As we all may or may not be aware of the facts, I would like to point a few things out. First of all, the Plain Dealer may have been the first informative article on the story, but it wasn’t the first to publish that the 2 attackers (not alleged, i personally know the “frat” guys who caught them, it’s a FACT) where in fact college students. The Kent Stater has kept all of us up to date every day, as well as kentnewsnet. That fact is irrelevant towards the situation. Others have brought up the Kent/Akron rivalry, which may be a factor, but is also irrelevant. Also, I’m no reporter or anything so I never tried calling the hospital to find out if Chris was there, but I do know that there was a LARGE group of us students in the waiting room and by his side for the entire week. And I for one certainly didn’t get that information from his family or the hospital, so the information wasn’t exactly under lock and key, I’m just throwing that out there.

Now, regardless of the attackers grades or accomplishments or church-going backgrounds, they still threw it all away. They may have been good people growing up with bright futures, but when they MURDERED an innocent person they threw all of those good things out the window. I myself, as well as any fair judge could care less about their bright backgrounds. When you kill someone you deserve to pay the maximum consequence. I realize that these men as family members to some of you, but even if it were my own family, I would admit the wrong. I couldn’t fathom justifying an unprovoked, totally random murder just because the attackers were related to me. Let’s be serious. I’m sure had I known these 2 men before any of this I’d think of them as fine, safe gentlemen, but we’re only human. I can’t say that my opinion of them wouldn’t COMPLETELY change the second this happened. I can’t stand behind a murderer for this kind of crime. It sickens me that no one can admit the truth, yes they may be someone’s family, but they were still VERY, VERY WRONG, and they deserve to be severely punished for that. It’s no one’s fault but their own, they made the choice to do what they did.

Lastly, the issue of race is ridiculous in this situation. The stories and the first hand accounts (from the “frat” guys and other people who saw the whole event) say that “someone” in the group of people including CK yelled “watch what you’re doing.” No where does it say that CK was the one who yelled, and no one will ever know now. Also, the Kent police have confirmed that the windows of the car were very tinted, and there was no way anyone outside the car would’ve been able to tell if the people inside were black or white. The fact that race was automatically a factor is sad and absolutely absurd. I realize that I’m naive for thinking that we live in a more perfect society, but race was honestly the farthest thing from my mind when I heard of this tragedy. My first thoughts were “these guys from Akron have no idea what a sad situation they just created. This AMAZING guy, 2 days after his birthday, his mom is overseas in Iraq, his dad is supposed to take him to the Bengals game later that afternoon, will never get to see any of that. They picked the best guy in the worst way and at the worst time.” It was totally random, I believe they hadn’t planned to do it, and it has nothing to do with white or black.

One quick thing, alcohol was mentioned in some articles, stating that CK was on his way home from the bars, I’ve heard nothing about alcohol with the other parties. And if the attackers had just been KICKED OUT of a party they crashed (something I haven’t heard until now)? Then yes, that does in fact make them thugs, white or black, a thug is a thug.

Rest in Peace CK <3

For whatever reasons, blacks commit murder at about 10 times the white rate in the U.S. Please note, I am speaking about their RATE of murder. Not absolute numbers. In other words, a random black man on the street is about 10 times more likely to murder than would be an average white man on the street. You wrote (referring to the “stereotype” that blacks are more violent):

“…and I acknowledge that every stereotype is based in some — albeit minuscule — truth.”

So my question to you is simply this: How can you describe the vast difference in murder rates as being “minuscule”?

Renee, what exactly is a “typical white person”??

Shakerite, a man was stomped to his death. He didn’t have a weapon and he was not an immediate threat being that he was already unconscious before his skull was kicked into the concrete. What facts need to come out since his death has been ruled a homicide?

Kevin AKA Bacon, I question if I should take anything seriously from a person who can be referred to as “Bacon”, but I will because I feel it is necessary to point out a few things. You were involved in “several fights in college” and then continued to state that none were provoked, but it isn’t possible for Chris Kernich to have been ATTACKED and it be unprovoked? You refer to this assault, basically, as a typical, drunk, college brawl with only one “critical distinction”. I would say stomping someone’s head into the pavement, beating him so severely his brain swelled, and ultimately CAUSING his death is a little bit more than a “critical distinction” from a typical college fight. How exactly was it a 3 on 3 fight when, at least, 2 of your friends feet ended up on Chris’ head while he laid unconscious on the ground. Also, Chris and his group had no affiliation with the “frat boys” who witnessed the attack or the random witnesses that were walking down the street. He was very popular and has a lot of friends who love and care for him, but I’m sure he wasn’t THAT popular to have known EVERYONE around him. I would also like to call attention to the diversity of the Fairborn Community. Being the primary home of Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Fairborn has a variety of persons from diverse backgrounds. I was lucky enough to be raised in that community and am making waves to return as soon as my duties here on the other side of the country are through. Being from Fairborn and a graduate of FHS, I can attest to the fact that CK was raised in a diverse community and had MANY friends of MANY different races, culture, religion, and sexual orientation. In the 21 years I lived in the area, I can not remember one racially motivated fight. Not in Fairborn, not in Fairborn schools, and not even at Wright State University. It isn’t the way we carry and conduct ourselves. CK also came from a GREAT FAMILY and had an OUTSTANDING record as a student and athlete. But YOUR friends took that away from him and everyone that loves him so much. You are entitled to defend your friends, but as you stated above, you were involved in “SEVERAL FIGHTS” and claim they were unprovoked… and as I said in a previous post, “Measure a man by the friends he keeps” – and since you, yourself have been in several fights, I can believe that it might just be in your nature, AS WELL AS YOUR FRIENDS’ NATURES, to be so barbaric.

P.S. Adrian may be FAAR from a “thug” and one of the happiest, nicest people YOU know, but that isn’t the personality CHRIS KERNICH knows AND THAT IS WHAT REALLY MATTERS.

You’ve seen too much? Or do you just have selective sight? And, by see, do you simply mean what you see or hear in the media? Lets face it media thrives on reporting on black criminals because it sells and ignites interest in the news piece. It would be unwise, and a loss to you personally, to use this tragedy as a justification to hate all of a certain race. I am white, young woman, and I can honestly say that some of the most inspiring people in my life are black. Before you call Wesley “a typical black person,” perhaps you should caution on being a typical white person.

You and I are not going to settle this issue here. We see things so differently that further argument is pointless. I have better things to do than argue with you until I am blue in the face.

I don’t know what would convince you that this was a race crime. If they had screamed “get the white guy” I doubt that would have been enough.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/10/nyregion/10harlem.html

“The man” and I think this is a race crime. We think that blacks look at whites as lunch. We think you are a violence prone lot, who will never run out of excuses for your failure to live up to modern standards. You know what? You’ll never convince me otherwise. Never. I’ve seen too much.

So why is it such a problem that I want to separate myself from you and live in Whitopia? You want to whine about planted evidence and set-ups, go ahead. I’ll go live in Whitopia, while you live in your black racial paradise.

That’s sounds like a good deal to me.

Meanwhile, Christopher Kernich is dead, his head kicked in by your two buddies. Have a great time thinking of fun times in middle school. I never want to deal with you again. You are a typical black person: excusing personal failure with fantasies of racism. In fact, you are a stinking black supremacist. Have a great life in blacktopia.