[bell-cot]

> A 2021 state law allows campus police to own military equipment for civilian safety – students fear it may be used to quash dissent

<sigh/> Maybe they should ask their History Dept's - or whatever is left of those - how well the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_massacre actually worked out, for the sides which had the guns and "won"? A competent Evil Chancellor would make sure that their dirty work was done by the State Police, ICE, or some other "outsiders" fall guy.

The article mentions "training" all of once, in the phrase "at least annual". Not good. If there's something worse than an angry confrontation between students and over-armed campus security, it's an angry confrontation between students and over-armed but under-trained campus security.

(Yes, in theory the stuff could be intended for active shooter situations. But even allowing for the Guardian's open relationship with factual reporting, it just doesn't sound like that.)

[Schiendelman]

It worked out fine for Kent State. None of those National Guard troops were even tried, IIRC.

That's the problem - we haven't really enforced consequences for abuse of power.

[bell-cot]

I was thinking about the senior leadership, not the junior enlisted on the firing line.

For KSU, Wikipedia notes -

> The shootings caused an immediate closure of the campus with students and faculty given just 60 minutes to pack belongings. [...] In Kent, schools were closed and the National Guard restricted entry into the city limits, patrolling the area until May 8. With the campus closed, faculty members came up with a variety of solutions—including holding classes in their homes, at public buildings and places, via telephone, or through the mail—to allow their students to complete the term, which was only a few weeks away at the time.

- which doesn't sound like "academic success", nor bragging rights for KSU's leadership, nor useful to their recruiting and fundraising efforts.

And that I recall, the shootings didn't work out so well for the Pentagon, either. Public support for their war in SE Asia failed to solidify. Major downsizings of the Army, Navy, etc. continued. Military conscription was eliminated, and recruiting promising young Americans to serve was not easy.

[Schiendelman]

I would be careful not to assign causation to any of what you listed. People have done research on the impacts of Kent State - what did you find specifically?