It’s hardly surprising that a media so intent on making everything about race would give the Kyle Rittenhouse trial the same treatment. A little over two weeks ago, Republican election gains were dismissed by some as a result of white supremacy. Voter frustrations are a myth. Candidates such as Glenn Youngkin and even Winsome Sears were supposedly chosen because of racism. Kyle Rittenhouse, a young white male, was never going to be judged fairly by the same people.
The facts are clear. On Aug. 25, 2020, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse took a medical kit and an AR-15 to downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin, during riots over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a young black man. Rittenhouse sought to help protect private property and render medical aid, if necessary. During his time there, he was aggressively pursued by more than one man. In self-defense, he shot and killed two of them and injured a third. The shootings are captured on cellphone and drone video.
There has been much debate about whether Rittenhouse should have been there at all, but that’s not really the issue. The moments in question concern him defending himself against those who wished him harm. All three of his victims were white. And there is not a shred of evidence that Rittenhouse is either a white supremacist or had racial motivations for being there that night.
But, according to the leftist media, many of its supporters, and even President Joe Biden, Rittenhouse is racist or a white supremacist. So is his mother, Wendy Rittenhouse. Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder, who is presiding over the trial, is too. Apparently, simply existing as a white person who stands opposite the angry, woke, narrative-driven crowd is enough to earn the designation.
The entire cycle is exhausting. Why would the media do such a thing? And why would the idea catch on despite facts?
The media hatred for former President Donald Trump and Republicans has boiled over for years. Most anything connected to Republicans — gun rights, free speech, education, supporting law enforcement, elections, or combating violent rioting and looting — is seen as racism. After all, if you pin the very worst on your ideological enemy and repeat it again and again, it might stick. And there’s nothing much worse than claiming political adversaries believe in racial superiority and hatred of black and brown people.
The Black Lives Matter movement hasn’t helped the dialogue at all. If one dares to counter BLM, they’re labeled as anti-progress or against racial justice. The two men Kyle Rittenhouse killed were reportedly BLM protesters. If he harmed them, surely Rittenhouse must be racist, right? That’s what the media want you to believe. Never mind that too many in the BLM movement aren’t determined to peacefully demonstrate. Instead, they’re motivated to cause disruption, destruction, and violence. Calling for fair treatment or police investigations is one thing. What happened in Kenosha at the hands of rioters is another thing entirely.
It’s easy to hate a racist. Those who believe in the superiority of one skin color over the other should be condemned. If Kyle Rittenhouse is a racist, went looking for trouble, and killed two BLM supporters for the fun of it, then why should he be given the benefit of the doubt? That’s the narrative members of the media have been pushing. And that’s what too many on social media who entirely disregard the truth, the facts, the video, even shooting victim Gaige Grosskreutz’s own testimony, believe.
What happened on the night of Aug. 25, 2020, between Rittenhouse and three men is certainly tragic. No matter the verdict, his life is forever changed. Two men lost their lives. There is nothing worth celebrating. To add insult to many injuries, the leftist media are obsessed with making it all about some racist teenager. But the facts do not support any of the wildly irresponsible claims about Rittenhouse.
Individual gun violence incidents should be about the facts that surround them. Making everything about racism or white supremacy is dishonest, cruel, and reckless. Doing so only stirs up hostilities. Just what the legacy media prefer.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
