Humanists Deeply Saddened By Not Guilty Verdict in Kyle Rittenhouse Trial
The American Humanist Association is outraged by the verdict in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, which pronounced him not guilty on all charges.
In August of 2020, Rittenhouse traveled from his home in Illinois, carrying a semiautomatic rifle into downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a period of unrest over the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black resident, by a White police officer. Rittenhouse then shot and killed protesters Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, and injured Gaige Grosskreutz. Rittenhouse faced five felonies, including first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, and first-degree intentional homicide.
The rifle that Rittenhouse brought to the protests in Kenosha was purchased by a friend, since Rittenhouse was seventeen and not legally old enough to purchase it, a reminder of the lack of necessary restrictions on gun laws in the United States.
“Make no mistake: this trial, the events that led up to it, and its outcome demonstrate the hold white supremacy has on our country. When white supremacists can opportunistically flock to a city grieving the shooting of a black resident, seek out violence, then kill people in the streets with impunity, our entire system lays bare its brokenness,” said Nicole Carr, Acting Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. “We mourn for those directly impacted by this judgment and call for our country to finally confront and amend its dangerous gun laws.”
The American Humanist Association
The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of Humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of Humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
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