Kyle Rittenhouse may have been acquitted by a jury of his peers in the shootings of three men who were attacking him during the riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year, but those who’ve spent the past year demonizing the teen as a white supremacist, racist, insurrectionist aren’t just going to accept that verdict. They’ve got too much invested in that narrative to do anything like that. Instead, far-Left pundits like Joy-Ann Reid are already railing against the injustice of the justice system.

In the Rittenhouse case, the 13th juror was the judge.

— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) November 19, 2021

If that was actually true, the case never would have gone to the jury to begin with. Judge Bruce Schroeder had every reason to grant a mistrial based on the prosecution’s behavior, but he didn’t do so. Instead, he handed the case over to the jurors, and even during deliberations let them view the drone footage that defense attorneys had objected to.

A more accurate statement would be that pundits like Reid were part of the prosecution’s effort to convict Rittenhouse, but honestly the media was doing that before Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger had even filed charges. MSNBC has been one of the worst offenders, including the stunt pulled by an NBC News reporter that ended up with the network barred from the Kenosha County Courthouse on Thursday.

Speaking of the courthouse, Townhall’s Julio Rosas was on hand as the crowd outside learned of the verdict.

Cheers outside the Kenosha County Courthouse after Kyle Rittenhouse is found not guilty. pic.twitter.com/LhQQSRrgiF

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) November 19, 2021

I’m sure Joy-Ann Reid will have some choice words for those celebrating the decision as well. And her declining audience will probably not sagely along as she proclaims the rottenness of the Rittenhouse verdict, which she believes reveals that only “some people” get to exercise their right of self-defense.

We knew, but it’s sometimes helpful to remind ourselves how America was designed to work. It continues to work as designed. We have learned again what is considered legal for *some* people to do in America. It’s helpful to know where you stand in your country. Be safe out there.

— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) November 19, 2021

What this verdict shows is that if you’re *some* person who’s attacked and whose life is at risk as a result, you can use deadly force to defend yourself. It shows that jurors in Kenosha weren’t willing to send an 18-year old to prison simply to avoid the possibility of another angry mob taking to the streets. And it shows that the media manipulation on the part of people like Reid did more to fuel the flames of outrage rather than provide facts to their audience.

Those flames may yet turn out to be a literal response to the words of talking heads like Reid, and not just a figure of speech.

While Sheriff Gordon Beth wouldn’t disclose strategic plans, he did say the department had assets in place prepared to handle matters.

“The city of Kenosha has been through an enormous amount in the last year, and it’s critical that the follow up to this verdict be, you know, people speaking out peacefully and not engaged in any acts of violence or destruction,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul.

Neighboring Milwaukee also is preparing for the verdict.

“Obviously, we’ve been monitoring the trial in Kenosha,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “The police department has been monitoring the trial. Our police department is prepared. There are no plans right now to call in the National Guard. … I don’t foresee them right now, but again, I’ve been in contact with the police chief. In fact, I talked to him just 20 minutes ago, so we’re monitoring this and we hope that whatever happens, it would be peaceful.”

“Every incident, including any planning for potential unrest, must be reviewed in a case-by-case manner,” the police department added. “The Milwaukee Police Department is constantly reviewing our past practices, as well as other jurisdictions’ best practices, to improve our services. MPD’s main priority remains partnering with the community and our law enforcement stakeholders to ensure public safety in the city of Milwaukee.”

As our colleagues over at Twitchy point out, the White House was calling for “peaceful protests” before the jury’s verdict had been announced. Now that Kyle Rittenhouse has been acquitted, will any of their allies in the mainstream media follow suit, or will they try to feed the rage mob with their coverage?

Yeah, I know. Stupid question. As I heard Patricia McCloskey (yes, that McCloskey) tell a reporter in Kenosha shortly after the verdict was handed down, the media (and the Left more generally) will continue to portray Rittenhouse as a vigilante and a criminal, instead of a teen who was attacked and protected his life with a firearm. I wish I could say she was wrong, but I think we all know that there’s more than just a grain of truth in her comments.