Defending the Guard

Though his daughter Allison was shot to death by Ohio National Guardsmen in the 1970 tragedy at Kent State, Arthur Krause announced last week that he was contributing to a legal defense fund to aid the eight former Guardsmen indicted for the shootings. Said Krause: "They are innocent until proven guilty, and I will not deprive them of that right, even though my daughter was deprived of her right--the right to live." He argued that it was not just the Guardsmen but also their superiors who were responsible: "Who allowed live ammunition to be given to a tired and frightened National Guard?"

The indicted Guardsmen were getting support from others too. At least three Ohio organizations have set up defense funds; one fund alone has already received $10,000. At the Cleveland Trust, the state's largest bank, a special account has been opened for contributions. In an editorial, the Cleveland Plain Dealer urged the state of Ohio to cover the Guardsmen's legal expenses because "these men were sent to Kent State by the state on a police mission . . . higher employees of the state were responsible for their arming and deploying."

Some sympathizers are offering manpower as well. A group of 22 lawyers in the Cleveland area, including four professors at Cleveland State University Law School, have promised free legal aid. Says one of the group, Kevin Sheard: "We're trying to equalize the scale a little bit. They've got the entire U.S. Government on one side, with all its resources, against eight workingmen who were called into service to assist the state."

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