If I have not previously, I would like to assert this as an important category.
I have most likely told how the Rodney King story, when I read all the facts, completely shook my world, and created the skepticism which lasts, obviously, to this very day. I am going to share that story again, then mention some facts, or what I believe to be facts, in the Rittenhouse case.
In King’s case, what most people don’t know is that he blew by a cop going about 20 miles over the speed limit, led cops on a many mile chase, in which he ran many red lights, that he had at least two passengers who were arrested without incident, and that he himself attacked the cops as soon as he got out of the car. He was a large man, about 6’5″ and 300 pounds or more, and he was very drunk. I think he eventually blew a .20 or so. .22 is actually what I remember, which is blackout drunk.
He was tased twice after he lunged at the cops, causing the Officer In Charge Stacy King to believe he was on PCP. PCP in even a small guy makes them completely pain resistant, psychotic, and much much stronger than normal. It was developed by the military, whose main objection to it was the psychotic aspect. It is a recipe for a cop dying. So he testified they nearly shot Rodney King. This of course made the press hysterical, but they knew, or should have known, that that was a reasonable statement.
And Rodney King had been hit at least 20-30 times with batons before the PROSECUTION claimed a crime had been committed. It was all completely lawful and policy driven use of force. The whole trial, all of it, revolved around the last 5-10 shots on the back of his legs after he was already down and subdued.
Don’t you think all that is relevant context? Most people don’t know all this even NOW, and huge, highly destructive riots followed the medias failure to do their job. It’s nauseating.
It Rittenhouse’s case, it is my understanding that not only did he have family in Kenosha, but that that particular gas station that he was protecting belonged to his grandfather. He didn’t just show up and wait for shit to go down: he had a specific mission of protecting a specific building for specific reasons. And point of fact, before he was attacked, the mob tried to blow up that gas station by setting a dumpster on fire and pushing it towards the pumps, which Rittenhouse stopped. None of that was reported by the media.
And obviously, if you have a story on loop for weeks, you have time to tell the truth. The news media had time to tell the truth about Rodney King.
I would argue that this sort of abject and obviously intentional failure should in some cases lead to criminal and certainly tort related liability. If you tell lies of omission that lead to real crimes of commission, I think you should bear some responsibility. That is not a First Amendment protected right.