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Romeo & Juliet Is Timeless

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Commodore%20Skahill/Colin%20McEnroe%20Show%2003-03-2011.mp3

Twenty years ago, Connecticut was held in thrall by the murder conspiracy trial of Karin Aparo in connection with the murder of Karin's mother Joyce. 

Working at the Hartford Courant then, I fielded a lot phone calls and letters about the case. People didn't have the Internet on which to vent. The conspiracy and accessory case turned on whether Karin had recruited her boyfriend Dennis Coleman to commit the murder or whether Coleman had come up with that idea on his own.
 
But underlying the reaction to the case was a kind of hysteria about teenaged sex and passion. The young couple's physical relationship was heavily covered at trial, and the whole thing made me think about Romeo and Juliet. 
 
In both stories, we are told what we already know: that the early taste of passion is a highly combustible fuel. In its grip, young people go into wild skids. 
 
Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.

Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.

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The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.