On Thanksgiving eve, the nation anticipated the verdicts of two high profile cases. While the two cases differed in many ways, they were united in their alleged ties to white supremacy, Black Lives Matter and the justice system.
In addition to the natural complexities in each case, the media’s biased reporting affected the way Americans view each case, USA Today reported.
Regardless of media coverage, when the judge and jury were presented with the facts as well as video footage and evidence, the juries concluded to convict Ahmaud Arbery’s killers of his murder and exonerate Kyle Rittenhouse from his murder charges. While the United States justice system is far from perfect, these cases show that sometimes justice continues to prevail.
BRIEFLY EXAMINING THE CASES
In 2020, Rittenhouse fatally shot two white men and wounded another in Kenosha, Wisconsin during violent protests after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, US News reports. Rittenhouse reportedly drove to Kenosha with his semi-automatic rifle. He was there to defend against looters and help protect small businesses from rioters, according to The Associated Press. In his testimony, Rittenhouse said he was threatened, cornered and attacked by the men who he later killed in an instance of self-defense.
In contrast, Arbery was shot and killed while on a run in southern Georgia. Two white men and a third accomplice killed the 25-year-old black man. The father-son duo suspected Arbery for recent local break-ins, but had no evidence to support their claims. They approached Arbery in their truck with a shotgun, later shooting and killing Arbery, The New York Times reports.
JUSTICE PREVAILED
Killed in cold blood, the conviction of Arbery’s killers will bring justice and equity for his family. It is a relief that justice prevailed for Arbery, who barely began living his life.
“For real, all lives matter … I don’t want no daddy to see their kid get shot down like that,” said Arbery’s father Marcus in The Epoch Times. “So hey, let’s keep fighting, let’s keep doing it and making this place a better place for all human beings—all human beings. Everybody. Love everybody.”
For Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old explained that he supports the Black Lives Matter movement, AP reports.
“This case has nothing to do with race. It never had anything to do with race. It had to do with the right to self-defense,” Rittenhouse said.
Evidence proved that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense and justice prevailed when he was cleared of murder charges.
An opinion piece by The Washington Post writes that “the people so upset over the Rittenhouse case and yet who haven’t even watched the trial will never cease to amaze me. Perhaps one of the biggest issues in our society today is the lack of public knowledge and awareness on the reality of many issues.”
Ultimately, love must prevail. Christians must be thorough in investigating each case, be slow to judge and slow to speak. It is crucial to maintain a heart full of compassion and grace as Christians seek to understand the world—including potentially polarizing legal rulings.
