Is it now acceptable for a 17-year-old boy to carry an AR-15 into a public setting and shoot people to death? The Kyle Rittenhouse trial and his subsequent acquittal is yet another tragedy all the way around. Not only have innocent people lost their lives once again, but a young man’s life will never be the same. In reality, Kyle is not a man, but a confused, scared, and, most importantly, impressionable boy. Does he understand what has happened to him? Definitely not. Will someone help explain what has happened to him so that he hopefully chooses a different direction in his life? Unfortunately, probably not. The fact that it is lawful to brandish a rifle in public in certain states in the U.S. is clearly a problem in need of careful consideration, but that is for a future discussion. What we can recognize here is that fear, hatred, and weapons are not a good mix, ever. We understand that our motivations are the recipe for our actions, but this young boy has very little understanding of such. The real tragedy here is our unwillingness to address the underlying forces at play, and therefore find ways to hold other responsible parties accountable as well.
Is Kyle Rittenhouse responsible for his actions? He is, but he needs to be shown why. This, unfortunately, is not going to happen in this case. Should he be punished for his actions? Clearly, we need to be aware that incarceration isn’t the answer. By doing this, no resolution to the underlying causes of such actions and behavior will ever be found. Certainly, capital punishment isn’t the answer for these violent acts. Attempting to resolve violence through yet another act of violence is total insanity. We are all “impressionable”. This is especially true of our young people. How can this boy possibly understand himself or the purpose of his life without a proper education? This responsibility lies with us. When an individual is impressionable, they will most naturally absorb the beliefs and behaviors of those around them. Their ability to make appropriate decisions, therefore, comes from outside influences. We’re all responsible for the creation of violence through our own fears, hatred, and prejudices. There is no shortage of accountability in these matters. An honest analysis of the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse indicates where we actually are as a society and how these “outside influences” affect the actions and behavior of the vulnerable. Let’s consider the following.
The Boy
The only thing I saw in Kyle Rittenhouse was a terrified child. Is he evil? No, he’s not evil, but the people around him certainly are. To create in this young person a belief that he was merely defending himself in his violent actions is complete irresponsibility with all the parties involved. It should be, and probably is, obvious to all of us that if he wanted to defend himself, he would have stayed at home. If he wanted to place himself in a position of safety, he wouldn’t be walking around with an AR-15. The display of dangerous weapons is not about the protection of 2nd Amendment Rights. It’s a display of power, intimidation, and provocation. In Kyle’s case, he most likely wanted to help out in his own way or simply wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself. Who will educate and help this young man? That’s up to us. He has clearly been educated by truly evil persons on the internet, and tragically, by those in positions of power and authority. Unfortunately, Kyle Rittenhouse, and others like him, have been shown that their behavior and actions are acceptable and will continue.
The Judge
People in positions of power and authority have a great responsibility to show society what is acceptable and what is not. I, unfortunately, didn’t see a lot of this in this trial. The judge in this trial, for example, had the job of objectivity and fairness in these proceedings. This was not apparent to me in any way. He clearly wanted to express his personal views and thereby affect the outcome. This is unacceptable. Will there be accountability for this man who directly influenced the verdict in this case? This judge, and so many judges just like him, should be removed from their positions of power, as their decisions and behavior affect the lives of all of us. Again, only we can affect necessary change. There can never be real justice served when such individuals of authority intend to make their own personal biases and beliefs our reality.
The Jury
We must find a way to provide the utmost fairness in our justice system. We might begin by overhauling how trial juries are put in place. It’s true, there is no person who can be 100% objective and unbiased when sitting on a jury. Unfortunately, our legal system intentionally creates bias when interviewing and selecting jury members. The lawyers pick which ones will favor certain outcomes. Our judicial system is, therefore, nothing but a game of winning and losing. It’s about which side wins in the end. It’s about money and politics. What kind of justice can be had in these circumstances? Here’s a thought. Why not use a lottery system in jury selection? The individuals pulled from a hat will be the jurors. There will be no interviews or questions by any lawyer or judge in the case. Staying with the random selection may provide the least amount of bias.
Do we have a right to protect ourselves? Yes
Do we have a right to feel safe in the public domain? Yes
Does Kyle Rittenhouse deserve our love and support? Yes
Do we have the responsibility to educate our young people and provide a good example? Yes
Do people in positions of authority and power have the responsibility to serve the best interests of all concerned? Absolutely yes.
It looks like we have a lot of work to do. We cannot create a healthy and happy society for all by looking the other way. We can begin by recognizing that we all have fears, prejudices, and biases that need to be addressed and healed. We can continue with the process by electing government officials who have the “best of all concerned” at the forefront of their hearts and minds. We become engaged because we care.
All my love and support, stay safe and be well