Add my name to those solidly white Kenoshans condemning Martin L. Walker’s mother for alleging that racism lay behind his murder conviction in the tragic death of Colin Byars.

The facts of the case are straightforward: Byars and Walker emerged from the pub in separate groups. Walker called out to the Byars group, “Where’s the after party?” Byars took offense at this threat to white womanhood and swore at Walker to get lost. Walker took this as a challenge to duel, and a fistfight was agreed upon. Byars may have missed his first punch but Walker didn’t. Byars went down, hit his head and died. Walker has a criminal record and is accused of committing a crime after he fled the scene of the fight. At the request of the district attorney, bond was set at $500,000 and Walker charged with murder.

The white judge refused a motion for a change of venue, seeing no reason why a poor black guy from Racine, represented by a public defender, wouldn’t get a fair trial in the death of a popular, white teacher/coach in the coach’s hometown. The judge also stated he didn’t want to hear the word “accident” mentioned at the trial.

No other one-punch case defendant in Kenosha has ever been charged with murder. If, like me, you believe in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy, there would be no doubt that if their roles had been reversed and Byars had felled Walker, and Walker had died, the white guy would have been charged and found guilty of murder. Racism in Kenosha? Bah humbug!

Seymour J. Adler

Twin Lakes