Such reactions to a highly contentious trial shouldn’t be the least bit unexpected
On Friday afternoon, jurors in Kenosha, Wisconsin found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts. The verdict came on the fourth day of deliberations and the 15th day of the murder trial. Had Rittenhouse,18, been found guilty of the charge of first-degree intentional homicide, he could have faced a mandatory life sentence. Within minutes of the verdict being read, reactions spread across Twitter, and there was a wave of widespread outrage that he was acquitted on the charges. Many argued that race was the factor in the case, as the hashtags #Murderer and #NotGuilty began to trend. To many justice was not served! «Kyle Rittenhouse is living proof that white tears can still forestall justice. A murderer is once again walking free today — our system is terribly broken,» wrote Rep. Andriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.). YouTube host and influencer Chris «Swaggy C» Williams (@SwaggyCTV) made his opinion clear that race was a factor in the verdict, posting, «If a black teen from the Bronx left his house and drove a few states over to the Capitol with an AR, put himself in the mix, and killed 2 people.. He’d be in jail for life. White people would cry that he drove himself there and he’s a murderer. But y’all got it» Sports journalist Ashley Nicole Moss (@AshNicoleMoss) also argued that race was at play, writing, «Kyle Rittenhouse is a MURDERER. despite the narrative some people would like to push — he’s not an American hero defending this ‘great land’ and no verdict will change that fact. he simply has the right skin color for protection from his crimes. sickening, but not shocking.» «A white male double murderer is not guilty but a Black man would’ve gotten a life sentence,» tweeted radio personality Tara Dublin (@taradublinrocks). Digital Media Management’s Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) tweeted, «Kyle Rittenhouse is a murderer, but at least he’s a white murderer so he’ll never have to worry about any consequences for his actions! Disgusting.
