The pitfalls of this justice system have been nothing if not consistent when it comes to the ways in which it’s unevenly applied to black and brown people versus white people. Countless studies have been made outlining sentencing discrepancies for the same crimes amongst white people and people of color. The most recent egregious handling of the law is of course the case of Kyle Rittenhouse who became an infamous figure during the protests against police brutality. In the wake of the video depicting the death of an unarmed man at the literal hands of a police officer that shook the nation to its core, this kid decided to grab his gun and crossed state lines to “defend property” and be “a medic.” His unnecessary presence at a protest resulted in him KILLING TWO men and wounding a third.

Initially I had hope justice would be served in this instance because that murdering police officer received jail time, but that was because the case was under the scrutiny of the entire country and the evidence was just too strong to ignore or downplay, so acquitting wasn’t an option. However, my hope quickly diminished when reports came out about how the judge showed bias toward Rittenhouse and insisted the defense refer to the people who were shot and killed as “rioters and looters.” That’s when I knew this case would not be tried with any modicum of impartiality. No, this judge, as many judges have been in the past and continue to be, is sympathetic to the exhausted narrative of a young white man’s first offense and this idea of inherent innocence in upper/middle class whiteness. It’s something that is so pervasive in not just the justice system but our society. Another aspect of white supremacy that gets overlooked or dismissed time and time again. The ability for the young white man to be absolved of first-time offenses as if it’s outside of their nature while young black men face the harshest sentencing possible because this system is built against them.

So here we are today as the judge already dismisses one of his charges and will undoubtedly dismiss more if the jury does not acquit him altogether because he’s “young” and “just made a mistake.” To that I say, do you know how many young black men have been killed by just existing? Carrying a bag of skittles, innocently walking home, taking a jog, again just walking home and begging to be let go by callous officers, scared and confused… That case in particular broke me and every time I think about him and the audio of his arrest it’s a stark reminder of how far this country is from equality.

I’m not going to pretend to be surprised by whatever happens because regardless of how loud we might have protested last year, little has changed within the justice system that would reflect our outrage, contempt, and disappointment.

I know most of our country wants better, but we’re all still operating in systems that are built on and perpetuate racism, violence, classism, and divisiveness, which makes it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That light is there and there are so many of us that can see a better world. We just need more people in power to accept that vision and move our country toward it or we need a complete reimagining of society, which I think a lot of people are ready for.