Rottenhouse
I could spend a week writing about this Kyle Rittenhouse trial. If you haven’t been following it, it’s mostly been a circus. I don’t really know how deep I want to get into it today since the Friday before Thanksgiving break. But I feel compelled to talk about it. So let’s talk about it.
I don’t blame you for not wanting to spend 25 minutes watching the video above. It’s a lot. But just in case anyone reading this wants to go on a deep dive into this, I will provide some resources along the way for you. Basically, the case is this: last year, a then-17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse crossed state lines with a gun he could not legally own or open carry. At some point, he shot three people, killing two of them. He claims he was protecting himself, others (correctly) claim that he is a murderer.
OK, now you’re up to speed on where are.
His trial started two weeks ago and the judge has been something. And by something, I mean borderline insane. Here are a few meaningful clips of his behavior so far:
In the clips above you saw the judge do the following: he admitted he allowed Rittenhouse to pick his jurors out of a hat; he barred the prosecutors from referring to the three people shot (and two) killed by the accused as “victims”; and he took issue with how pinch and zoom works on an iPhone.
Holy smokes.
His ringtone is the same song as Trump’s entrance music!
Could this be any more of a lopsided, biased trial? I don’t think so.
I can’t help but feel like Rittenhouse is going to get off. The judge already dismissed the weapons charges against Rittenhouse, in spite of him illegally possessing an assault rifle. His rationale?
Gotcha.
This case is pretty simple. Kyle Rittenhouse had no business being in Kenosha, WI that night. He did not live there. He was not allowed to have the weapon he did. He was breaking curfew. He was not there to protect buildings or provide medical assistance, as has been his defense. Putting yourself into a dangerous situation when you do not have to nor are allowed to is not a defense for the murder of two people. And yes, one of those victims is not a great dude. Kyle did not know that so it is irrelevant. You do not get to claim self-defense when you are the biggest threat.
And yet… is there any doubt in anyone’s mind that if Kyle were Black and he’d gone to a MAGA rally decked out in BLM gear, instigated a conflict, and then shot three MAGA people “in self-defense” that this would all be playing out very differently? Hmmm.
Tears of a clown. I have seen a lot of high school theater in my day and this by far is the worst performance by a teenager I have ever seen. Yikes.
Rittenhouse is a liar. The prosecution demonstrated as much. The clip below is one of many that show how baldly Rittenhouse lies when it suits him.
Whatever the verdict, this trial is a sham. It is not legitimate in my opinion. If by some miracle, Rittenhouse is found guilty I will still say the same. I would be in favor of granting him another trial, especially if he is found not guilty. And yet, there will not be one. This is pretty much the only bite at the apple. If he gets away with it now, he will forever.
And before you start getting all weepy about how young he is and he made a mistake and his parents didn’t guide him (blah blah blah), you know, all the stuff white folks say when one of their own makes a mistake and cries, here is Kyle hanging out with white supremacists flashing a white power symbol:
Oh, and here he is hitting a teenage girl.
Rittenhouse belongs in jail. I have no doubt about that. The only question that remains is what the jury thinks.
I ain’t holding my breath.