Without the rioting, Rittenhouse would have remained anonymous. Instead, he became a symbol of vigilante justice.
Without the rioting, Rittenhouse would have remained anonymous. Instead, he became a symbol of vigilante justice. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Not that Tik Tok! Do I look like I lip-sync and choreograph dance moves? I mean the ticking clock—the racial time bomb we live with each day. Many anticipated an explosion following the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, handed down on Friday. Rittenhouse killed two men and severely wounded another in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The jury found that he acted in self-defense, and acquitted him of all five charges. So far, despite growing criticism, violent retribution has been abated. There were obvious reasons for concern. Kenosha, along with hundreds of other cities during the summer of 2020, was the setting for political unrest stemming from police shootings of Black men. One such shooting, of Jacob Blake, took place in Kenosha. Some Black Lives Matter protests devolved into looting, arson and vandalism—along with calls to abolish the police. Indeed, many police departments were ordered to stand-down and passively watch their precincts and vehicles burn. Without the rioting, Rittenhouse would have remained anonymous. Instead, he became a symbol of vigilante justice. He traveled from his home in Illinois to Kenosha with his medical kit. Once in Wisconsin, he obtained an assault rifle with the aim to protect property and render first-aid. He accomplished neither, but shot three people. Throughout the trial, the country was bitterly divided on whether Rittenhouse was a lawless mischief-maker or good Samaritan. How you felt about racial justice and gun rights determined which side you chose. The mainstream media made it impossible to view him favorably. Rittenhouse was portrayed as a white supremacist, prowling the streets as an active shooter, firing a deadly weapon indiscriminately. Then presidential candidate, Joe Biden, prejudged the case. Images of Parkland, Florida and Aurora, Colorado immediately came to mind. Throughout the trial, the country was bitterly divided on whether Rittenhouse was a lawless mischief-maker or good Samaritan. How you felt about racial justice and gun rights determined which side you chose. The televised trial told a different story, however. Far from resembling an “active shooter,” the evidence seemed to show a kid running away from his pursuers—yes, a kid carrying an AR-15, but retreating, nonetheless. One threatened to kill him and lunged at his rifle. Another hit him over the head with a skateboard while another jump-kicked him to the ground.
