The Lived Experience of Kyle Rittenhouse: Beyond Liberal Perception in California

To the contrary, I live in a very liberal part of California. Many of my friends and acquaintances are proud and happy Democrats, albeit somewhat less so today given the significant uptick in crime, homelessness, and controversial decisions made by school boards in the Bay Area.

Initial Perceptions vs. Reality

Before the Rittenhouse verdict, as they watched parts of his trial, my friends and acquaintances expressed surprise at how much of the evidence supporting Rittenhouse’s contentions of self-defense was the polar opposite of the narrative presented to them earlier in the year. They had assumed that Rittenhouse was a white supremacist who had crossed state lines and shot 3 blacks at a BLM march, killing them all unprovoked.

Instead, they were shocked to learn that it was 3 white men who were shot, and that the shooting was in self-defense. During the trial, it was revealed that one man hit Rittenhouse in the head with the edge of a large skateboard, another tried to take his rifle, and a third drew his own Glock and pointed it at Rittenhouse. All of this was captured on video and presented at trial.

Working in Kenosha

Rittenhouse did not cross the state line to commit a rash act; rather, he worked in Kenosha. He crossed that line every workday. He was there at the request of the sons of a car dealer, who asked him to come and help protect their cars from damage and destruction. The videos during the trial showed the absolute chaos of what was happening in Kenosha, far from the typical BLM protest but rather a scene of rioting, looting, and destruction as seen in Minneapolis.

The Judicial and Media Backlash

The evidence at the trial was at odds with the prevailing news media narrative. George Washington Law Professor Jonathan Turley comments on how the media coverage distorted what the public knew about the Rittenhouse case. Politicians and media figures, including then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, initially insisted that this was a case of murders committed by a white supremacist, labeling Rittenhouse as such and demanding that President Donald Trump disavow white supremacists.

Much of the media followed suit, creating an echo chamber of coverage that led some people to believe that these were essentially murders on the streets of Kenosha. Columnist Elie Mystal called the trial a sham, exhorting Rittenhouse's supporters to distance themselves from him.

Aftermath and Further Revelations

The pressure clearly had an impact on the prosecution, which overcharged Rittenhouse, including with a count that was invalid. The case began to fall apart as the prosecution called its witnesses who contradicted the core elements of these charges. Faced with a collapsing case in court, many of the same media outlets struck out at the judge, the jury, and the legal system. MSNBC host Tiffany Cross even advocated for the judge's removal, while Rittenhouse was mocked for his 'male white tears' and perceived white privilege.

A Closer Look at the Victims

Here is a synopsis of the 3 men shot by Rittenhouse. During the trial, it was obvious that none of them were specifically targeted by Rittenhouse until they attacked and attempted to disarm him. Two of them were far from being choirboys. As little reported by the press, as it didn’t adhere to their narrative, Rosenbaum was raised in Texas and Arizona, according to The Washington Post. The paper reported that Rosenbaum said he was molested by a stepfather and had spent most of his adult life in prison starting at age 18 for sexual conduct with five preteen boys. His mother was sent to prison when he was 13 and Rosenbaum began using heroin and methamphetamine at a group home where he was sent, reported the Post.

Swart had pressed charges against Rosenbaum in July 2020 after a fight in which she assaulted him, reported the Post. But she was open to reconciling, telling the Post that he had told her: 'I’m never lying to you, I’m never trying to hurt you, never ever.'

Huber had spent time in prison twice: first for violating probation after strangling his brother and again for kicking his sister, reported the Post. Grosskreutz was armed with a pistol that night but he also had his medical supplies, all of which were standard for him to bring to protests, he testified. He was there that night to help out with medical care. He had been to dozens of protests over the summer.

Grosskreutz said he was not intentionally pointing his weapon at Rittenhouse, but during cross-examination agreed that it was pointed at Rittenhouse at the moment he was shot.