It wasn’t Liberty Valance!
We love the work of Wisconsin State Journal cartoonist Phil Hands. But his editorial pen leaked ink today. He depicts Lady Justice shot dead by Kyle Rittenhouse — “in self defense.”
But Lady Justice did not threaten to kill Kyle Rittenhouse. Someone else did. Lady Justice did not pursue the defendant through the streets of Kenosha or attempt to take away his gun. That was someone else. She was not enraged that the young man extinguished her attempts to burn down more of the city, unlike the actual aggessor. America’s symbol of justice was not a convicted child rapist acting “hyper-aggressive.” That would be Joseph Rosenbaum.
Lady Justice ignored the politically charged noise and static. She listened to the evidence. Justice is color-blind. She applied the law.
“It’s open season on protesters,” wails a University of Georgia professor, host of the podcast Radikaal. Rushing to judgment without hearing the evidence — like so many, he warns: “Demonstrators in the US must fear not only police brutality but also right-wing vigilantes.” (Source here.) But there no evidence that Rittenhouse was (gasp!) Republican — much less right wing! Reports that he was militia were more news media malpractice. MSNBC chasing the jury down the street!
→ If convicted criminals Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber, and Gaige Grosskreutz are civil rights demonstrators, Ed Gein was a haberdasher!
The WI State Journal editorial that accompanied Phil Hands’ cartoon asks: “If carrying an AR-15 down a crowded street isn’t provocative, what is?” Is a beautiful woman out alone at night also provocative? A black man sitting at a cafeteria counter in the 1950s South? A pro-cop speaker at a Madison school board meeting? A big rock on the UW-Madison campus?
We’ll say it again: Kyle Rittenhouse, Ryan Balch, and Dominick Black should not have been out and about in downtown Kenosha 08-25-20. But neither should Rosenbaum, Huber, and Grosskreutz! They and/or their allies had already burned and looted Kenosha the night before. They thrived in the vacuum that Democrats like Gov. Tony Evers created when they kept police at bay.
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Ald. Tag Evers did the same thing when they sided with BLM shakedown artist Devonere Johnson (“the black Jesus”) in June 2020. Result; statues topped, city hall burned, glass shattered, and people were beaten in the shadow of the State Capitol. Cops were told to stand down. Erick Erickson recommends:
If you are concerned about the rise of vigilantism, stop rioting. Stop burning down buildings claiming it is not violence. Stop defunding the police. Stop ordering the police to stand down and not enforce the law against rioters.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: Why did Kenosha not burn again after Friday’s verdict? Dare we say it? (We do! We do!) Because the justice system worked and Kyle Rittenhouse is a free man.
Education
Blaska Policy Werkes 
“It must be open season on rioters and arsonists.” – Jesse Jackson (paraphrased)
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The one area where I long felt we were aligned, though we are apart on policy and candidates for the most part as we have different political homes, was on the idea that process mattered. That issue is no small one, and admittedly not one that many think or care about. I considered you a process democrat (small d) and supported you for office, in part, based on my view of how you would work within an elected board. The manner in which we conduct our governing, and also the manner in which we conduct the judicial system absolutely has to conform to strict standards. And that part is different from being for or against policy A or B. That is why I am really taken aback concerning your support for someone who took the law into his hands and decided to be the judge, jury, and then executioner for the ills he perceived in society. Before he shot anyone he first decided to be there–that is the key. And it is from that very moment that the larger process for how our society has constructed itself to deal with problems–in that case–violence on the streets– was tossed aside. I know my words here will not alter your views, but I feel them important to state as we have known each other for some time.
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If “process matters,” Greg, why do you ignore the results of a jury trial?
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Deke, at no time was Rittenhouse the judge and jury of anything. At no time did he “execute” anyone. But, Yepper, he DID have some self-defense to attend to, tho…
He responded as one would think ANYONE would when under a attack in a violent environment. Further, when stupid people, (such as rabid child molesters, skateboard swingers and uncoordinated ne-er-do-wells armed w/ a Glocks), likely they WILL win stupid prizes.
BTW, which one of these reprobates do ya mourn the most? And… why ?
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GS,
You make way too much sense, which is why your argument will fall on deaf ears. I mean, leftists can’t even see what’s right in front of them, and most disgustingly they’re honoring the memory of a child rapist.
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“the ills he perceived “, i.e., an unruly mob chasing and then pummeling him with various objects.
The “larger process” for how our society deals with problems was MIA.
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Don’t even try to reason with the willingly brainwashed.
To them a mob of adult felons chasing an underage boy shouting “I’m going to kill you!” and throwing objects at him, striking him, knocking him down, grabbing for his LEGAL gun, and pointing their own ILLEGAL gun at his face — none of this matters to them. To them Kyle had no right to defend himself and they lied about him and his family for the last year and STILL couldn’t corrupt the constitutional criminal justice “process” they are now criticizing.
These people are willingly brainwashed. Kyle “shouldn’t have been there” but a criminal felon who raped 5 young boys is glorified and mourned. (Why was HE even free to walking around after raping 5 young kids?!!!!)
Arguing with the willingly brainwashed is like throwing pearls before swine.
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Right on, Adam and One eye.
It’s great to try to understand and communicate with people who think differently, but how do you talk to people whose arguments are based on lies and who refuse to see that which is right in front of their faces? And they’re arrogant about it, as if the rest of us are plebes.
The left has gone too far. They’re actually defending the memory of a child rapist to defend these lies. How warped is that?
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I can’t believe the takes that I am seeing coming from the left on this case. This cartoon is particularly egregious as justice is what was served when Rittenhouse was acquitted. Anyone who watched the trial knew that was the correct outcome.
I considered myself a liberal a long time ago but I can’t stomach them any more.
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Me too, frog.
This is not the same Democratic party that we once supported. They sicken me now and I’d be too embarrassed to admit I’m a Dem.
What I don’t understand are the so-called moderates who continue to hang on. Do they not see how irrational, hysterical, and tyrannical they’ve become.
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Too bad WSJ’s opinion page editor, Phil Hands, wastes his talent on the Democrat darkside.
His caricature depicting a pompous, pierced, gray pony-tailed Proglobot is spot on. Hands’ stuff is good, but he’ll never reach the talent level of AF Branco, Pat Cross or Michael Ramirez.
FYEE, for your enjoyment and edification, I’d like to share some Saturday Comics,
“A Well Aquitted Edition”:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/11/the-week-in-pictures-well-acquitted-edition.php
Kyle Rittenhouse did not act as a vigilante. He did not seek to arrest anyone for a crime or stop any crime, … except for deadly assaults upon his own person. He defended himself with a scary-looking, black, long gun while being attacked by, … get this, …. vigilantes.
It’s in The Book, you could look it up, “When Justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous, but terror to the evildoers.” — Proverbs 21:15
This also, “A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left.” — Ecclesiastes 10:2
Bucky’s off to a fast start, seeya, but also FYEE;
You know what the “N” on the Nebraska helmet stand for?
Knowledge. (H/T: da Gotch)
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Me too, frog, me too.
I ran away as fast as possible from the progressive cult years ago and deeply regret falling for their sick lies.
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where did the religion posts go?
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Where all the white women at?
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So today’s WSJ has a front page piece from the LA Times. Perhaps the most delusional take on the trial I have seen so far, and that’s saying a lot. Take this passage:
“I find this so troubling. We’re at a point where a person with a plastic bag who has an
encounter with someone with an AR-15 where we say it’s the person with a plastic bag
who is a deadly threat,” said Ion Meyn, an assistant professor of law at UW-Madison. “
How does someone recognize if we have an active shooter or not? What do we do
now going forward?”
Allow me. How does a person with a plastic bag constitute a deadly threat? Well, when that person is seen brandishing a chain and threatening, “If I catch one of you (men armed with rifles) alone, I will fucking kill you. I will cut your fucking head off!” Of course it is entirely possible that a casual observer might not believe him to be sincere, but when when you consider the circumstances, it might just be prudent to take him at his word, since he was consistently described as extremely “agitated.” Rosenbaum then ducked behind a car and tried to ambush Rittenhouse by rushing him and taking his weapon. There was the point in the trial where the prosecutor was challenging a witness about what Rosenbaum was thinking right then. “You don’t know what he was thinking, it’s all guesswork, right?” To which the witness replied, “Well, he did say ‘fuck you’ and grabbed for his gun.”
How does someone recognize if we have an active shooter? Well, when they are going to the police line and DECLARING that they are doing so, (plainly caught on video and heard by none other that Grosskruetz.) And in the article GG’s gun is again referred to as a “pistol” instead of AN ILLEGALLY CARRIED NINE MILLIMETER SEMI-AUTOMATIC ASSAULT WEAPON WITH 9 ROUNDS IN THE CLIP. A WEAPON SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO KILL HUMANS, WITH A MUCH LARGER CALIBER THAN AN AR-15.
I don’t believe these people actually watched the trial.
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Spot on, Oh Lock – lin! Could not the L.A. Times find ANYONE who understands that Kenosha had already burned the night before, that civil authorities already proved they could not stem the destruction? That chaos thrives in a vacuum? That August 25, 2010 was not a “protest” but a riot? Only at the bottom of the Mark Richards sidebar story in today’s WSJ is there anything hopeful, where the defense attorney says why couldn’t CNN and MSNBC bother to get their facts straight?
The longterm results of the Rittenhouse decision: “protests” will become even more peaceful.
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What are the longterm results of the Rittenhouse decison? The narrative is far more ugly then you have outlined.
“There’s a lot of people trying to profit on this, and I don’t think people should,” said attorney Mark Richards. “They’re raising money on it, and you have all these Republican congressmen saying come work for me,” he added. “They want to trade on his celebrity, and I think it’s disgusting.”
We are now monetizing special ed students.
Here we have a young man who was rejected by the marines; failed the driver’s test; dropped out of two high schools; assaults girls; threatens to shoot shoplifters; reads and writes at a fourth-grade level; is undergoing counselling for diagnosed PTSD; desperately needs health insurance; is unemployed and, has a father that cannot provide any help.
What are we left with?
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No doubt heroes were born that day. Rittenhouse to the alt right and Jojo the child rapist to Hollywood elites.
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“What are we left with?” Sadly, some guys like you…
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I’m going to start spelling my name Oh-Lock-lin from now on. At least they’ll pronounce it correctly.
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I find it troubling that anyone associated with the UW law school would make a statement like that. He’s either ignorant or disingenuous.
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Keith Findlay is greatly responsible for Madison’s Police Civilian Oversight Board.
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I’m going for both.
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David, It doesn’t happen often, but your blog post is w-a-y off the mark today. Ed Gein was no mere haberdasher, he was an important early influencer ! He inspired movies, handled cutlery as well as Anthony Bourdain and ultimately created avant garde home furnishings. Further: 3 things he was NOT -A kiddie-diddler, and he never would have attacked Rittenhouse w/ a dull skateboard, and he certainly never fell out of his chair at a ZOOM deposition.
“Rittenhouse Witness Falls From Chair On Zoom Call” 11 Seconds in…. https://youtu.be/i5zpar0Fr84
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Ol’ Ed was also ahead of the recycling movement.
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Some awkward yet timely memes, etc. on the Powerline site… Especially fer David G. and Dick (AKA Richard). I hear’s ya cryin’ as I post this….
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/11/the-week-in-pictures-well-acquitted-edition.php
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