Kyle Rittenhouse on trial

Nov 9, 2021

Kim Bellware, a national reporter for The Washington Post based in Chicago, provides crucial insights into the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, discussing the tension between claims of self-defense and accusations of vigilantism. She breaks down the chaotic events of the Kenosha protests and the implications of varying legal interpretations surrounding Rittenhouse's actions. Additionally, 16-year-old Obse Abebe shares her struggles with identity and race as a Black immigrant, emphasizing the challenges Black immigrant families face in discussing racism in America.

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ANECDOTE

The Rittenhouse Shooting

Kyle Rittenhouse shot three people during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, killing two.
He claims self-defense, sparking national debate about protests, gun rights, and racial justice.

INSIGHT

The Central Question of the Trial

Rittenhouse's defense is self-defense, claiming he was protecting himself.
The prosecution argues he acted recklessly with disregard for human life.

ANECDOTE

Contrasting Arguments

The prosecution highlights that Rittenhouse was the only person who killed anyone, despite others being armed.
The defense argues the chaotic atmosphere justified his actions.

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The homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse pits claims of self-defense against accusations of vigilantism. Plus, in the next installment in our series on teens in America: Why it can be especially hard for Black immigrant families to talk about racism.

The homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse – the teenager who killed two people and injured a third during a protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. – continues this week. Kim Bellware reports on the evidence brought by both sides, and why the trial likely won’t end with a high-profile conviction.

“We have a small set of facts that everybody agrees on,” Bellware says. But while the prosecution is arguing this was first-degree intentional homicide, “The other side is saying, ‘Yes, he did kill these people. He did shoot. But he was doing it to protect himself.’ ”

And later in the show, we hear from 16-year-old Obse Abebe, a teen reporter with YR Media for the latest installment of our series on Teens in America.

Obse was born in Ethiopia but moved to the United States when she was three. Being Ethiopian and living in America meant that Obse had to come to terms with being Black in America.

“Not to say that the topic of race is hush-hush in our family,” Obse said. “But it is difficult to approach when your parents are very passionate about you feeling connected to both their culture from their mother country and the culture that you are currently in.”

A Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that nearly three-quarters of teens in America say they’ve talked to a parent about race in the past year. More than half say they’ve had a similar conversation with a close friend. As part of The Post’s Teens in America series, we’re listening in on what those conversations sound like.

For more in this series, visit wapo.st/teens.

If you value the journalism you hear in this podcast, please subscribe to The Washington Post. We have a deal for our listeners — one year of unlimited access to everything the Post publishes online for just $29. To sign up, go to washingtonpost.com/subscribe.