Not long ago, I went looking for the resolution to the words “Four dead in O-hi-o,” a line from  the song “Ohio.” The lyrics were penned by singer/songwriter Neil Young following the May 4, 1970 killing of four Kent State University students, by National Guardsmen, during a peaceful, anti-war protest on the Ohio campus. All these years later, I was wondering what the consequences were for the shooters. It made for painful reading.

Long story short, no guardsmen were found guilty of killing the students. Reparations were made to victims’ families along with statements of regret. 

That was what came to mind following the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. There was no protest in the area. All it took was one person shooting, but in the midst of 2,000 uninvited federal agents. If child care fraud was the issue, teams of investigators could have been sent. But this literal overkill? To what consequence?

I’ve seen the videos, but I don’t know the shooter. Was it a scared, poorly trained new hire who took the $50,000 of my taxes as a maximum sign-up bonus? I went online to see if that offer was still in effect. Yes, it was. And I found this on our official ICE website: “America needs you … America has been invaded by criminals and predators. We need you to get them out.” 

America has shamed itself. How can justice be served?

M-A Barker
Scarborough