The trial of the ‘Kenosha killer’ was recently concluded in Wisconsin with non guilty verdicts on all counts. The jury largely accepted the self defence justification put forward by the defence. There are clearly mixed feelings about the verdict and how this verdict could have been reached. The arguments will rage on and a lot of people will remain outraged while others claim it was a just verdict given the circumstances. There have been views given about missteps by the prosecution and the Judge’s general approach to the case. The case may be concluded but ill feelings engendered by it will be with us for a very long time.
It is impossible to look into this case and not see that it feeds into the whole issue of gun ownership and use in the United States. It is impossible to legitimise common gun ownership and enact ‘open carry’ laws, and not expect that guns will become a means of focusing minds on fears and anxieties. The more people are encouraged to possess weapons the more likely those weapons will replace reflection and restraint when people are confronted with threats and challenges. It becomes more plausible to imagine danger to life when oneself is possessed of the means to take a life. And the simple truth is that guns are made with the sole function of causing harm and ending life.
Whether it is acknowledged or not, the thing White people in America fear the most is Black people. And it doesn’t make any difference whether the Black are actually dangerous or not. There is an inbred fear and a perception of Black people as angry and volatile that automatically makes white people fear for their safety. This is borne out in everyday interactions and it is what underlies law enforcement’s lethal approach to policing Black communities. When you throw gun ownership and a militarised police force into the mix you end up with the legally permitted murder of Black people.
