The Judge In The Rittenhouse Vigilante Case Should Convict And Sentence Himself--If Justice Means A Damn Thing
This case should be declared a mistrial immediately and the Judge forced to recuse himself, at the very least.
His ruling is prejudicial and amounts to Jury tampering. In point of fact, characterizing the shooting "victims" as rioters and looters, asserts without foundation that they were engaged in criminal activity, and therefore defined the case itself as determining whether or not Rittenhouse was engaged in a legitimate attempt as a citizen to restore order in the fashion of a citizens arrest, or illegal vigilante activity. (Link to story here)
That opens the door to turning the case from what it is currently into a circus spectacle like the "Stand Your Ground" case in Florida several years ago, in which George Zimmerman was tried for the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. Don't tell me that such a ruling will be overturned on Appeal or by the Supreme Court. This is Wisconsin. The Judges there are what you'd expect, and the Supreme Court is a Federalist Society rat's nest. What do you think we are dealing with here?
To put it succinctly, such a precedent would legalize not only more vigilante shootings and interference with law enforcement, but would legalize lynching. Any Trumpian armed yahoo who runs across a citizens protest would have, "in effect" a hunting license to go out and shoot them.
You remember lynching, right? That thing which vigilante white racists do which was mistakenly ascribed as being solely a Southern phenomenon? Well, look at the history of bloody lynchings in the North, in States like New York. And Ohio. And Minnesota, and lastly Wisconsin, even deep into the 20th Century.
I want to know this Judge's history, and his family history, his clubs, groups, friendships. He needs to be removed right now. Otherwise, if his ruling stands and the case proceeds as is, the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse is assured.
Trump's Nazi Red States and their Attorneys Generals will start pushing this characterization of protesters who are shot not as victims but perpetrators in order to throw cases out. They will copycat it throughout the Trump States like they have on voting rights, abortion, gerrymandering, etc.
The Rittenhouse defense is massively funded by Trumpworld, and is a key precedent setting case nationally though it is not a Federal case. It is going to be a growing diversionary flank in the nazified GOP's "culture wars" agenda going forward, to whip up Trump's insurrectionist Mob, and to expand their pattern of violence nationally. Rittenhouse and Ashley Babbit are already enshrined in the Pantheon of Donald Trump's "heroes" who risked their lives for his narcissistic and bloated fat Orange ass. This case is strategic.
Don't let yourselves become numbed to the continuing onslaught of fascist provocations by accepting this headline as just another story which is depressing. Don't "file it away".
What do you think it will mean if vigilantism and lynching is "legalized"? The very Constitutional right to assemble and have peaceful unarmed protest without being shot will be rendered void. Wake up! Have your coffee, eat, get your work for the day done, and then do something about this. Anything.
