With the Left’s racially charged narrative surrounding Kyle Rittenhouse shooting and killing two rioters in Kenosha crumbling, they’ve got to come up with a way to keep it from unraveling completely.
And Slate staff writer Mark Joseph Stern is up to the challenge. He’s getting out as far ahead of this thing as he can:
At this moment, conservative media figures are crafting a narrative that black people attempting to disarm a white vigilante who was (1) illegally brandishing an assault weapon after (2) shooting someone in the head *deserved to get shot.*
It is racist and it is sickening.
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 27, 2020
What’s actually sickening is that people are reading this thread and nodding along with it:
We saw the usual suspects begin developing this narrative yesterday by framing Kyle Rittenhouse’s victims as bloodthirsty assailants rather than rightly frightened civilians trying to stop him from murdering more people with an assault weapon. Now it’s their party line. Vile. pic.twitter.com/UOBC5qoNYF
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 27, 2020
Were the violent men killed not bloodthirsty assailants?
By this morning, the narrative began firming up: The men trying to disarm Rittenhouse—who crossed state lines with an assault weapon he possessed illegally, then shot someone in the head—were actually just “attacking him,” and Rittenhouse had a right to shoot them, too. pic.twitter.com/hvBUv4J4pV
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 27, 2020
There is literally nothing wrong or offensive about Erick Erickson’s tweet. If Rittenhouse was strictly acting in self-defense against violent assailants, he’s not the bad guy.
Here’s the new narrative: Using non-lethal force to disarm a vigilante illegally brandishing an assault weapon—who just shot somebody in the head—is *the real crime,* and that vigilante acted in self-defense when he shot the men trying to disarm him.
This is fully delusional. pic.twitter.com/FjZgLOrrjU
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 27, 2020
No, what’s delusional is suggesting that because Kyle Rittenhouse wasn’t killed when he was bashed in the head with a skateboard, he wasn’t justified in trying to defend himself.
Now we’re here. The psychopaths have constructed their narrative; it’s time to promote it.
Disarming a vigilante who’s illegally brandishing an assault weapon is the real violence.
Shooting people who are trying to disarm you is self-defense.
That’s how you justify murder. pic.twitter.com/Ql3a6SsmdV
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 27, 2020
Show us where David Harsanyi is justifying murder, Mark. Oh, wait. You can’t. Because that’s not what he’s doing at all.
Watch the videos and you’ll see what actually happened:
Men were chasing down a dangerous vigilante (who just shot someone in the head) because the police refused to stop him themselves.
As the men tried to disarm the vigilante (using moderate force), he shot them point blank.
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 27, 2020
Bashing Rittenhouse’s head with a skateboard = “moderate force.”
Read conservative media and you’ll see a different narrative: Violent black men attacked a good-hearted if overzealous young white man, who had no choice but to fight back in self-defense.
Disarming a potential mass shooter while black, it seems, was the real crime here.
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 27, 2020
We know at least two of Rittenhouse’s victims were white; they were part of a group of black and white protesters trying to stop him from shooting more people. The idea that there’s no racial dynamic here just because the black protesters avoided Rittenhouse’s bullets is absurd.
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 27, 2020
A psychopath has definitely constructed a narrative here. And that psychopath is Mark Joseph Stern.
“Frightened civilians” don’t chase down their victims and start beating them. https://t.co/q60XCwvkWq
— The Dank Knight ? (@capeandcowell) August 27, 2020
Yes, distinguishing between who will curb stomp you and folks using 'moderate force' to 'disarm you' while chaos reigns, guns are drawn, and people are mid-kick is the perfect time for docile discernment. https://t.co/I3t5CYyYkt
— michael (@misterj880) August 27, 2020
They were all white. He was just that sneaky. https://t.co/ezumIp98xi
— I didn't vote for him, so think of a new retort (@jtLOL) August 27, 2020
Once more, with feeling:
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