The most recent attack on self defense by the media is an attempt to make it about race while ignoring clear facts and court rulings. Since Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty in shooting three men during Kenosha riots the media has claimed that a black man would have been found guilty under the same circumstances.
It is important for us to look at some of the media claims in comparison to legal rulings in order to get to the truth on this issue. Comparing documented facts on the roll of race and defending one’s self shows the clear attack by the media.
While researching for this article I was overwhelmed with the number of news outlets injecting race into this issue. There is an overwhelming amount of articles making some extreme claims but for the sake of time I will only include a couple of examples.
Boston Globe claims self defense is the privilege of white supremacy.
An article in the Boston Globe titled, Kyle Rittenhouse, white supremacy, and the privilege of self-defense is the perfect example of media bias on the issue.
The Boston Globe article says, “The judge saw a boy. A white boy whose humanity mattered in a way that did not extend to those protesting for equity and a new way of justice.”
Part of their argument was that the judge wouldn’t allow the prosecution refer to the individuals shot by Rittenhouse as victims. The reason the judge didn’t allow it was because the very purpose of the trial was to determine if they were victims or if Kyle’s claim of self defense was justified.
San Francisco Chronicle claims Kyle Rittenhouse verdict just handed white vigilantes a de facto badge
After reading the article in the San Francisco Chronicle I had to honestly consider if I really wanted to include it as an example. This article makes some of the most radical claims of any of the articles I’ve read on this issue.
One of the claims in the article is:
“Rittenhouse was defending white America against Black Lives Matter protesters, and wholly imagined dangers of anti-facists, his acquittal no doubt reified his status as hero to many and will further radicalize some of the most dangerous elements in American life.”
The two previous examples are only the tip of the iceberg of media claims with many of them going to the extreme in their claims of racial bias in self defense cases.
Charges permanently dropped against Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend for shooting officer
The case involving the shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville Kentucky during a drug raid contributed to many of the riots that have happened across the country. Her boyfriend was charged for shooting a police officers as they came into the apartment.
According to USA Today:
Walker, Taylor’s then-boyfriend, was arrested and charged with assault and attempted murder of a police officer after he shot Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly in the thigh as police burst into Taylor’s apartment with a search warrant shortly before 1 a.m.
Walker has maintained he did not know police were at the door and thought intruders were breaking in.
Those charges were dismissed without prejudice in May 2020. Jefferson Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine called for more investigations to determine whether criminal charges were warranted and Walker should be recharged….
Walker’s attorneys have argued he should also be granted immunity from prosecution under Kentucky’s “stand your ground” provisions.
Jury acquits Gifford man who claimed self-defense against deputies
According to an article from Yahoo News: “A jury found Andrew “A.J.” Coffee IV, 27, not guilty of second-degree felony murder, three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer by discharging a firearm and one count of shooting or throwing a deadly missile.”
An early morning drug raid turned deadly when officers attempted to serve a drug warrant. According to the article, Coffee’s girlfriend, Alteria Woods, 21, died during the raid after being struck by 10 bullets fired by a SWAT team member, including one shot that entered her chest.
Deputies at the back of the house broke out the window to his bedroom using a pole that then detonated a flashbang device. Coffee claimed he thought he was being shot at and fired at deputies. He still faces charges including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Media ignore multiple examples of minorities being justified in their claims of self defense
Amy Swearer from Heritage posted on Twitter an extensive list showing other cases where people were justified in their claim of self defense. Below are a couple of examples from the list.
From KSTP News channel 5:
A St. Paul man has been acquitted on all charges in a jury trial stemming from an incident where he shot at Minneapolis police officers in self-defense last summer.
Court records show 28-year-old Jaleel Stallings was acquitted on Wednesday of multiple charges, including two counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, second-degree riot and intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety.
The Associated Press 2018 article “Black man acquitted of killing white man after race dispute“
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) — A black man has been acquitted of all charges in the shooting death of a white man outside a bar in a case his attorney said stemmed from “ugly racism.”
Jurors deliberated for four hours Friday before acquitting Stephen Spencer of homicide, aggravated assault and terroristic threats. He was freed after 453 days in Luzerne County Correctional Center following the July 2017 shooting.
Media pushes controversial issues to drive ratings and make more money
For decades media outlets use controversial cases to push for more gun control laws in their relentless attack on the Second Amendment. Highlighting controversial issues drives ratings and makes the media industry millions of dollars each year. Sacrificing the truth in exchange for ratings should be a violation of all journalistic ethics.
The media is intended to be an informative source for people to make accurate decisions on issues. Unfortunately, media bias can give people a false impression of the facts surrounding issues and influence the decisions about those issues people make.
Self Defense is not a racial issue
No one should ever be forced to decide between saving their life, the life of a loved one or spending the rest of their life in prison.
Self defense is one of the most basic rights throughout the history of the world. Even in the animal world, no one criticizes a ram about using his horns to defend himself.
Whenever someone is unjustly prosecuted for protecting themselves they are being victimized a second time. Overzealous prosecutors who are more interested in winning than in finding the truth are a threat to our way of life and our freedom. The heaviest burden of our legal system should be on criminals who wish to victimize others and not on the individuals who protect themselves against them.