The song that ended a war

Lawyers’ Forum

By Eldon L. Ham

Eldon L. Ham is a frequently published sports and entertainment lawyer based in Chicago. He is a member of the faculty at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he won the Distinguished Service Award in 2010. Ham has been a guest on numerous local and national TV and radio shows, and he is the author of five books on matters of sports culture. He maintains a website at EldonHam.com.

Posted May 1, 2020 10:17 AM

What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground? That was Neil Young’s compelling lyrical question about Allison Krause, one of four Kent State University students gunned down by the Ohio National Guard 50 years ago on May 4, 1970.Revealing news footage immediately provoked many questions from a nation already weary from relentless conflict in Southeast Asia and anti-war demonstrations at home. Young wrote his edgy protest song “Ohio” after seeing published photos of the shootings. It was promptly recorded by Crosby, …

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