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We Must Remain a Nation of Laws
Kyle Rittenhouse was found “Not Guilty” on all counts. There has been a lot of background noise on the events that occurred in Kenosha on August 25, 2020, that resulted in the deaths of two men and the wounding of one.
My personal opinion is that laws are written to provide a consistent process to prosecute, and defend specific actions when someone is charged with a crime. Laws do not prevent someone from committing a crime as much as we would like that to be true. Most criminals commit crimes because they believe they will not be caught.
If Kyle Rittenhouse had asked for my advice about going to Kenosha on August 25, 2020, I would have advised against it. It’s the same advice I would have given to any of you about placing yourself in a situation that you cannot control. I’ve been in those situations as a former police officer. From domestic disputes, traffic stops, working demonstrations, and welfare checks, I was placed in the position of having to react and assess a situation in a matter of seconds in some of those incidents.
That being said the Rittenhouse trial involved a specific action(s) involving a specific statute, specific elements of the statute, and allowable defenses to the statute. Nothing else matters. The jurors reached their decision after examining the facts. This is how the law should work.
The background noise comes from individuals that don’t know the law and have no desire to understand the law. The mob has no conscience, they have desires. Conscience becomes desire, and whim, and whims are enforced by a fist. Mindless violence was tolerated for an entire summer. Kyle Rittenhouse was not responsible for this. Elected officials who abandoned their responsibility to uphold the law by ordering police officers to stand down as their cities were being destroyed are responsible for this.
Published in Law
The kid simply did not understand what kind of people come to these riots. Now he does. The media coverage of the verdict tells the rest of us just how far gone the top of this nation is. Probably some Democrats have learned. On the other hand unless the left pays a visible price, the effect will probably be in the wrong direction.
My world view is constantly challenged. Your challenge comes up lame and over judgmental of people, and actually not how the world works. I’d love to impart my 68 year old wisdom on every 17 year old, or any random ‘idiot’ but it’s pretty futile. Like stopping a riot. But that’s was not his intent. It’s always easy to judge others and be “glad” additional unfair punishment was bestowed upon someone you fell superior to, after the fact.
I guess you never experienced anything remotely similar to what this poor kid went through, trying to do something good and useful to be so insulting.
In short, I find your comment and overall mentality that the comment reflects despicable and worthy of a verbal smack-down here on this forum.
And the appellation you’re using for him sounds badly contrived to me, just saying.
Well. We disagree. When I was even less his age my father taught me not to go places where there is trouble like that. More people need to have that same sense.
As for your personal attack on me, I’ll survive. I don’t know you or care what you think. You clearly are not very polite.
I think that is a ludicrous statement. Perhaps you meant to say “Bravery by itself, is not the solution to a riot.” But bravery is definitely a prerequisite to fighting against a a riot. Without bravery, all else is futile. Kyle showed not only bravery, but remarkable discernment and skill under pressure. As it was pointed out at trial, he only shot at people who were attacking him and did not fire willy-nilly into a crowd. In fact the guy with the pistol was standing three feet in front of him and Kyle could have easily pumped him dead center in the chest or in the head, but instead hit his trigger arm, a miraculous shot that usually only happens in the movies. When you slow down the video you can see Kyle quickly pivot his rifle away from the guy’s chest and toward his arm as he comes at Kyle with the gun.
Discernment? If he had discernment he wouldn’t have put himself in that position. He’s lucky the jury saw the truth, but I hope he learned that stupid behavior can be costly.
I’m not the fan of Booth that you appear to be. But I am a fan of the truth. And you slander Rittenhouse with your comparison.
Yes, but perhaps you haven’t heard any of these conservative mantras:
“The police cannot be everywhere. You have to learn to protect yourself.”
“The police only show up after a crime has been committed. What do citizens do unto then?”
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men stand by and do nothing.”
What is the entire purpose of this clause from the Constitution? – “…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Is it so citizens can go squirrel hunting? Or is it so they can defend themselves against criminals and mobs?
You seem to be in the camp of “fighting crime can only be entrusted to government, organized groups, or Batman. Everyone else stay home.” I think ordinary citizens can lend enormous support, and should lend their support. I generally don’t trust government competence.
You know, it’s been long-settled law that the police are not in any way obligated to stop crime. And their actions over the last year and a half is an atrocious example of that. When someone with a gun is coming up your bedroom steps, do you really think that you should hide under the bed and dial 911? Of course, not. Same with the arsonist. Same with your neighbor’s house.
No I’m not polite when I see a grown man pile on a 17 year old kid. That kid might not have had a father who taught him those things, or maybe his father taught him different things. Bully for you!
You label this kid a “fool” and are “glad” he sat alone in jail to learn his lesson. Not enough for you for him to suffer the psychic damage of killing ( however justified) of two people ( however despicable or wrong) and maiming another., then being slandered repeatedly on national television, and unfairly marked for life. Not enough that his entire future was in limbo for over a year, his reputation damaged irreparably with millions of people who will never forgive him and actually hate him, or people like you calling him a fool.
Yes I am proudly displaying open contempt for such thinking.
Me too
I believe they would have spelled it ‘Acquittenhouse.’
Speling is hard.
You completely misunderstand everything. The second amendment isn’t only for individuals. It is also for militias. Individuals cannot end a riot. That’s not how they work. Kyle started well by joining a group a the car dealership. He erred by leaving it.
I’m pretty sure that is how I spelled it. Perhaps my phone decided otherwise.
Would you teach your son to wander alone in a riot? It’s quite foolish to do that and no one should. That’s how you get killed.
He went to defend property, but you hardly care. You wanted the young man punished when clearly he did not deserve it. As far as I am concerned, you are little better than the people calling for his conviction.
You’re right, I would have been just as uncaring about him were he convicted. He is a fool and a rioter and all rioters should expect to be killed.
Redefining words is a popular activity on the left, but I don’t think it’s one in which we should engage.
It seems to me that one can’t reasonably be termed a “rioter” unless one is engaged in rioting: in deliberately participating in a mob disturbance. He apparently didn’t choose to participate in the disturbance, any more than a reporter, fireman, shop keeper, local resident, or police officer present on the scene would have been choosing to participate in the disturbance. Until he was attacked, he was apparently not engaged in creating a mob disturbance.
As for chaos: it isn’t obvious to me that he increased the amount of chaos at the event.
As for “all rioters should expect to be killed,” that’s a statistically preposterous assertion: the vast majority of rioters manage to participate in riots without injury to themselves. It might be nice if that weren’t so, but it’s nonetheless the case.
One can object to Mr. Rittenhouse’s judgment in placing himself in the situation he did without being ridiculous.
Yes, your statistics are likely correct. We should change that.
You were far too kind (but accurate) in your rebuttal to Skyler. His comment that Rittenhouse is a fool and a rioter and should expect to be killed is one of the most perverse statements I’ve ever seen on Ricochet and puts him squarely in the camp of leftists. I think it is a disgrace to the Marine Corps for one of its members to propagate such an attitude.
Well, being right is my defense. Everyone in a riot should expect to get killed by people defending their homes or businesses, the police, a militia, or each other. The latter is what almost happened to Kyle.
Ah, perhaps I understand now. Are you saying that riots are dangerous places, and so people who enter a riot area should be prepared to respond to whatever kind of threat they might encounter? If so, I think I agree with you… and I applaud Mr. Rittenhouse for being prepared, as evidenced by his success in fending off his attackers.
Sure. He was very lucky his attackers were idiots. It could have ended very badly for him. He should have expected it.
When I was young my dad told me (I’m not kidding, he really did) that if there’s ever a riot, to leave right away because the police will never know who is a good guy or a bad guy and in a riot they won’t care. They will shoot anyone or anything. Or the rioters will. Leave as fast as you can. Now, being caught up is not one’s fault, but Kyle wasn’t caught up in a riot, joined the riot.
That might be valid IF the cops were actually involved. One of the main problems was, they weren’t.
Demonstrably not.
Rittenhouse didn’t shoot 100% of the people who didn’t attack him.
He was there, voluntarily after a riot started. That makes him a rioter. Rioting doesn’t care which side you’re on, it’s a chaotic event that feeds on the numbers of people, and just being their by choice makes you a rioter.
Oh, and by the way, more proof that Kyle is a fool. From Instapundit: THIS REALLY DOESN’T FIT THE NARRATIVE: Kyle Rittenhouse: ‘I support the BLM movement.’
At least Rittenhouse isn’t making the same insipid point over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over …
No, he’s just a fool.
You are digging a deeper and deeper hole. Now you are declaring that anybody who shows up to defend property, lend medical assistance, put out fires, protect people – these are now considered “rioters.” Maybe you should quit while you are behind.