… And there you have it, the racism. No, you are correct: actually, looting by whites & blacks is very different. Angry looting by whites around race devolves into actual massacres of Black people. We certainly cannot say this about BLM. … In terms of white massacres of Black people: Tulsa is perhaps the most hideous example of such, followed closely by Ax Handle Saturday in Florida (quite a few massacres by White people in Florida), and Wilmington, NC, after Blacks gained electoral power there. Well, look, here’s a whole list for you: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/06/01/tulsa-race-massacres-silence-schools/ … My point here is not whether or not Rittenhouse’s actual verdict was “correct or incorrect” within the context of the jury system. (leaving aside a likely racist, Trumpist judge) …

What you propose is a question as to whether there are any arguments about white supremacy or race that are relevant to this case. I would say: most definitely so.

The problem I see with white people especially white people who don’t live in this country—and far, far too many who do —and who have not studied our actual racial history is that they do not understand the context of anything at all.

For them, racism was mostly over when slavery was over, or perhaps in 1965. This ignores a whole history of incredible brutality and violence against black people by white people—who then decry “looting” as the most heinous of sins. … It is this that Blacks rightly protest and it is this that creates the frustrations and anger that might lead to looting.

I do not say looting is good. It was very rare overall in BLM protests, but it was certainly weaponized by the Right wing media. And this is the fundamental playbook of white rage: Blacks are violent and dangerous and we must defend against them. Even kill them.

The question is whether or not any of this was in Rittenhouse’s mind. If he was indeed flashing white supremacist hand signals, and speaking of killing looters ahead of time (there is recording of this), I would assume that it was. The fact that he shot two white men is just what ended up happening when he went down to defend “White America” from “the Blacks” and their “out-of-control” allies.

In reality the looting of black people pales in comparison to the centuries of brutality and even killing on the part of whites on blacks which is what BLM protest are essentially all about.

Can people be too hypersensitive about race? Probably. Sure. Is this country too hypersensitive about race? Far from it. We are generally ignorant beyond belief, as whites and other non-black people.

We cannot have these discussions without the actual history at our fingertips. This means reading the books White Rage, Caste, and The Sum of Us as a bare minimum and watching the Netflix documentary “13th.” Far too many white people, including myself in recent history, have no idea of how much racism exists here, and how violent white supremacy grew and became increasingly organized under Obama. Again: Please watch “Homegrown Hate” produced by ABC.

As for your statement above, even we assume it to be true (and I have seen large white mobs looting after losing or winning football games), you might say then that if looting is a Black thing, then lynching, beating, organizing KKK rallies, conducting genocide against indigenous populations, conducting massacres of black people when they feel threatened in any way by rising equality, using violence and even death to stop black people from voting as well as other people of color, assaulting the Capitol of our nation with arms, bear spray, nooses & incendiary devices … Well those are White things. Clearly.

Hmmmm.