Most people who know me, understand that it is very difficult to be in a room with me that will not turn into some sort of deep conversation. I have never been the kind of person who lightly comments on the weather or any frivolous small talk. This week I am even more intrigued than normal. Because there is a verdict that is being focused on more than people are willing to admit. People are waiting with bated breath as we all wait to see what is going to happen to young Kyle Rittenhouse.
For those unaware Kyle was a 17-year-old teenager who was thrust into the spotlight after an incredibly gruesome encounter with rioters. When faced with a fight or flight situation Kyle reacted on instinct, which tragically lead to two deaths and one rather serious injury. No matter how you look at this, this is not something anyone, especially Kyle, was proud of. This is a rather complicated and delicate situation, that should be examined incredibly closely to get everyone to a collective understanding of what this all means for our future. Was Kyle a hero? Or a villain?
Before I get into this, I need to set the stage as to why a 17-year-old would be able to justify bringing a rifle to a “protest.”
During the “new summer of love” in 2020, many cities across the nation were adapting to protests that were being committed in the name of social justice. After the nation witnessed what happened with George Floyd, our collective conscience came to the conclusion that what we saw on the screen was not right. Which led many well-intended individuals to take to the streets to express solidarity. Some of these protests were performed peacefully with opposing groups locking arms in harmony and coming to a peaceful resolution. While many others were escalated into violent riots that sowed seeds of discord among already unsteady factions. All with the convenient intent of “anti-racism.”
For those in the dark about how these riots could get violent, I highly recommend listening to independent journalist Andy Ngo and his reports on the violent ANTIFA riots that he witnessed, and unfortunately, was a victim of in Portland Oregon in 2019. It is no secret that there have been violent extremist factions in the Pacific Northwest that had been committing gruesome crimes in the name of Social Justice with little to no consequence. While it was a large talking point for conservatives in the last election cycle, my fear is that their take on ANTIFA and other violent extremists has been turned into a parody of “crazy boomer talk.” The fact that people dismiss this so quickly worries me very deeply.
As for the Black Lives Matter protests, tensions were already high to begin with as the world had been in a state of collective panic since the start of 2020. Understandably so. When the sky is falling people tend to their own rather than watching the worldwide divide that is handwaved away by institutions we are taught to trust. While there has been a much-needed conversation about systematic inequality, these conversations were quickly sidelined by violent, tribalistic reactions that ignited the tension in the air like a powder keg. Using racial inequality as a justification for the destruction of small businesses and national spirit. I could easily understand why the average citizen would not only despise these institutions, but the politicians promoting them. They were not preventing the disaster; they were perpetuating it.
“But they’re not going to stop. They’re not going to stop. They’re not. This is a movement. I’m telling you. They’re not going to stop, and everyone, beware. Because they’re not going to stop. They’re not going to stop before election day in November, and they are not going to stop after election day. And everyone should take note of that on both levels. That they’re not going to let up. And they should not, and we should not.” -Kamala Harris
When the people who lead your country are stating that your business being burned to the ground is justified because of an inequality that the average person has no control of, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that the game is rigged. Then when you top off this nonsense with the idea of defunding the police (despite the actual meaning of that phrase) that are sworn to protect against this sort of injustice, you can see where someone would decide that they need to take the matter into their own hands.
Which is exactly the perspective it takes for someone to see Kyle as a hero. While we do not normally want a world filled with “vigilante justice,” it doesn’t take many assumptions to see themselves put into that exact same situation these days. Something as simple as going to protect a building from angry mobs can turn hostile faster than someone can even switch the safety off on their rifle. A situation where even lending a hand and providing medical aid could be seen as a “fascist attempt” to exude control. Reasoning with an angry mob is near impossible, and you would have better luck defending the actions of Adolf Hitler than you would attempting to detail the criminal history of the violent offenders who attacked Kyle.
My goal is that enough conversation with the right people can prevent these situations from ever becoming a reality in my life. It’s a weird place to be in because it feels like I am an outsider. I watched and listened to this trial since the start, but the story that I hear people whispering about is a much more socially charged issue. When I hear Kyle being called a white supremacist, something deep in me sends an alarm loud and clear. They are not paying attention to what is actually going on. They are waiting for the quick 5-minute videos and articles that summarize the event, with their own social justice spin. They are waiting to be told what they are supposed to think.
What they are not being told, is that Kyle was there to help. Although he lacked the certifications, he was there with medical equipment, looking to provide aid. Many of the videos from this trial, portray a story of a kid who took the protection and aid of complete strangers into his own hands. With the intense violence of that summer, I can clearly understand why he would come armed for protection in this event. To say that he should not have brought the gun is to cast aside the possibility for violence entirely.
If Kyle himself had been the one killed, there wouldn’t even have even been a national trial. There wouldn’t even have been a monument for a child who tried to do what the adults failed to do. If the gentleman who had tried to remove Kyle succeeded, it would be considered a victory against white supremacy in the eyes of the misguided. Kyle wanted to be a cop; little did he know it is one of the most deplorable positions in our society these days. He just wanted to do the right thing.
As I have said to many of my friends recently, watching the trial myself, then watching the story spun in unimaginable ways by gigantic trusted institutions that have a very large sway on public discourse, is incredibly concerning. How does someone with no power or influence possibly fight that? I don’t just see poor Kyle on the stand, I see myself. I see my neighbors. I see everyone I know who has watched the insanity of these last two years and has to defend their own right to remain silent in front of a very loud audience. Crying in front of adults who are trying to say that playing video games is justification for committing murder.
I see a kid, who never thought it could come to this.
Thank you for reading,
-The Young Fool
