The Rittenhouse verdict sucked and my faith in humanity was shaken today.

[Initech]

And the assholes are out celebrating like they won the fucking World Series or something. But that being said, this is a blip. It's one battle in a very long, drawn out war. I will not stop fighting for what is right against those who are committing wrong doings. Here's the thing - Kyle Rittenhouse is WRONG. Bruce Schroeder is WRONG. MAGA is WRONG. Donald Trump is WRONG. Fox News is WRONG. Facebook memes are WRONG.

While I feel this verdict will inspire copycats, I have no idea what will come of this. The best defense we can have right now is not to give them what they want, because it will add more fuel for their fire. We should work on extinguishing their fire, not to keep it burning.

My hope is that this inspires people to get to the polls and vote in the midterms. We cannot let those who stand for all that is soulless and wrong to keep getting the upper hand. We must continue to fight for justice.

[Elessar Zappa]

1. Unfortunately,

my faith in the citizens of this country has been shattered since we elected the Orange Pusbag in 2016. But I’ll continue doing my part to help Democrats get elected in hopes of reversing the terrible trajectory we’re on. I have to have hope that this fever will break.

[Initech]

2. I'm really worried what's going to happen in 2024.

God forbid the MAGA moron in chief gets reelected... I do not think I want to live in that country. I would heavily consider seeking asylum in New Zealand or Canada if worst comes to worst.

[Elessar Zappa]

3. I wish I could move to somewhere in Western Europe

but since I’m on ssdi and have expensive medical care, understandably, none of those countries will have me. I’m stuck here.

[Hoyt]

7. Lots of Europe is turning right too. Although, sure it's still better.

[Busterscruggs]

4. My only hope

Is that this may further much stronger gun control measures. He killed innocent protesters with an assault rifle. If these tools of war had been rightly outlawed like they should've been decades ago, innocent blood would never have been spilled

[DLevine]

5. I haven't had faith in humanity for quite a long while.

But this verdict is a real gut-punch.

[smirkymonkey]

9. Exactly how I feel.

I am so sick of this country. The thing is, it doesn't seem to be getting better any place else. Maybe not quite as bad in Scandinavia and certain parts of northern and western Europe, but I'm not sure how long that will last.

[Ocelot II]

6. It did suck but it had no effect on my faith in humanity, which comes and goes.

That's because the verdict was the result of specific circumstances that might have been different in another court or another jurisdiction. The judge was unusually biased, one of the most obviously biased judges that many of us have ever seen. The prosecutor was not very competent in various respects. The statutes under which Rittenhouse was charged were poorly-drafted and somewhat confusing. And the incident itself was chaotic enough for the defense to be able to argue that the prosecution hadn't proved all elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Given the way the judge conducted the trial and the prosecutor fumbled, it's not surprising that the jury returned the verdict they did.

The larger problem, I think, is that although similar facts in another court or another state might not give the same result, some people will interpret the case as giving people carte blanche to carry a gun to a demonstration and start shooting those they don't agree with. That is not what the case means, but some will certainly think it is. If Rittenhouse's trial had been managed competently and fairly, for example, by the judge in the Chauvin trial and by those same prosecutors, would he have been acquitted? We are also dealing with a legal system that is not really national at all, and is enormously inconsistent from one jurisdiction to the next. It is discouraging to see how random justice can be - it's not really justice at all if it's random.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

8. You speak for me... thanks for your post.

[Initech]

12. Sure!

Watching the people cheering outside the courthouse when the verdict was announced, my first thought was that America now has its' own version of ISIS.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

14. You're not too far off!!

[empedocles]

10. I am suspicious. There was a cable news report that rittenhouse's mother had

seated next to her an out of state [defense?] consultant next to her at the trial.

That suggests to me out of state money. Perhaps plenty of that and whatever could be bought with it.

I do recall the flagrant gangster John Gotti got acquitted:

GOTTI JUROR IS CONVICTED OF TAKING BRIBE | Latest ...
https://buffalonews.com/news/gotti-juror-is...
A juror who voted to acquit Mafia boss John Gotti five years ago was convicted Friday of agreeing to take a $60,000 bribe to throw the case. George Pape, 53, was one of the anonymous jurors who ...

[Subsequently, Gotti was convicted by a sequestered jury].

[Ocelot II]

13. Defense lawyers in high-profile cases always hire consultants.

Who's paying for them, as well as the attorneys' fees, isn't clear, but it isn't illegal to hire a consultant, in- or out-of-state - it's done all the time.

[empedocles]

15. All true. However, I like to think . . . that some jurors would have

held out on come counts - and, in the face of 'obstinacy'etc., just gave up.

[My trust in the systems of governance, social/economic realities, etc., is limited. My hopes for my children's futures, are somewhat limited through now fault of there own - life has just generally gotten economically tougher, for broad, social progress in general, etc.. However, I do have some hopes, . . . still].

[Thunderbeast]

11. The jury system is broken

If you face economic hardship, lack childcare, or can make yourself obnoxious enough, you will never sit on a jury. External conditions limit the opportunity for most service and blue-collar workers to be excused. The remaining jury pool is largely older, whiter, and more affluent.

Most white-collar employers continue pay their people while called for jury duty. Hourly workers do not receive this subsidy. Jury stipends are laughingly small.

[Delphinus]

17. It seems

that everything about our "justice" system is broken.

[MFM008]

16. Perfect

Double murdering hero for slack jaw trumphumpers.