Kyle Rittenhouse received a not guilty verdict because laws need changing. Why underage kids are allowed to carry an assault weapon openly is beyond me, but it is legal according to Wisconsin law.

I believe Rittenhouse would either be dead or in prison if he wasn’t white. I am sure he would have been shot by law enforcement officers as soon as they saw him carrying an assault weapon. If he were lucky enough to make it to trial, the judge would have found a way to convict him.

We will hear many arguments in the media about this trial for quite a while. Most left-wing outlets will likely argue that it’s open season on protestors, and that’s my primary concern as well. I think this sets a horrible precedent for future protest activities.

Most right-wing outlets will say left-wing outlets have made this about race, and they aren’t wrong. They will say Rittenhouse did nothing wrong when he did take morally corrupt actions. Both sides will cling to extreme views, and we all lose in the process.

Let’s remember that the media doesn’t care about us; it cares about profits. Every media outlet has an agenda, and they are rarely unbiased. It’s their job to get you outraged, so you click ads and give them your eyeballs.

I can see both sides, and I believe both extreme points of view are counterproductive. We need to accept the rule of law even when we disagree with it. If we can’t follow that basic principle we will have a second civil war.

It’s time for people in Wisconsin and other states to examine local laws and advocate for stronger gun safety laws. It’s unreal that a 17-year-old kid can run around with a gun during protests. I believe law enforcement officers should arrest anyone with a firearm during a protest. Protests are a fundamental right that cannot include fear of violence.

We, the people, have learned that we must update laws around protests. Police attack us while we make our voices heard, and that is entirely unacceptable. Kids shouldn’t have guns in public places. Enjoy your guns on your property or gun ranges.

Anyway, there are plenty of problems to address. I hope we can have conversations about this without shoving our ideologies down each other’s throats. If we can’t do that, we have all already lost.

I am always open to influence from reasonable people, and I change my views regularly based on facts and reason. I hope we can all do that rather than play into our tribal instincts. If we can’t dial back our emotions, we will have a difficult time saving the republic.