It Seemed Like an Open and Shut Case

A minor with an illicitly-sourced military-grade semi automatic firearm crossed state lines to join a group of pro-police vigilantes who gathered in Kenosha to allegedly protect homes and businesses from those protesting yet another instance of extreme police brutality against yet another Black man, Jacob Blake.

That minor then murdered two men and wounded another.

But he — Kyle Rittenhouse — is White. And conservative christians and blue lives flag wavers declared him a new sort of hero sent to protect their property and their values. So they bankrolled his release from jail and his defense.

And the judge presiding over the court case — a good old days, good old boy vestige called Bruce Schroeder — took him under his wing. He delighted in young Kyle. He banned anyone in the courtroom from calling Kyle’s victims what they were, what they are — forcing participants to use the words “rioter” or “looter” rather than “victim.” The “honorable” Bruce Schroeder even decided young Kyle should choose his own jury via lottery — an arcane bit of legal theater for racist fans at home who were already delighting in his old school, patriotic attitude (and ringtone).

Rittenhouse was found not guilty today. On all counts.

We are devastated. We are outraged. Essentially legalizing the coldblooded murder of activists — who are fighting for equity, who are fighting for peace, who are on the right side of history — well, that is a hard pill to swallow.

But now, as always, we stand by all people who are speaking out for social justice and for equity. We will not stop fighting for you, and with you, and standing behind you. And we will never stop honoring the victims of police brutality and this hideous strain of racist vigilantism — we only need mention Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William Bryan — the three murderers currently on trial for hunting down and killing Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia; a man killed for merely jogging while Black.

Let’s call a spade a spade: this is an absolutely disgusting conclusion to an atrocious crime, a circus of a trial, and a cyclone of racism. And proof that the carceral state cannot be rehabilitated and the criminal punishment system cannot bring justice. Be angry, be sad, but don’t be hopeless. Keep working and keep fighting towards abolition and equality for all. In the words of Mariame Kaba, “we do this ‘till we free us.”