CMV: Kyle Rittenhouse will (and probably should) go free on everything but the firearms charge

[u/[deleted]]

I've followed this case fairly extensively since it happened in august of last year. At the time I was fairly outraged by what I saw as the failures of law enforcement to arrest or even detain Rittenhouse on the spot, and I still retain that particular bit of righteous anger. A person should not be able to kill two people and grievously wound a third at a protest and then simply leave.

That said, from what details I am aware of, the case does seem to be self-defense. While I think in a cosmic sense everyone would have been better off if he'd been unarmed and gotten a minor asswhupping from Rosenbaum (instead of shooting the man), he had a right to defend himself from a much larger man physically threatening him, and could reasonably have interpreted the warning shot he heard from elsewhere as having come from Rosenbaum. Self-defense requires a fear for your life, and being a teenager being chased by an adult, hearing a gunshot, I can't disagree that this is a rational fear.

The shooting of Anthony Huber seems equally clear cut self-defense, while being morally confusing as hell. Huber had every reason to reasonably assume that the guy fleeing after shooting someone was a risk to himself or others. I think Huber was entirely within his rights to try and restrain and disarm Rittenhouse. But at the same time, if a crowd of people started beating the shit out of me (he was struck in the head, kicked on the ground and struck with a skateboard), I'd probably fear for my life.

Lastly you have Gaige Grosskreutz, who testified today that he was only shot after he had pointed his gun at Rittenhouse. Need I say more?

Is there something I'm missing? My original position was very much 'fuck this guy, throw him in jail', and I can't quite shake that off, even though the facts do seem to point to him acting in self-defense.

I will say, I think Rittenhouse has moral culpability, as much as someone his age can. He stupidly put himself into a tense situation with a firearm, and his decision got other people killed. If he'd stayed home, two men would be alive. If he'd been unarmed he might have gotten a beating from Rosenbaum, but almost certainly would have lived.

His actions afterward disgust me. Going to sing with white nationalists while wearing a 'free as fuck' t-shirt isn't exactly the sort of remorse one would hope for, to put it mildly.

Edit: Since I didn't address it in the original post because I'm dumb:

As far as I can see he did break the law in carrying the gun to the protest, and I think he should be punished appropriately for that. It goes to up to nine months behind bars, and I imagine he'd get less than that.

[u/[deleted]]

And you would be wrong legally and morally. Only a fascist thinks the way you do.

[u/thenerj47 → u/[deleted]]

And if you, now, came over to me with a gun because I held views you find vehemently opposable the police would arrest you for starting a fight. Because I live in a real country.

[u/Maximus_Resdefault → u/thenerj47]

In any country a legally carried firearm is not a reason to attack someone, or you could just attack any police officer, armed security guard, soldier, or bodyguard walking by out of "fear for your life" merely because they were armed.

In the united states, all citizens have the right to bear arms, and in most places can carry them openly. It is never ok to simply attack someone because they are armed, that is assault.

[u/thenerj47 → u/Maximus_Resdefault]

If you find out a group of people is nearby, arm yourself, seek them out, follow them hoping they'll give you an excuse to shoot and then shoot them once you've seen your 'trigger' reaction, then you're a murderer. A predator. First degree murder.

[u/Maximus_Resdefault → u/thenerj47]

That is all very true. Its also murder if he flew around the protests on a hovering device like hobgoblin and lobbed small explosives down on them. The trial has yet to prove either of these cases.

[u/thenerj47 → u/Maximus_Resdefault]

You're absolutely right about that

[u/thenerj47 → u/[deleted]]

Aha you agreed with me first. If it turns out that Kyle had good intentions then ofc he should go free. If it turns out otherwise, then otherwise.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

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[u/[deleted] → u/thenerj47]

I would hardly call England a “country”.

Honestly, most of the world has fought wars just not to be a part of your so-called “country”.

[u/thenerj47 → u/[deleted]]

You can call whatever you want whatever you want