Kyle Rittenhouse abruptly departed the stage during an appearance at the University of Memphis on Wednesday, after he was confronted about comments made by Turning Point USA founder and president Charlie Kirk.

Rittenhouse was invited by the college’s Turning Point USA chapter to speak at the campus. However, the event was met with backlash from a number of students who objected to Rittenhouse’s presence.

The 21-year-old gained notoriety in August 2020 when, at the age of 17, he shot and killed two men—Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, as well as injuring 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz—at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

He said the three shootings, carried out with a semi-automatic AR-15-style firearm, were in self-defense. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest where the shootings took place was held after Jacob Blake, a Black man, was left paralyzed from the waist down after he was shot by a white police officer.

  • Kindness@lemmy.ml
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    8 months ago

    Because the actual story fits blearily enough well with republican’s “good guy with a gun” mythos. Trigger Warning: Violence, Death, and Bodily Injury.

    If I’m wrong, please correct me and cite your sources.

    a guy who is famous for murder

    Correction: Famously accused of murder and acquitted of all charges despite rigorous cross examination and ever increasingly difficult hurdles to claiming self defence… such as assuming provocation incited the first attacker. Also despite intense political pressure from then and current POTUS Joseph Biden, who was vocally in favor of murder charges until after the not-guilty verdict was delivered.

    His first attacker, Joseph Rosenbaum (deceased): “The man with a toothbrush.” A belligerent 36 year old bare chested man. Chasing a 17 year old with a firearm, who was running away. A convicted child molester. At the time being tried for assault and out on bail. Shot at close range.

    His second attacker, Anthony Huber (deceased): An avid skater, chasing down a presumed murderer fleeing in the direction of the police. Assailed the accused in the shoulder, neck, and head with a skateboard and grappled over the rifle. Shot at close range.

    Third, Gaige Grosskreutz the star witness of the trial: a trained paramedic who chased the presumed murderer alongside Anthony Huber. Confronted the 17 year old, who had immediately prior, shot Anthony Huber while wrestling on the ground. Drew his pistol and immediately lost his right bicep upon pointing his weapon at the accused.

    The 17 year old, Kyle Rittenhouse, then approached officers with his hands above his head, and was told to get out of the road. Fears of a mass shooter caused the crowds to disperse.

    Please stop calling the idiot a murderer. He was acquitted, and the people who attacked him are none too heroic after looking at their part in the events, nor after seeing their criminal records.

    • undercrust@lemmy.ca
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      8 months ago

      Please stop calling the idiot a murderer.

      Who, Kyle Rittenhouse the scared little boy who murdered two people? Nah, I think I’ll keep calling him what he is, but you keep on living in your fantasy world down there in the States where gunning down people in the streets and schools is a normal every day thing.

      • AWildMimicAppears@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        8 months ago

        I would also like to remind people of Brock Allen Turner, the rapist, who changed his name to just Allen Turner, who is also still a rapist. Just so that we don’t forget.

      • Kindness@lemmy.ml
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        8 months ago

        Believe whatever you like, I’m not the world thought police. Discredit yourself if it please you. Fantasy is often preferable to reality and I won’t fault you for it.

        you keep on living in your fantasy world down there in the States

        You’re as likely to be Mr. United States as I am Mr. Canuk.

    • Natanael@slrpnk.net
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      8 months ago

      How many judges pose for photos with the defendant of violent crimes? That judge did.

      • Kindness@lemmy.ml
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        8 months ago

        That’s a new tidbit. Thank you.

        As far as discrediting the trial, the jurors determine guilt.

        In America, the judge is allowed to dismiss or accept evidence and facts, which can skew a trial one way or another. However, this trial was almost ridiculously thorough. The jurors were not aware of the attackers’ backgrounds, nor were allowed to consider the attackers’ other actions that night. Jurors were told to consider the defendant had instigated the incident. On the stand, the paramedic admitted he expected he wouldn’t have been shot if he didn’t point his firearm at the defendant, meaning he was aware he wasn’t chasing a mass-shooter, and might otherwise be called a murderer by everyone who is calling the defendant one.

      • Kindness@lemmy.ml
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        8 months ago

        Apologist, possibly. I will absolutely defend that which I hold true. As a pedant, I will assert molesters are not rapists for molesting, rapists are not murderers for raping, and correctly classifying terrible things or events is not apologising, defending, or minimising. By all means call him a killer.

        Murder apologist is a straw man I won’t be stepping to.

        Kindness to remind myself not to lash out or insult people over internet comments. What’s your username mean?

    • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      A. You don’t loose the right to a fair trail because you are a criminal, a former criminal, or even just an asshole. Nor are you allowed to be murdered. It doesn’t matter how shit these people were a random guy with a gun doesn’t get to decide if they live or die.

      B. It is bizarre how prior situations only work against the victims. Everyone loves to point out that the victims were criminals and at the same time ignore the fact that Rittenhouse out himself in that situation

      C. I will call that piece of shit a fucking murderer to his fucking face if I ever fucking see him. He is a murderer. Even if God were real, and came down and told me straight off that he is not a murderer in my assessment of the facts he is.

      • Kindness@lemmy.ml
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        8 months ago

        It doesn’t matter how shit these people were a random guy with a gun doesn’t get to decide if they live or die.

        A valid point. Do you feel the same way about the paramedic?

        Rittenhouse out himself in that situation

        Another valid point. I agree.

        C.

        Please yourself. Your assessment and a definition are worth something.

        How you sound to others is your problem, but personally I’d suggest you pick up a dictionary and then go with something more astute, such as killer, man-slayer, or gunman. Possibly gunboy.

        • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          A valid point. Do you feel the same way about the paramedic?

          I think I was super clear but evidently I wasn’t. People should not be murderes. If we are to have a death penalty, big if, it should be by the state through a process. Not random 17 year olds with a gun. I feel this way about everyone. No one should murder anyone. Murder is bad.

          I couldn’t decipher the rest of your comment.

          • Kindness@lemmy.ml
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            8 months ago

            The paramedic is an attempted killer too. Where is your outrage over Gaige chasing a killer to kill him? What of his lack of trial?

            Just as well. The conversation is a shambling waste. You’re only here to feel justified anger I suppose, so we may as well go our separate ways. A pleasant morning to you. Ciao.