Charita Goshay: Teenager is being used, failed by adults

Only God and Kyle Rittenhouse know what was in his mind the night he shot three people, killing two, during a protest that turned violent in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

What is clear is that the teenager who was acquitted of murder and assault charges has been in over his head for months, thanks to adults who have failed him at every turn.

A perfect storm of parental permissiveness, political demagoguery, and selfishness disguised as support have made a mess of a life that barely has begun.

Regardless of where you may fall in your opinion about Rittenhouse's actions and the verdict, the whole situation begs questions about the adults in his orbit.

Ask yourself: Would your mother have driven you across state lines to take part in a protest — at night — knowing you had access to a gun purchased for you by an adult friend?

Would she have supported you wanting to provide security for a business that didn't ask for it, or would she have called the plan as crazy as it sounds, and asked why you weren't as vigilant when it comes to walking the dog and keeping your room clean?

You know your dad. Would he have been OK with you owning a gun you weren't even old enough to buy, and would he keep it for you at his house?

Rotary phone

You need only to look at social media for 30 seconds to know that adolescent boys engage in enough dangerous and lunkheaded antics without being aided and abetted by grownups tasked with keeping them on the right path to manhood.

Who were the police officers who let Rittenhouse play Barney Fife/EMT, traipsing around with an assault weapon in the midst of a chaotic situation without checking even once if he was legally permitted to have it? Whether we want to admit it or not, we all know that had he been a Black or a brown-skinned Latino boy, that encounter would have had a different outcome.

Though Rittenhouse is not a baby, in a country besotted by guns, can anyone truly say they were surprised by what happened next?

Which parent gave the go-ahead for a kid out on bail to be in a bar — at 17 — to pose for pictures with strangers who turned out to be members of the Proud Boys?

Clearly, the notion of parents being the boss of the house has gone out with the rotary phone, but really, what happened to "No, you can't go!"?

The poker chip

It's clear that a lot of adults are playing Rittenhouse like a poker chip for ratings, or to score a political point, or to shore up a cultural crusade with no sincere concern for what will happen to him once the cameras are switched off and the country's attention gets refocused elsewhere.

We've seen this movie before. Once upon a time, George Zimmerman, Kentucky court clerk Kim Davis, and Joe the (unlicensed) Plumber were all lauded as "heroes," then dropped like bad habits the second their usefulness reached its expiration date.

Even Rittenhouse seems to be aware that the narrative has been spun beyond his control, which is why he made claims that he supports Black Lives Matter and peaceful protest.

Rittenhouse's attorney, Mark Richards, has been the only adult in the room, arguing that the boy should be kept off the television, noting in a recent interview:

"There’s a lot of people trying to profit on this, and I don’t think people should. They’re raising money on it, and you have all these Republican congressmen saying, 'Come work for me.' They want to trade on his celebrity, and I think it’s disgusting."

Richards knows that when Rittenhouse's celebrity does indeed expire, so will the interest of people whose only real concern is their own agenda.

Just because Rittenhouse was acquitted, it doesn't mean that he's free. It has to be assumed that when you kill another human being, regardless of why you do it, it does something to you. It would be a thing of decency if the adults so eager to use him for their own ends stop for the sake of a kid who's going to need all the help he can get.

Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and a member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Charita Goshay: Kyle Rittenhouse being taken advantage of