Post Scripts: David Keyes, another fine product of Daviess County

I assume many of my readers will remember a fine young boy in Gallatin, back some years ago of course, whose name was David Keyes. I remember him as an energetic, serious-minded but fun-loving, youngster but I had to be reminded of him when he wrote me a note via internet. He contacted me because of some recent columns I had written for my favorite newspaper.

Since then I have searched my mind for additional recollections of David. I well recall his buoyant disposition and brightness, but aside from that I cannot assemble a complete picture of him or his family. I believe he was in high school in the 60’s and I have some recollection of his mother and grandmother whom I only recall as "friendly, nice ladies."

Anyway, I am always glad to revive old memories and reconnect with former acquaintances and friends. You would be surprised how this column, written over far more years than I care to recall, has kept me in contact with so many Daviess County citizens and readers. I guess that’s the reason I keep writing it each week, even though it has become harder and harder to come up with interesting and timely material. I have always loved my work and newspapering – and to think I was paid quite fairly for it.

Anyway, I can now tell you a bit about David and what he’s been up to. From a story in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch I learned he is now addressed as the Reverend David Keyes and he served the recent Kerry presidential campaign as it’s first religious outreach coordinator for Missouri. In a pre-election meeting with six religious leaders, he walked them through the sequence of speakers for a series of interfaith "prayer potluck" rallies in the St. Louis area.

Keyes’ story of how he became the Democrats’ religious point man in Missouri is an inspiring one. His goal was to mobilize Missouri Democrats to reclaim some of the religious turf conservatives have claimed for years. In Missouri, surveys show moral values are more important to voters than health care!

It so happens that Keyes is married to Judith Droz Keyes, the widow of Senator Kerry’s

fellow swift-boat commander, involved in a Vietnam war incident that came up time after time during the presidential race. As I understand it, Keyes, is currently an interim minister for the Unitarian Universalist and United Church of Christ congregations.

I’m happy to regain contact with the now Rev. David Keyes, still another fine product of Daviess County who is proving valuable to society. Trying to gain the support of religious voters has never been an easy task. Trying to come up with a meaningful and sincere sermon once a week is probably much more difficult than writing a newspaper column once a week, I’m sure of that.