In response to today’s verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial, below is a statement from LCV’s affiliate, Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters. The following can also be attributed to LCV’s Chief Officer for Racial Justice and Equity, Leslie Hinkson:

“We are saddened, angered, and despairing over this verdict which is further proof that while none of us are safe, some of us are afforded a greater right to and expectation of safety than others. This verdict devalues human life in the service of White supremacy. Yet in courtrooms across the nation, scores of racially discriminatory deals, verdicts, and sentences are being made and set every day. We join with Wisconsin Conservation Voters and all those calling for healing and accountability.”

Wisconsin Conservation Voters joins those calling for healing and accountability in Kenosha

Contact – Ryan Billingham, WCV, 608-213-6972, or ryan@conservationvoters.org

KENOSHA, WI – In response to today’s verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial, Wisconsin Conservation Voters Director Executive Kerry Schumann issued the following statement:

“Wisconsin Conservation Voters joins those calling for healing and accountability in Kenosha following the verdict in Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial. Tragically, Rittenhouse’s trial isn’t an outlier in our justice system or our country. It’s connected by the same thread that runs through Charlottesville, Tree of Life, and beyond. It’s also the same thread that runs through so many of our worst environmental problems.

White supremacy continues to be a defining force in Wisconsin’s and the country’s politics and discourse. Systemic racism makes people of color and Indigenous communities in our country fear for their families’ health, safety, and lives every single day. That is wrong and unacceptable.

Historic and current systems and decisions – including within the conservation community – have created injustices. Conservation work and the fight for climate justice are not immune to the forces of white supremacy and systemic racism. We know that Black, Indigenous, and people of color are most impacted by climate change and bear the heavy toll of environmental injustice.

We continue to support the leadership of frontline organizations and individuals that are working for justice, accountability, and an end to violence and injustice in all its forms.

We honor the lives and mourn the loss of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum, and call for justice for them and Gaige Grosskreutz, Jacob Blake, and for all victims of environmental, political, and racist violence in Wisconsin. It is with hearts yearning for justice and community well-being that we again take this somber moment to further commit ourselves to the fight for justice in Wisconsin, this country, and the world.”