Jay Kersting's Blog

Regular readers here noted that the Blog did not get its usual morning update yesterday.  The quick explanation is simple, Yahoo! had the site down and I do not know the reason why.  However, I was able to get an afternoon update posted.

Yesterday afternoon, I posted about the verdict in the James Keown murder trial.  You can find links to that story by going to yesterday's post or doing a Google News search under his name or anti-freeze. 

Throughout the trial, and all of the hearings leading up to it, I never expressed my thoughts in writing or on the air about this case with one exception.

That was when I said that I wondered what the jury was thinking of the presentation from the two sides.  Reading the print media reports left me wondering even more.  Having recently been on a jury,  and jury foreman (no bump in pay for that gig), I knew that how the jury was receiving the information was the key to how this case would be decided.

Print does not carry emotion, and that left the story incomplete.  Television carries too much emotion and sometimes too much information, we saw that in the People v. Simpson trial, and too many knew Simpson was guilty but they were tainted by knowing things the jury didn't.  Radio provides information quickly and accurately, but can lack the emotion of television.  All of those mediums are great, but they all have their faults and that leads to armchair jurors to make mistakes in how they see what happens in the courtroom.

I never met James Keown, so I have no basis to form an opinion on him. I can only go with what I know from the media.  And from those who once worked with him.

It is for that reason why I will not jump to any opinions on a man who now faces spending the rest of his life in a prison cell in Massachusetts.  I simply feel that letting the record, his record that was exposed in court, stand for itself.  There is no need for me to pile on. 

The fact remains that someone who once sat in this ratty, broken down and ripped up nasty chair in this studio is now a convicted murderer. 

What more needs to be said? 

-----------------------

John McCain seems to get more traction out of the blunders of the Barack Obama campaign than he does out of his own campaign.

Sad.

Something has to change for the Naval Aviator, turned P.O.W., turned Congressman, turned Senator and Author, and probably soon.

Well, help may be on the way. 

Will this be good for the political discourse?  Time will tell. 

-------------------

And finally, I end on a personal note.  Today, after the show, Kathy and I head to East Troy, Wisconsin.  

Where?  

Why?

Well, for those who do not know, East Troy, Wisconsin, is where I graduated from high school back in June 1988.

The last time I was in East Troy was July 2000.  And then, just for a few hours.

The last time I spent a night in East Troy was in June 1997, when we were moving from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, to Knoxville, Tennessee.

My parents moved from East Troy in 1995, I really had little reason to go there after they left.

So, for the first time in many years I will return to a town that I was in a hurry to escape from.   And, I am looking forward to it.

I guess age does that to you.  And I hope that I can meet up with some old friends and hopefully maintain contact with some of them.

I'll let you know how it all works out.

Amazing how 20 years of life can impact your perspective on people, places and things.

------------------

Have a GREAT Independence Day Weekend!!  Remember the reason for the holiday and take time to honor our great, but yet imperfect, nation.

Add your comments as you see fit.  More to come on Monday, unless breaking news dictates otherwise.