Kyle Rittenhouse goes to trial

[Antipatros]

there's now a bill from Marjorie Taylor Greene to award Rittenhouse a Congressional Gold Medal


it won't, you know, happen, but radicalization go brr

*sigh*

This is even worse than when Pelosi called Floyd a “martyr”.

Can’t we recognize someone is the clear victim without effectively canonizing them?

Culture war go brrrr

[Lady Victory]

New law: anyone calling Rittenhouse a hero/villain must leave the US for the rest of their lives.

I think you'll find this will solve all our problems tbqh.

[The Black Forrest]

New law: anyone calling Rittenhouse a hero/villain must leave the US for the rest of their lives.

I think you'll find this will solve all our problems tbqh.

That sounds like criticism of a god damn American hero! Get her!

[Galloism]

New law: anyone calling Rittenhouse a hero/villain must leave the US for the rest of their lives.

I think you'll find this will solve all our problems tbqh.

<we send them all to Australia>

<one year later>

Hmm, we seem to have established some kind of utopia. But Australia is on fire for some reason.

[Albrenia]

New law: anyone calling Rittenhouse a hero/villain must leave the US for the rest of their lives.

I think you'll find this will solve all our problems tbqh.

<we send them all to Australia>

<one year later>

Hmm, we seem to have established some kind of utopia. But Australia is on fire for some reason.

<Sad Koala Noises>

[Gravlen]

[Uiiop]

You're either a hero or a villain. There is no inbetween anymore.

There's an argument that my dad brings up that social punishment can be enough in self-defense cases where the survivor fucked up but understandably so and/or there's "both sides".

This is the reason that argument is bunk. I hope Kyle's money being dicked around with encourages him to stay away from the shitstorm or only return in an positive manner.

[The Black Forrest]

You're either a hero or a villain. There is no inbetween anymore.

There's an argument that my dad brings up that social punishment can be enough in self-defense cases where the survivor fucked up but understandably so and/or there's "both sides".

This is the reason that argument is bunk. I hope Kyle's money is dicked encourages him to stay away from the shitstorm or only return in an positive manner.

Mass attention is a drug. Why else would he meet with trump.

[Senkaku]

Sure, but let’s also not enable right-wing stigmatization of the mentally ill as undesirables whose liquidation should be celebrated if they ever become disruptive or frightening or dangerous.

You do not have to allow yourself to be murdered by someone because they're mentally ill. Most especially because a mental illness isn't always the easiest thing to detect in these situations. I don't think anyone here has tried to stigmatize the mentally ill and, in fact, the reason Rosenbaum's mental illness was brought up at all was to indict our medical system for not properly addressing his health needs and putting him in a position that quite probably led to his death.

As it happens, yeah, we should criticize the medical system for that.

If someone threatens to kill me and grabs at my firearm I am shooting them. End of story.

It is not my job to determine why they are now a threat to my person. The fact is they have become a threat to my person and I have a right to defend myself from that threat.

I am under no obligation to cede my right to self defense because my assailant might not be purely sane.

Exactly.

If someone threatens to kill me and grabs at my firearm I am shooting them. End of story.

It is not my job to determine why they are now a threat to my person. The fact is they have become a threat to my person and I have a right to defend myself from that threat.

I am under no obligation to cede my right to self defense because my assailant might not be purely sane.

I didn’t disagree with any of that? The circumstances and specific blow-by-blow of the actual scuffle are the least interesting, most discussed, and least important element of this story at this point; it’s the media discourse around it that’s become of actual political concern.

The issue is not that Rittenhouse shot him, under the circumstances. The issue is that he was there in the first place rather than receiving care, and that his death is now being celebrated as the righteous putting-down of a faceless “rioter” whose personhood and motives are erased and left unexamined. As a consequence, the sort of truly vicious paramilitarism that some people seem to believe Rittenhouse was engaged in will actually be emboldened, while vulnerable (and dangerous, especially to themselves) people like Rosenbaum will continue to have their needs go unaddressed and end up in the line of fire.

But hey, if you want to willfully misread it as if I'm saying people should allow themselves to be murdered because that lets you get your outrage on easier, be my guest!

[Hurtful Thoughts]

The issue is not that Rittenhouse shot him, under the circumstances. The issue is that he was there in the first place rather than receiving care, and that his death is now being celebrated as the righteous putting-down of a faceless “rioter” whose personhood and motives are erased and left unexamined. As a consequence, the sort of truly vicious paramilitarism that some people seem to believe Rittenhouse was engaged in will actually be emboldened, while vulnerable (and dangerous, especially to themselves) people like Rosenbaum will continue to have their needs go unaddressed and end up in the line of fire.

Except it's not.

At least not from Rittenhouse's own perspective.

Kid literally is still having "what-if" style nightmares of how things that night could've gone better, or that one extra precaution or two that wasn't followed, if perhaps any of that would've prevented the situation that led to bodily harm that night.

To which all I can say is, it's a bit like Pompeii. And it sucks all the harder when you know they know it'll happen, and they're literally doing everything and then some to avoid a confrontation, and it happens anyways.
-Even if I fired up a time machine, picked up Rittenhouse and threw him though all that night over again to do "better"... same shit, different details, every, fucking, time. Rosenbaum still dies that night.

Peanut gallery can cheer all they want, if anything it only makes the kid more disgusted at the idea of being congratulated for something they aren't particularly proud of.

[Albrenia]

The issue is not that Rittenhouse shot him, under the circumstances. The issue is that he was there in the first place rather than receiving care, and that his death is now being celebrated as the righteous putting-down of a faceless “rioter” whose personhood and motives are erased and left unexamined. As a consequence, the sort of truly vicious paramilitarism that some people seem to believe Rittenhouse was engaged in will actually be emboldened, while vulnerable (and dangerous, especially to themselves) people like Rosenbaum will continue to have their needs go unaddressed and end up in the line of fire.

Except it's not.

At least not from Rittenhouse's own perspective.

Kid literally is still having "what-if" style nightmares of how things that night could've gone better, or that one extra precaution or two that wasn't followed, if perhaps any of that would've prevented the situation that led to bodily harm that night.

To which all I can say is, it's a bit like Pompeii. And it sucks all the harder when you know they know it'll happen, and they're literally doing everything and then some to avoid a confrontation, and it happens anyways.
-Even if I fired up a time machine, picked up Rittenhouse and threw him though all that night over again to do "better"... same shit, different details, every, fucking, time.

Peanut gallery can cheer all they want, if anything it only makes the kid more disgusted at the idea of being congratulated for something they aren't particularly proud of.

I mean, he would not have been attacked by a crazy asshole had he not gone to the riot at all. Not saying the victim blaming is correct, but a time machine would be able to fix the problem pretty easy.

[Northern Socialist Council Republics]

-snip-

People are not generally in the habit of appearing on television shows run by or accepting publicised meetings with people by whom they are “disgusted”.

Between Carlson and Trump - not to mention what we know of Rittenhouse’s leanings prior to the incident - I don’t think it’s any great mystery what intellectual-cultural sphere Rittenhouse belongs to, and its not looking very pretty.

[Hurtful Thoughts]

-snip-

People are not generally in the habit of appearing on television shows run by or accepting publicised meetings with people by whom they are “disgusted”.

Between Carlson and Trump - not to mention what we know of Rittenhouse’s leanings prior to the incident - I don’t think it’s any great mystery what intellectual-cultural sphere Rittenhouse belongs to, and its not looking very pretty.

Black Lives Matter?

Because kid is a card carrying member.

[Just-An-Illusion]

I'm surprised Trump is talking to the kid considering he supports BLM....

[Galloism]

I'm sure this isn't how he meant it, but...

Howard Dean, between repeated yells of "yeaaaaaah!" said:

America is turned upside down. A Nearly all white Jury in Georgia returns a guilty verdict against three white men who chased down and killed a Black man. A Wisconsin jury and good old boy judge let a young white man armed with an illegal gun go free after killing two white boys.

https://twitter.com/Ghimbob/status/1463611214102253576

I'll just leave it at that.

[The Lone Alliance]

-snip-

People are not generally in the habit of appearing on television shows run by or accepting publicised meetings with people by whom they are “disgusted”.

Between Carlson and Trump - not to mention what we know of Rittenhouse’s leanings prior to the incident - I don’t think it’s any great mystery what intellectual-cultural sphere Rittenhouse belongs to, and its not looking very pretty.

Going on Carlson and saying Black Lives Matter has a point would be the same as some hero of the left going on Rachel Maddow and calling out some of her sacred cows. It creates cognitive dissonance to the ideas people believe.

His trial has now put the idea in some of the Back the Blue crowd that maybe there is something wrong with the justice system in this country.

[Senkaku]

The issue is not that Rittenhouse shot him, under the circumstances. The issue is that he was there in the first place rather than receiving care, and that his death is now being celebrated as the righteous putting-down of a faceless “rioter” whose personhood and motives are erased and left unexamined. As a consequence, the sort of truly vicious paramilitarism that some people seem to believe Rittenhouse was engaged in will actually be emboldened, while vulnerable (and dangerous, especially to themselves) people like Rosenbaum will continue to have their needs go unaddressed and end up in the line of fire.

Except it's not.

At least not from Rittenhouse's own perspective.

Rittenhouse’s perspective is not the nation’s. I’m not interested in this because I’m interested in Kyle Rittenhouse as an object of parasocial sympathy, I’m interested in it because I think it has political implications for the entire nation (and as a consequence, for myself).

Kid literally is still having "what-if" style nightmares of how things that night could've gone better, or that one extra precaution or two that wasn't followed, if perhaps any of that would've prevented the situation that led to bodily harm that night.

His media appearances suggest to me those nightmares are surmountable obstacles, so please, spare us.

To which all I can say is, it's a bit like Pompeii.

…what are you talking about?

And it sucks all the harder when you know they know it'll happen, and they're literally doing everything and then some to avoid a confrontation, and it happens anyways.

Being there in the first place with a rifle is not “everything and then some,” sorry.

-Even if I fired up a time machine, picked up Rittenhouse and threw him though all that night over again to do "better"... same shit, different details, every, fucking, time. Rosenbaum still dies that night.

…yes, sort of what I was driving at. Vulnerable people in heightened states turned loose without supervision in unstable situations often lead to tragic results.

Peanut gallery can cheer all they want, if anything it only makes the kid more disgusted at the idea of being congratulated for something they aren't particularly proud of.

Again, his media appearances and glad-handing of political figures suggests he’s neither particularly disgusted nor particularly averse to congratulations.

[Albrenia]

I think the whole Pompeii thing is a nod to a Dr. Who episode where one cannot save the people of Pompeii because no matter what happens, they still all die anyway.

[Arlenton]

I'm sure this isn't how he meant it, but...

Howard Dean, between repeated yells of "yeaaaaaah!" said:

America is turned upside down. A Nearly all white Jury in Georgia returns a guilty verdict against three white men who chased down and killed a Black man. A Wisconsin jury and good old boy judge let a young white man armed with an illegal gun go free after killing two white boys.

https://twitter.com/Ghimbob/status/1463611214102253576

I'll just leave it at that.

Lmao what does that even mean?

[Northern Socialist Council Republics]

Lmao what does that even mean?

My interpretation is that the intended meaning is that America is upside-down in the sense that Georgia returned a guilty verdict and Wisconsin returned an innocent verdict in two comparable cases when, given the stereotypes about the political leanings of those two states, one might expect the opposite.

The unfortunate alternate (and probably unintended) reading is that America is upside-down in the sense that people who killed a black person was ruled guilty while the person who killed two white people was let off innocent, and that this ought to be the other way around.

And that second reading, you know, makes this person sound like a flaming racist reactionary.

[Arlenton]

Lmao what does that even mean?

My interpretation is that the intended meaning is that America is upside-down in the sense that Georgia returned a guilty verdict and Wisconsin returned an innocent verdict in two comparable cases when, given the stereotypes about the political leanings of those two states, one might expect the opposite.

The unfortunate alternate (and probably unintended) reading is that America is upside-down in the sense that people who killed a black person was ruled guilty while the person who killed two white people were let off innocent, and that this ought to be the other way around.

And that second reading, you know, makes this person sound like a flaming racist reactionary.

I see. Kind of a wild take. Not to mention ignorant of the facts of the Rittenhouse case.

[The Lone Alliance]

Lmao what does that even mean?

My interpretation is that the intended meaning is that America is upside-down in the sense that Georgia returned a guilty verdict and Wisconsin returned an innocent verdict in two comparable cases when, given the stereotypes about the political leanings of those two states, one might expect the opposite.

The unfortunate alternate (and probably unintended) reading is that America is upside-down in the sense that people who killed a black person was ruled guilty while the person who killed two white people was let off innocent, and that this ought to be the other way around.

And that second reading, you know, makes this person sound like a flaming racist reactionary.

When Howard Dean accidentally outs himself as a racist.

[Antipatros]

My interpretation is that the intended meaning is that America is upside-down in the sense that Georgia returned a guilty verdict and Wisconsin returned an innocent verdict in two comparable cases when, given the stereotypes about the political leanings of those two states, one might expect the opposite.

The unfortunate alternate (and probably unintended) reading is that America is upside-down in the sense that people who killed a black person was ruled guilty while the person who killed two white people was let off innocent, and that this ought to be the other way around.

And that second reading, you know, makes this person sound like a flaming racist reactionary.

When Howard Dean accidentally outs himself as a racist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwkNnMrsx7Q&t=54s

[The Black Forrest]

I'm surprised Trump is talking to the kid considering he supports BLM....

It suits the guns narrative which also addresses the BLM “problem”

[Galloism]

Lmao what does that even mean?

My interpretation is that the intended meaning is that America is upside-down in the sense that Georgia returned a guilty verdict and Wisconsin returned an innocent verdict in two comparable cases when, given the stereotypes about the political leanings of those two states, one might expect the opposite.

The unfortunate alternate (and probably unintended) reading is that America is upside-down in the sense that people who killed a black person was ruled guilty while the person who killed two white people was let off innocent, and that this ought to be the other way around.

And that second reading, you know, makes this person sound like a flaming racist reactionary.

Yeppers.

(Probably not what he meant, btw.)