Thomas L. Dynneson

For weeks I was fascinated, as millions were, on the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. What impressed me most was the ability of the jury to reach an unamiouious verdict. This required the jury to sort through the instructions of the judge before they could find the defendant innocent. I have some personal connections with riots and court cases. From the perspective of riots, I grew up in the third precint of Minneapolis (the precint that was burned down by a mob following the killing of George Floyd), also in south Minneapolis. The third precinct is on Minnihaha Avenue where I shop at Cubs for groceries when I am in Minneapolis. This entire district was burned out by a mob following Mr. Floyd's death. I also have a connection with Kenosha, Wisconsin, which is the home of Carthage College. My advisor at Macalester College, Professor Earl Spangler (my history advisor for my master's degree) became the Academic Dean at Carthage College when I was teaching at Edina High School in the 1960s and 1970s.

Also my interest in the law has been reflected in my 2020 book entitled: Rise of the Roman Empire: The Will to Endure. Part II of this book contains six chapters on Roman law and the Roman courts system. Also as an American history teacher at Edina High School, I taught students basic history of the evolution of the American court and legal systems, as well as issues related to constitutional law and human rights. My general feelings regarding the outcome of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, regardless of outcome, was that the American court system is alive and well, and under the most difficult conditions, the jury system still can render justice. I am especially proud of this jury and their willingness to weigh the evidence and reach a conclusion.

On a personal note, Barbara, my wife, and I had the great fortune of spending several summers in Greece as guests of a conference sponsored by the University of Athens. During that time we traveled from Athens throughout the Aegean Sea including many of the sites once visited by Pericles as general, and admiral, when he was in military service representing the Delian League. These sites included Athens, Kavala, the island of Thasos, Samos, Patmos, Philippi, Ephesus, Olympia (Peloponnese), Delos, Delphi, Thera, Rhodes, Marseilles, Crete, as well as throughout Italy and Sicily, etc. In addition, during my time in the US Air Force I resided in France (Laon) for two years and traveled throughout Central and Northern Europe (including Norway and Denmark, as well as Germany). I also have presented papers at Oxford University and at international philosophical conferences sponsored by the University of Athens under the leadership of Professor Kanstantine Boudouris and a sponsoring international philosophy society. Mainly my time has been spent in the regions of the eastern and central Mediterranean Sea, (not including my years spent in Europe). Travel in Italy includes the excavation at Pompii and the Amalfi coast, but especially Marsilles.