issue the two sides would agree on during Johnson’s tenure was the shape of the conference table.
  1. Richard M. Nixon took office in January, 1969 after defeating  Johnson’s VP, Hubert Humphrey; campaigning  on a platform of achieving “peace with honor” in Vietnam; and positioning himself as the “law and order” candidate. 
  • Nixon beat Humphrey by less than a percent. George Wallace was also on the ballot as a third-party candidate, nominated by the pro-segregation American Independent Party, which was founded in 1967.
  • Wallace received 13.5 percent of the popular vote and 46 electoral college votes from five southern states. 
  • The election came very close to an outcome where neither Nixon nor Humphrey had gained a majority of the electoral votes—therefore throwing the election to the House of Representatives, where each state delegation would have one vote. 
  • As noted in my last “View,” although pledging to withdraw 150,000 troops, Nixon significantly escalated the War by intensifying bombing campaigns in North Vietnam and sending American troops into Laos and Cambodia. His secret expansion of the War drew immediate condemnation around the world and fierce protests from antiwar activists in the United States, especially on college campuses.

III. Boots on the Ground:

The Vietnam War made the draft system front page news.

  • I am paraphrasing, but Professor Alewitz said that If you were white and had some means at all, you could beat the draft. If you were poor or black, you were in Saigon. Those of privilege were able to find another way out.
  • John Fogerty corroborated Alewitz’s thoughts in his protest song, “Fortunate Son”: “Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand; Lord, don’t they help themselves. It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son; It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one.”
  • Ironically, the song was performed by The “U.S. Army Band – ‘Downrange’” during Trump’s vanity military parade on June 14, 2025. Trump has never served in the military, and on February 17, 1972, was classified 4-F (unqualified for military service) because of bone spurs.
  • Fogerty had sent Trump a cease-and-desist notice for using the song during his 2020 presidential campaign.

Also see: https://archive06371.com/2021/06/a-view-from-my-porch-epic-poems-of-folk-and-rock-part-3-the-rock-and-roll-war/

  • Project 100,000 was introduced in 1966 by Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson—targeting those who would have otherwise been below military medical or cognitive standards—i.e., those with the least ability to avoid the draft via student deferments. “Project” pulled hundreds of thousands of poor men into the War—40 percent of them African American. By the following year, Black soldiers made up 16.3 percent of draftees and 23 percent of Vietnam combat troops, although accounting for only about 11 percent of the civilian population.
  • The National Guard: Professor Alewitz believed that members of the Ohio National Guard had joined the Guard to avoid the draft, i.e., You could serve without going to Vietnam. That changed in September 1965 when the Johnson administration established the Select Reserve Force (SRF), which identified units in the Guard and Army Reserves required to maintain necessary levels in the United States, but released other active-duty units for service overseas.

In January, 1968, the North significantly escalated actions against South Vietnam in one of their largest military campaigns (“The Tet Offensive.”) 

Consequently, on May 13, 1968, 12,234 Army National Guardsmen in 20 units from 17 states were mobilized in preparation for service in the War. Eight units were deployed immediately to Vietnam, and over 7,000 Army Guardsmen served in the war zone.

  • In later wars, National Guard and Reserve units made up 45 percent of the total force sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, and comprised nearly 19 percent of the casualties.
  • The Selective Service announced an end to the military draft on Jan. 27, 1973, coinciding with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords.
  • Television: This was the first televised war. Nightly coverage of the action through the early 1960s relied on information provided by government agencies, press conferences, and official news releases—but then, as the fighting escalated, journalists were given direct and uncensored access to the troops, and news agencies began to rely almost exclusively on journalists with cameramen reporting and filming directly in the field (aka “in country”). 
  • Unlike WW2, there was no federal Committee on Public Information managing the overall portrayal of events, and Network News became a major factor in Americans’ opinion of the war; and coverage included both successes and failures.
  • A particularly stunning report by then 33-year-old CBS News correspondent Morley Safer was broadcast on August 5,1965 on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. The film showed U.S. Marines torching thatched huts in Cam Ne, using flamethrowers, Zippo lighters, and matches, as shocked villagers stumbled from their homes. The operation burned 150 dwellings, wounded three women, killed one baby, and wounded one Marine. 
  • Few Americans had ever seen U.S. troops act with such brazen cruelty. The coverage “hit like an explosion,” according to Peter Herford, who was then Saigon bureau chief for CBS.
  • Such intense and graphic news reporting resulted in dramatic shifts of public opinion regarding the War, and there is controversy over what effect journalism had on support or opposition to the War, and the decisions that policymakers made.
  • During the Vietnam War, journalists’ film  was flown from the war zone to  Tokyo for developing and editing, and then flown to the United States. Satellite transmission from Tokyo was only used for important news stories.

Author’s Comments: I remember Vietnam War like it was yesterday The War touched the families of close friends—with sons disabled or killed in action. 

I was lucky. I received eight consecutive student deferments, but signed with the Navy during the last 4 years—in exchange for an officer commission and a scholarship with financial support. In exchange, I had active duty and reserves’ service commitments. However, I was never deployed to Vietnam. I served my active duty in a Naval Hospital treating pilots and other flight personnel, who had either returned or were scheduled for future deployment to Vietnam.

My current plan, if Madam Editor agrees, is to complete my “Lest we Americans ever forget” series in my next “View,” The “Nixon chronicles”—an examination of that earlier bizarre President’s tenure, and the events that led to his resignation on August 9, 1974.

I will discuss Nixon’s role in the aftermath of the Vietnam War; his “dirty tricks” and “plumbers” teams, interference in Johnson’s peace initiatives, his “Madman Strategy,” the Watergate Scandal, and the “Paris Peace Accords” negotiated by Henry Kissinger. 

Editor’s Note: This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka.

About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.

Sources: “Tin Soldiers”—Part 2:
Amadeo, K. “Vietnam War Facts, Costs, and Timeline. The Balance.” 09/20/2024.
Ciampaglia, D. “Why Were Vietnam War Vets Treated Poorly When They Returned?” History. 11/08/ 2018
Cohen, M. et al. “Trump commutes sentences of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders as he pardons over 1,000 January 6 US Capitol rioters.” CNN. 01/21/2025.
Editors. “Henry Kissinger begins secret negotiations with the North Vietnamese.” History.  11/16/2009.
Editors. “National Guard: Service in the War on Terror.” Military.com. 12/12/2015.
Fogerty, J. (1969). “Fortunate Son.” [Lyrics] On Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Willy and the Poor Boys” LP.  Berkeley, CA: Fantasy Studios.
Goodwin, G. “Black and White in Vietnam.” NYT. 07/18/2017.
Gotowka, T. “A View from My Porch: “Tin Soldiers and Nixon Coming.” Part 1 — The Shootings at Kent State University.” LymeLine. 03/29/2025.
Gotowka, T. “A View from My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock Part 3 — The Rock and Roll War.” LymeLine. 06/01/2021.
Guttman, J. “These 5 Nations Joined Forces with the U.S. in Vietnam.” History Net. 05/07/2019.
Hackel, J. “Morley Safer’s coverage of the Vietnam War changed everything.” WGBH The World. 05/20/2016.
Kimball, J. “Nixon’s Nuclear Specter – The Secret Alert of 1969, Madman Diplomacy, and the Vietnam War.” The Wilson Center. 10/08/2015.
Kramer, M. (2009) “Stalin, Soviet Policy, and the Consolidation of a Communist Bloc in Eastern Europe.” CEU Press.
Mitchell, R. “Project 100,000: ‘The Awful US “Meat Grinder’ in Vietnam.” History; Historic Mysteries. 03/18/202.
Norton, T. “Fact Check: Trump Claims 82% of People Believe in ‘Rigged Election’.” Newsweek. 03/04/2024.
O’Sullivan, D. & Polantz, K. “Trump pardoned the January 6 convicts. Now his DOJ is wiping evidence of rioters’ crimes from the internet.” CNN. 01/26/2025.
Walsh, S. “International Guard: How the Vietnam War Changed Guard Service.” NPR Weekend Edition. 04/25/2015.
Walsh, S. “International Guard: How the Vietnam War Changed Guard Service.” NPR Weekend Edition. 04/25/2015.

A View From My Porch: “Tin Soldiers and Nixon Coming.” Part 1 — The Shootings at Kent State University.

Posted on by
1
Tom Gotowka

Christina and I attended a program at Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library on Tuesday, April 29: “Oral History: Kent State, 1970,” presented by Mike Alewitz, who as a student anti-Vietnam War organizer at Kent State University and a founder and chairman of the University’s Student Mobilization Committee Against the War, witnessed the bloodshed that occurred there on May 4, 1970 — 55 years ago.

Mike is now a New London resident and Professor Emeritus of mural painting and street art at Central Connecticut State University. He was subpoenaed to testify before the Presidential Commission on Campus Unrest. (below)

Mike’s presentation was very moving and triggered fraught memories for Christina and me; and I am certain, for other members of the predominantly “Baby Boomer” audience of about 30 or so.

His remarks motivated me to take a fresh look at that other dark period in American history and expand on his observations. I examine the events and actions that may have precipitated what has often been regarded as the “Kent State massacre” in this “View;” and then consider the factors and incidents that led to America’s entry and increased involvement in Vietnam; and the War’s dire outcomes in a subsequent essay.

And so, these are my “lest we Americans forget ‘Views’.” 

Predisposing Events:

The 1967 March on the Pentagon:

The National Mobilization Committee to End the War, a coalition of anti-war groups organized what was, at that point, the largest antiwar rally ever staged for Saturday, October 21,1967 in Washington, D.C. The event began with more than 100,000 protesters gathered at a rally on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial.  

The March was notable for its diverse coalition of participants. This was an ecumenical crowd: white and middle-class, middle-aged, young students, some clergy, and a group of political and social activists; — including Norman Mailer, Benjamin Spock, folk singer Phil Ochs; and counter-cultural figures Jerry Rubin, and Abbie Hoffman, co-founders of the Youth International Party; — i.e., the Yippies; who have been described as a theatrical, anti-authoritarian, and anarchist youth movement of “symbolic politics”.

Near 6 p.m. about 50,000 streamed across the Arlington Memorial Bridge toward the Pentagon. 

There, most remained non-violent; but a smaller segment stormed ahead and scaled or toppled the fences surrounding the Pentagon; forcing their way onto the grounds past military policemen who were standing at 10-foot intervals.  Six hundred and eighty-two demonstrators were arrested.

Note: there is an iconic photograph from the March on the Pentagon (i.e., “flower power”), that shows protester George Harris placing a carnation into the barrel of an M14 rifle held by a soldier of the 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne); — taken by Bernie Boston for The Washington Evening Star.

Garden Plot:
The Department of Defense Civil Disturbance Plan (aka GARDEN PLOT) was a wide-ranging U.S. Army and National Guard plan to respond to major domestic civil disturbances within the United States. The plan was developed in the mid-1960s in response to a series of domestic civil disorders and provides Federal military and law enforcement assistance to local governments.

RMN and the Cambodian Incursion:

Richard M. Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey in 1968; campaigning  on a platform of achieving “peace with honor” in Vietnam; and positioning himself as the “law and order” candidate, who would restore domestic peace and stability amid the protests, riots, and rising crime rates of the 1960s. 

By 1968, there were already over 500,000 American troops on the ground in Vietnam, and more than 31,000 Americans killed. This was the first televised war and television coverage was a major factor in American society ‘s perception of the war. 

He entered office against a backdrop of a well-organized anti-war movement, which he had denounced and demeaned during his campaign. 

In July, 1969 he promised to withdraw 150,000 troops; but despite that pledge, announced on a televised address on April 30, 1970 that American forces had invaded Cambodia after months of intense bombing to disrupt North Vietnamese supply lines 

His secret expansion of the War drew immediate worldwide condemnation and intensified protests by antiwar activists at Kent State and many other college campuses across the United States; with marches, rallies, and clashes with law enforcement.

The Kent State Shootings- Chronology of Events: 

  • On Friday, May1; — the day after Nixon’s announcement, an anti-war rally with about 500 students began late morning on the Commons, a traditional free speech area in the center of the campus. The rally started  peacefully but expanded into the town and escalated into vandalism of storefronts and violence between protesters and the local police force, who eventually succeeded in using tear gas to disperse the crowd from the downtown area; compelling them to move several blocks back to the campus. Additional demonstrations were expected through the weekend. 
  • By Saturday morning, Kent city officials and downtown businesses had received threats and abundant rumors of radical revolutionaries with caches of arms, plots to spike the local water supply with LSD, and of students building tunnels to blow up the town’s main store. 

Kent Mayor, LeRoy Satrom feared that local law enforcement would not be able to handle the anticipated disturbances; and declared a state of emergency. He requested assistance from Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes, who decided to call in the National Guard to occupy the Kent State campus and restore order. The Guard did not arrive until 10 p.m., and by that time, a large demonstration was underway and the boarded-up ROTC building was set afire. 

There were reports that some Kent firemen and police officers were struck by rocks and other objects while attempting to extinguish the blaze. Several fire engine companies were called in because protesters had cut the fire hose. The arsonists were never apprehended.

  • By Sunday morning, 1000 National Guardsmen were on campus. Governor Rhodes had flown in for a press conference at which he said, “We’re up against the strongest, best-trained, militant, revolutionary group that has ever assembled in America; — set on destroying higher education in Ohio.” 

During the day, a small group of students came downtown to help with clean-up efforts.  Mayor Satrom, under pressure from residents and business owners, ordered a curfew. 

Another rally began on the Commons near 8 p.m., and confrontations amongst the Guardsmen and demonstrators escalated. By 8:45 p.m., the Guardsmen had dispersed the crowd with tear gas; but the students reassembled for a sit-in at the busy Kent intersection of Lincoln and Main. 

At 11 p.m., the Guard announced that a curfew had gone into effect and began forcing the students back to their dorms. There were arrests, mostly for curfew violations; at least one student was slightly wounded with a bayonet.

School administrators, with the Governor’s backing, prohibited the rally scheduled for Monday, May 4th. 

  • Early Monday, University officials distributed 12,000 leaflets declaring that the rally event had been canceled. 

Defying the ban, about 2,000 students gathered again on the Commons, with another 1,000 behind them on “Blanket Hill”. A small contingent began ringing the campus’s iron Victory Bell just before noon, marking the start of the rally. A campus security officer, accompanied by three Guardsmen, approached the crowd in a National Guard Jeep, and ordered them to disperse. They were met with stones, curses, and the pealing bell.

At about the same time, more than 100 Guardsmen in gas masks assembled at the base of Blanket Hill. The Guard attempted to disperse the crowd via bullhorn. The protesters again ignored the order, and the Guardsmen began firing tear gas. They were then ordered to march forward up Blanket Hill; — with M-1 rifles “locked and loaded” and bayonets raised; compelling the protesters to move up the slope. 

The Guard crested the hill and started downward. The crowd scattered, many of them towards a nearby parking lot. The Guard following the moving crowd into the nearby practice football field and lobbed tear gas canisters at the demonstrators, who yelled and threw rocks and other debris at them. 

After several minutes, the Guardsmen begin to move back up Blanket Hill, having achieved their objective of clearing the Hill.

At 12:24 p.m., after again reaching the crest, the Guardsmen turned, aimed, and fired into the crowd of unarmed students. Twenty-eight Guardsmen fired 67 rounds over 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.

Some claimed hearing an order to fire; but in repeated testimony, there was no evidence of an order.

Some said they fired because they were in fear of their lives. However, the students who had been shot by the Guard were from 70 to 495 feet away and were shot in their backs or sides.

Note: there is an iconic Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken by Kent State photojournalism student John Filo showing teenager, Mary Ann Vecchio, kneeling over the bleeding body of Kent State student, Jeffrey Miller.

The Aftermath:

  • Kent State Administration immediately shut down the campus, and it remained closed for the remainder of the spring semester. 
  • The shootings triggered immediate and massive outrage on campuses around the country and increased participation in the student strike that began on May 1. Ultimately, more than 4 million students participated in organized walk-outs at nearly a thousand universities, colleges, and high schools.
  • All in all, the anti-Vietnam War protests had drastically intensified due to the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, coupled with the Kent State University shootings.
  • Nixon backed down on threats to escalate the War, but concerned that backing down might make him appear weak to the Soviets, called a secret worldwide nuclear alert as a show of force. 
  • On June 13, 1970, President Nixon  established the “President’s Commission on Campus unrest,” which became known as the Scranton Commission after its chairman, former Pennsylvania governor William Scranton. It concluded that “the shootings at Kent State were unjustified;” and said: “Even if the guardsmen faced danger, it was not a danger that called for lethal force. The 67 shots by 28 guardsmen certainly cannot be justified. Apparently, no order to fire was given, and there was inadequate fire control discipline on Blanket Hill. The Kent State tragedy must mark the last time that, as a matter of course, loaded rifles are issued to guardsmen confronting student demonstrators.”
  • The massive demonstrations against the War and the bloodshed at Kent State turned the Nixon White House into a fortress. Two rings of city buses parked bumper to bumper encircled the mansion, and the 82nd Airborne was stationed in the adjacent Executive Office Building. 
  • “If The Government Won’t Stop the War, We’ll Stop the Government.”—The 1971 May Day Protests:
    Woodstock hit the streets in  1971 for  a series of wide-ranging civil disobedience actions in Washington, D.C.; and Nixon responded with force. The protests began on Monday morning, May 3rd and ended on May 5th.

12,000 anti-war demonstrators came to Washington D.C. — the culmination of several weeks of activity in the City. They were met by 5,100 city police and 1,400 National Guard soldiers, with 10,000 more Army and Marine troops held in reserve.

The goal of the protests was to disrupt the functioning of the federal government through nonviolent action; with an immediate focus on snarling traffic to prevent government employees from getting to work on Monday morning. Small groups would block major intersections and bridges; and protesters roamed downtown D.C., dodging huge tear-gas barrages. They created small barricades and left disabled cars in roadways, or temporarily blocked intersections with mobile sit-ins.” 

By Monday night, more than 7,000 protesters had been arrested across the city; 5000 more were arrested on May 2, 4 and 5. Protesters filled jails beyond capacity; and were detained in makeshift open-air prisons and sporting arenas—The Washington Coliseum—the practice field for RFK Stadium.

These represent the largest mass arrests in U.S. history. 

Ultimately, however, only 79 people were convicted of any offence related to the protests.

Members of the Nixon administration would come to view the events as damaging because the government’s response was perceived as violating citizens’ civil rights.

Author’s Comments: The title is derived from the lyrics of the protest song, “Ohio,” which was written by Neil Young and recorded by folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young in the immediate aftermath of the Kent State shootings. It became identified as one of the anthems of the anti-Vietnam War movement. In 2010, ‘The Guardian’ described the song as the “greatest protest record and the pinnacle of a very 1960s genre.” The lyrics evoke the turbulent mood of horror, outrage, and shock in the wake of the shootings “Tin soldiers and Nixon coming; this summer, I hear the drumming, four dead in Ohio. Gotta get down to it; soldiers are cutting us down…” (Abridged)

Editor’s Note: This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka.

About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.

Sources: “Tin Soldiers and Nixon Coming”—Part 1:
Amadeo, K. “Vietnam War Facts, Costs, and Timeline. The Balance.” 09/20/2024.
Buhle, P. & Alewitz, M. (2002). ”Insurgent Images.” Monthly Review Press.
Glass, A. “Nixon signals U.S. troop withdrawals from Vietnam, July 25, 1969.” Politico. 07/25/2012.
Johnston, L. “May 4, 1970: A graphic timeline of the Kent State University shooting.” Cleveland. 05/02/2020.
Kimball, J. & Burr, W. “The Movement and the Madman.” PBS.; — American Experience. 03/28/2023.
McFadden, R. “Students Step Up Protests on War.” NYT. 05/09/1970.
National Archives. “Vietnam War U.S. Military Fatal Casualty Statistics.” The Defense Casualty Analysis System.04/29/2008.
Jones, N. Document Friday: “‘Garden Plot:’ The Army’s Emergency Plan to Restore Law and Order” to America.” National Security Archive. 08/12/2011.
Klein, C. “How Nixon’s Presidency Became Increasingly Erratic After Kent State.” History Vault; — This Day in History. 05/04/2020.
Levy, D. “Behind the Anti-War Protests That Swept America in 1968.” Time. 01/19/2018
Lynskey, D. (2010-05-06). “Neil Young’s Ohio – the greatest protest record.” The Guardian. 05/06/2010.
Mailer, N. (1968). “The Armies of the Night.” New American Library.
Pruitt, S. “Kent State Shootings: A Timeline of the Tragedy.” History.05/01/2020.
Rotondi, J. “How Nixon’s Invasion of Cambodia Triggered a Check on Presidential Power.” History This Week. 04/ 27, 2020
Rudin, J. “40 Years After Kent State: Remembering Ohio Gov. James Rhodes.” NPR. 05/03/2010.
Scranton, W. (1970). “The Report of the President’s Commission on Campus Unrest.” U.S. Government Printing Office. 1970.
Smith, D. “How this 1967 Vietnam war protest carried the seeds of American division.” The Guardian. 10/21/2017.
Thomas, C. “Bombing missions of the Vietnam War.” Environmental Systems Research Institute.09/ 25/2017.
Young, N. (1970) “Ohio.” [Lyrics] On “Highway 61 Revisited” [Single 45 rpm record]. NYC: Atlantic Records.