Rittenhouse Aftermath: Myths, Lies and Lots of Video Tape

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- ANALYSIS: The Left won’t let go of the myths and outright lies that have been whirling around the Kyle Rittenhouse self-defense case for months, and it is being captured on video where—if the teen’s supporters have their way—it will help in potential defamation lawsuits a’la the Nick Sandmann case in 2019.

Acquitted on five charges, Rittenhouse walked out of the Kenosha courtroom a free young man. The Left has gone ballistic, including commentators at CNN and MSNBC, who are not happy with the verdict. There is a lively debate going on at KOMO’s Facebook entry about the Rittenhouse verdict.

Maria Shriver at NBC tweeted, “The idea that someone could be out with a semi-automatic weapon, kill people, and walk is stunning. I look forward to hearing from the jury. This is a moment for them to explain how they came to their decision.”

The idea that someone could be out with a semi-automatic weapon, kill people, and walk is stunning. I look forward to hearing from the jury. This is a moment for them to explain how they came to their decision.

— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) November 20, 2021

As noted by Fox News, “In a report for ‘Face the Nation,’ reporter Mark Strassman falsely claimed that Kyle Rittenhouse crossed state lines ‘armed for battle.’”

The same myth was perpetuated in a report on KIRO-TV in Seattle, in which it was stated, “Rittenhouse traveled to Wisconsin from Illinois, armed with a semi-automatic rifle.”

It has been firmly established Rittenhouse didn’t cross the state line with the rifle used in that fateful August 2020 incident during which he fatally shot two men and wounded a third. All three of the people he shot were white.

Shortly after the verdict, Shannon Watts, founder of the anti-gun-rights Moms Demand Action and trying to exploit the case to support her gun ban agenda, sent an email blast which asserted, “Let me be clear: this verdict of not guilty is a miscarriage of justice and an indictment of our broken criminal justice system. A white teenager got his hands on a semi-automatic rifle, showed up to a demonstration for Black Lives, fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, and he wasn’t held accountable…And it’s exactly what the NRA wants—a society where anyone can have a gun anywhere with no training and no questions asked, and where people feel emboldened to shoot anyone over the slightest provocation without fear of consequences…

“This tragedy underscored what we already knew,” Watts’ message added, “allowing the open carry of firearms everywhere—especially at demonstrations—is dangerous and life-threatening. In fact, demonstrations with a presence of armed groups and individuals, like those found in Kenosha in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, are nearly six times as likely to turn violent or destructive compared to unarmed demonstrations…”

Not to be outdone, Renée Hopkins, CEO at the Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility—a billionaire-backed gun prohibition lobbying group—also sent an email blast almost simultaneously as Watts. In her message, Hopkins declared, “We are outraged by this lack of justice and accountability…This decision is proof of how far we are from the beacon of justice and equality that our country claims to be. The reality is, a white gunman was free to cross state lines with a semi-automatic assault weapon, shoot three people, and be portrayed as the victim…

“This case provides incontrovertible evidence of the threat posed by openly-carried firearms and the shoot-first mentality promoted by the gun lobby,” Hopkins added. “The presence of a gun means any situation can turn deadly in the blink of an eye. That is why we fought to prohibit openly-carried guns at protests and the State Capitol in Washington and why we will continue working to ensure that all people can express themselves free from the threat of gun violence.”

That there was a “lack of justice and accountability” is a canard, say some observers. Rittenhouse was held to account and he was acquitted by the process of a trial, which translates to the exercise of justice.

When reported by Seattle’s KIRO, Hopkins’ comments again perpetuated the myth of Rittenhouse’s gun by stating, “It’s really important to note that no one, especially no minor, should be allowed to cross state lines with a semi-automatic assault rifle, shoot three people, then be portrayed as a victim — or even worse, a hero. And that’s what happened today.”

It should be noted that KIRO got Hopkins on video, but when it came to quoting the Second Amendment Foundation, reporter Deedee Sun only recited a statement provided by SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb.

“The verdict by the Kenosha jury is an affirmation that people, regardless of their age, have a right to defend themselves against violent attack, by individuals or a mob,” he said.

Reuters quoted Wisconsin criminal defense attorney Daniel Adams, who observed that most lawyers “who looked at the evidence had a feeling the state would not be able to clear the threshold of disproving self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Such observations are evidently not adequate for those hoping for a conviction. Before devolving into a discussion about race relations and gun control, a piece in The Atlantic appeared to sum up the Rittenhouse trial aftermath as best as anyone could.

“The trial was inevitably a media circus, spurring intense criticism of the judge and prosecutors from commentators across the political spectrum,” wrote reporter David A. Graham. “Much of that attention offered little insight, and sidestepped the point. The predicament of the Rittenhouse trial was that it could never do what many Americans, especially on the left, wanted. It couldn’t produce a plain answer as to whether Rittenhouse was a hero or a villain. It couldn’t say something about the state of race relations in America. The jury could never have rendered a yea-or-nay verdict on the saturation of guns in American society.”

The trial wasn’t about race relations or guns in America. It was about the fatal shooting of two demonstrators and the wounding of a third, and whether those were acts of murder or self-defense.

After careful deliberation, a jury of seven women and five men concluded Rittenhouse fired in self-defense. It might be nice to say this is the end, but that’s not likely.

RELATED:

• Rittenhouse Verdict ‘Affirmation of Self-Defense Right’

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.