Kyle Rittenhouse Acquitted: The Latest Encouragement to Vigilantes Everywhere

Yesterday a jury issued an acquittal in the Kyle Rittenhouse case. For those unfamiliar with the case, it revolves around the events from last year, where a 17 year-old Rittenhouse crossed state lines, from Illinois to Wisconsin, to stand guard during a protest, ended up shooting 3 people, killing 2 of them. These are my reflections on the Kyle Rittenhouse case acquittal.

Using the Gun They Brought as Justification for Shooting Someone

Rittenhouse is the latest of vigilantes who went into a situation with a gun, claimed his gun was about to be used against him, used his gun to shoot the person he engaged with, and then claimed self-defense. Last year, Travis McMichael, his father, and friend William Bryan also claimed the same thing, when they followed in two vehicles, pointed guns at, engaged in a struggle with, and eventually shot Ahmaud Arbery, who was on foot. In 2012, George Zimmerman claimed the same thing, after he followed, engaged in a fight, and eventually shot Trayvon Martin. In 2007, Joe Horn claimed the same thing, when he ran outside (against repeated advisement of a 911 operator) to stop 2 men who had just burglarized his neighbors home, claimed the men came in the front yard with him, and he "had no choice" as he shot them both to death. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

This argument that someone feared for their lives because they were afraid that someone was about to use the gun they brought to an altercation has a circular logic. If they had not brought the gun, there would not have been the risk of someone else using it against them. Also, every scenario I mentioned above involved vigilantes, who had no duty to engage with the people they all eventually shot. Had they not inserted themselves in the situation they did in the first place, 6 people would not be dead as a result.

Rittenhouse Was Continually Given Sympathy and the Benefit of the Doubt

Another thing that is worth noting is how after shooting 3 and killing 2, Rittenhouse has been continually given sympathy and the benefit of the doubt. On the scene, he was not immediately deemed a suspect after the shooting occurred, although he was carrying an assault rifle. As a result, he was able to flee both the scene and the state after the shootings took place. Compare that to Mark Hughes, who after the 2016 shooting of 5 police officers in Dallas, was immediately mislabeled a suspect for the shootings, even though he had no part in the shootings and immediately turned over his AR-15 to police to ensure there was no misunderstanding. Even worse, consider John Crawford and Tamir Rice, who at 22 and 12 years old respectively were both gunned down by police in Ohio, an open carry state by the way, for being in possessions of TOY guns.

When Rittenhouse was given a $2 million bond, he was able to pay it quickly thanks to the help of people like My Pillow CEO, Mike Lindell, and Rick Schroder. Compare that with Kalief Browder, who spent 3 years at Rikers Island, because after being accused of stealing a backpack he and his family couldn't afford the $3,000 bond set for him. The charges against Browder were eventually dismissed, but he would go on to commit suicide just over 2 years after his time at Rikers Island.

When in court, the judge allowed a variety of unusual things to occur, including being able to label those shot to be called rioters, but not victims. The judge also dismissed the 2 lower charges, which was that he was in illegal possession of of a dangerous weapon under 18, even though it is undisputed that he was 17 years-old when at the time of the incident because apparently Wisconsin lawmakers can't write laws very well, and the charge of failure to comply with an emergency order from the state or local government. When the jury took multiple days to deliberate Rittenhouse's case, I figured it was a sign that they were also giving him the benefit of the doubt, and their acquittal on all charges seemed to prove me right.

After Rittenhouse's acquittal there seemed to be a number of the people celebrating with him, including US Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Gregg Abbott. Senator Cruz in particular has shown more sympathy for Rittenhouse after he killed 2 people, than he showed to Trayvon Martin's family after Martin was killed by George Zimmerman, even though both Rittenhouse and Martin were 17 years-old at the time of their respective incidents.

Acquittal Emboldens Others

I recently noted on a social media conversation that even though everyone Rittenhouse shot was white, there is an impression that he went out to the protest to keep the "unruly" negros in their place because the protest he went to armed with an assault rifle was the result of a black man being shot by the police. Although there have been suspicions of him being connected with the Proud Boys, I'm not as concerned about him being a white supremacist, as much as I am his acquittal encouraging white supremacists, which news reports note it has done. Furthermore, after this trial, I don't see why would be vigilantes would not be emboldened to continue to take the law into their own hands and rush to interject themselves and their guns into situations that do not call for them and possibly kill more people. Some people might label such behavior as patriotism, but I don't see anything patriotic about the unnecessary loss of life of fellow Americans.

Conclusion

In short, the entire situation resulting from Kyle Rittenhouse being in Kenosha with an assault riffle was completely tragic, but with his acquittal there seem to be little learned from the unnecessary loss of life that took place. Rittenhouse was given more sympathy for taking 2 lives, than many of those same people who were critical of Trayvon Martin for losing his and now that Rittenhouse has been acquitted many other would be vigilantes seem to be encouraged to do the same thing.