We ran a short piece about “Build Back Better” this morning. Chairman Socotra sent a note down from the Big House, saying he was pleased we did not pick up on the still-hanging jury in the Karl Rittenhouse case in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He prefers to let the wheels of justice spin their merry way and not prejudge high-profile cases that become counterpoints to larger social issues.

That is not the case with these things. Not these days. The President was just behind the District Attorney’s Office in setting the stage, terming the then-17-year-old Rittenhouse a “white supremacist” after the charges of murder were filed three days after the incident in which two white guys were shot dead and another had his biceps blown up. Even the Prosecutor hadn’t seen the evidence at that point, but there were higher objectives on the agenda.

The shooting took on a particular significance after the summer of rioting that followed the trial of Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. What a summer that was. Another young African-American named Jacob Blake had been shot by police in Kenosha in August of that season of “mostly peaceful” demonstrations. Kenosha used to be a fairly sleepy upper Midwestern city, and that shooting drew crowds determined to see whatever version of justice they thought was appropriate. Mostly were from out of town, of course, and some of them were carrying illegal weapons. You know, the same characterization was what they turned around to reflect in the Rittenhouse indictments.

There was so much piled on young Kyle it was a challenge to keep it straight. If you listened to the Prosecutor- or the media accounts, basically the same- you might have thought the trial was about an out-of-town kid who took an Assault Rifle across state lines on a hunt for Black Lives Matter activists, killing two and wounding one. Many took that as truth, since that was at least the loudest story. We took polls both at the Fire Ring and up on the Loading Dock to ensure we had a representative sample. Some thought the men who got shot were persons of color. We asked Melissa in both samplings to ensure we had significant input from two of the dozens of sexes and genders involved.

So, there was that. The jury had been out for a long time, and many reports suggested that meant the jury was seeking something to convict him, a lesser charge perhaps, to give partial justification to all concerned. Considering we know more than the jury did about the criminal pasts of those who were shot, our view was understandably different. There was a flurry of correspondence across state lines expressing concern about the rifle used in the incident. The first string of notes pointed out the ArmaLite company was founded in 1954 by the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation, and today owned by a company called Strategic Armory Corps in Phoenix, Arizona. They advertise themselves as being “comprised of a diverse group of individuals from a multitude of backgrounds” who have a commitment to innovation, product development, and customer service.

The ArmaLite Rifle, Model 15, is not an “assault rifle,” per se. People can’t seem to define exactly what that term means, since the use is to typify it as a military weapon. An “assault” is one of the many purposes an Armalite rifle could be used for, but the company refers to it as a Modern Sporting Rifle, or “MSR.” For us former military types, we consider a military weapon useful for combat to necessarily be capable of automatic fire. The Armalites are not. One trigger pull, one shot. Like many rifles, it is semi-automatic, not a “machine gun.”

Which is just one of the reasons the trial was of such high visibility. The Prosecutors seemed to be making the case that self-defense is not valid, and that the possession of a firearm is sufficient grounds to be found guilty, regardless of the circumstances. There is a lot more. Several in the circle are demanding both of the Assistant DA’s be charged with ethical violations and disbarred. A slight majority are going with the original going-in position. We will see what the lawyers do to each other, then how much Kyle ought to seek in damages from the outlets that defamed him, that sort of thing.

Chairman Socotra sent one of his hand-scribbled notes with one of the Interns. “Wait and see what happens tonight.” We have found it generally beneficial to agree with The Boss, and that is where we will leave the matter for now. But for the moment, Kyle is innocent. And free.

Copyright 2021 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com

But that was just the introduction to this judicial circus. In the list of follow-on issues, there is the matter of what happens tonight. Will a verdict of “innocent” empower the governor to deploy the national guard to ensure there is order in the streets? Will those who believe the