Share on facebook
Share on google
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin

I’m not ok with what Kyle Rittenhouse did. I find his decisions and motives to be indefensible and his words to be disingenuous. I think his actions will prove to be a dangerous precedent that will encourage copycat nut-jobs and hasten our national descent into insanity.  I don’t like Kyle Rittenhouse and I do not understand his supporters. (Well, maybe I do.)

Kyle Rittenhouse is in no way innocent. But under the law, a jury of his peers found him not guilty.

So I support the verdict.  Perhaps better put, I accept the verdict. I’m an American and I support our jury system. As an American, I am duty-bound to accept the verdict.

I do not in any way think that Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero or a freedom fighter. I think he’s a punk. And a liar. And a phony. And a coward.

I suspect that some or even many of the jurors share my view. But they did their job under the law, and by all accounts they did it with dignity, diligence and respect for both our system and for each other.

They weren’t charged with determining whether Kyle Rittenhouse is a punk. They were not asked to approve everything or even anything he did. They were asked to apply the facts and the law as they pertained to specific charges and statutes.

We have a system. That system includes the presumption of innocence and the standard of “beyond reasonable doubt” to convict.

The jury worked through the process, and didn’t skip a step. They did their job as American citizens and I respect them for that and thank them for that.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.