Thread by @AmoneyResists

What does race/racism have to do with the Rittenhouse case/trial/verdict?

Since that question is evidently confounding so many people, let’s talk about it (Thread)

1.) White Privilege
Kyle showed up to a BLM protest in another state w/ an illegally obtained assault weapon, killed 2 people, shot a third, & not only wasn’t shot or harmed by police; they didn’t even stop him; instead they DIRECTED HIM where to go and he was NEVER ARRESTED.

To contrast, Breonna Taylor was SHOT & KILLED WHILE SLEEPING IN HER BED by police; Tamir Rice was shot & killed for having a toy gun; Trayvon Martin was shot & killed for a bag of skittles; & George Floyd was suffocated to death by a cop who thought he used a counterfeit $20 bill

The trial provided more stark examples of white privilege in action. Judge Bruce Schroeder attacked the prosecution; refused to allow the people Rittenhouse killed to be referred to as “victims”; let Kyle sit next to him at various points; & even draw numbers to select his jurors

Moreover, while Kyle was charged with 7 counts, Schroeder DISMISSED TWO OF THEM—possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 and failure to comply with an emergency order—before the jury even began deliberating. Schroeder’s bias in favor of Rittenhouse was undeniable.

There are also indications of even more bias than was evident during the trial by judge Schroeder; as he banned MSNBC from his courtroom over allegations that turned out to be false yet allowed Fox News’ most prominent white nationalist Tucker Carlson to film a documentary.

To argue that race wasn’t a factor because Rittenhouse’s victims were white is to be completely oblivious to or simply in favor of how white privilege functions to preserve white supremacy by preventing white individuals from being held accountable by our criminal justice system.

2.) Two systems of justice
We live in a society where the rules are simply different for white people than people of color. And it goes beyond privilege. Consider how police would have treated Kyle if he had simply been there to protect black lives as opposed to cars/ businesses.

Let’s remember: Kyle was in Kenosha because he saw video of protests that sprung up in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake; a black man who was shot seven times by police in the back in front of his children, paralyzing him, and the officer isn’t even facing charges.

Race is still the primary factor in whether and to what extent we are perceived as a threat, including by police, judges & jurors. It’s why black people are still 10x more likely to be stopped; 5x more likely to be arrested & over 3.5x more likely to be shot and killed by police.

It’s also why black adults are more likely to be convicted than white adults and 5.9x more likely to receive lengthy prison sentences. The United States in many ways operates two distinct justice systems: one for wealthy people & another for poor people and people of color.

The racial disparities in our justice system are compounded & maintained by social, economic & educational inequalities. This is what people refer to when they speak of systemic racism & injustice. Yet today views of racism in America are sharply divided by political affiliation.

While Republicans embrace white supremacy and use racist fearmongering to create culture wars over things that aren’t even taught in schools like Critical Race Theory; they are also banning and burning books that even discuss racism as systemic or the true history of slavery.

In 2021 America, where it is viewed as “reasonable” to find black protestors (or even white protestors who are united *against* racial injustice) scary, threatening, and dangerous; but white vigilantes with assault weapons “heroic”; it’s clear we have a lot of work left to do.

It starts with all of us who believe in equality and justice for all calling out the current system as one that perpetuates and legitimizes racism and white supremacy while maligning, criminalizing, and dehumanizing people of color; & pushing for serious criminal justice reforms.

We must resist the right’s provocations for violence & attempts to intimidate & silence us. We must teach our children the truth about racism in America and how there is no way to understand how these pervasive inequalities continue without learning an honest history of the U.S.

We must demonstrate empathy & solidarity with those who continue to be the targets of these oppressive systems and push for changes in gun laws; judicial appointments; jury selection; how police are trained and militarized; and work to end mass incarceration & qualified immunity.

Modern day police were initially roving bands of white men with guns whose job was to keep black slaves from uprising or running away. Nearly two and a half-centuries later, racism is still baked into the American criminal justice system at every level. This has to change.