There was a high profile self defense case just recently ruled on. Unless you have been living under a rock, I’m sure you have heard of Kyle Rittenhouse. He was a teenager, that last year used a AR15 in a defensive matter against 3 violent rioters. While I don’t necessarily agree with a 17 year old taking it upon himself to arm himself in this situation. I believe in his God given right to lawful self defense. What is important to think about is that this trial wasn’t about Kyle, this case was about our fundamental right to self defense, our 2A, and the importance of the AR15 with 30 round magazine. I found myself captivated in what was transpiring in court. I
had followed this case closely since it first happened over a year ago. While Kyle might have handled that rifle very professionally in a defensive situation, I didn’t really agree with him being in the situation in the first place. It was a very polarizing and public spectacle. The thing that I found maddening is how politicians demonized this poor kid before a verdict was ever reached. Some that pretend that they are experts and used their platforms to spread hate plus misinformation. It went even as high as the white house. The President called him white supremacist. This was disgraceful because the facts weren’t even out yet. There was so much division that came out of this story. What was being failed to mention by the media is how this situation never would have happened if the media hadn’t stoked the flames of racial divide. The summer of 2020 was hard for our country. We saw our cities burn, people get hurt, and businesses get destroyed by the Marxist BLM and Antifa movement. In the name of social justice, they got a pass from law enforcement, the media, and politicians. A conspiracy theorist might just think that all of this chaos around the country was by design to cost Trump the
presidential election. I don’t know what is true, all I know is that it was disgraceful. It put all of us in a vulnerable position, where the likelihood that us responsible gun owners might need our firearm for personal protection. It seemed like our whole country was on edge. Neighbors pitted against one another. Not to mention Covid was reeking havoc on all of our freedoms. It was close to a flashpoint. On that fateful night in August 2020, Kyle was with a friend in Kenosha, Wisconsin. They spent the day helping others in their community from helping with graffiti removal to helping with medical care to others as it got later in the evening. He was armed with
a medical kit and a AR15. As crowds gathered he was tasked with providing security to a few different car lots. I think this was probably not the best move for someone his age. I understand how he wanted to help his community though. I believe his heart was in the right place. I spent the past few weeks listening and watching the trial. I found it pretty interesting, mostly because of how I felt it could effect our 2A rights and could have been bad for our self defense. My original thoughts when this all happened is from the outside looking in, from the video it appeared that it could be justified. I reserved my opinion until all of the facts could have been supported. It wasn’t my job to rule on his actions because I was not there, nor was I part of the jury. That was where the rest of the talking heads got it wrong. This should have never been blown into a racial issue at all. While the rioters were at a BLM rally this wasn’t racism by any
definition of the word. The media and politicians pitted American’s against one another. This was by design, it sells ads and keeps people reacting emotionally. When people act emotionally, they don’t think logically and are easier to control. There was a definite rift through out the country. There were those of us that saw at face value there was a good chance that this shooting was a “good” shoot. Which meant from the outside looking in and without all of the facts that it could have been justified. Then there was those that believed that the shooting was murder. Those that thought it was murder, most likely didn’t understand use of force laws and most likely don’t believe in lawful self defense. It was a very explosive situation. No matter where you aligned, it was a tragic situation for those involved and our country.
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Fast forward to earlier this month, the murder trial for Kyle began in Kenosha. I was really interested in this because of the potential impact it could have for our 2A rights. What was really shocking for me was how the media coverage was so biased and how the prosecution really had no basic understanding of what he or we go through by carrying a gun in public. It was a very volatile situation, that quickly spiraled out of control, for Kyle in the chaos. I spent most of the trial engaged in the proceedings. From my perspective, I believe that the defense did a better job supporting his claim of self defense than the prosecution. The prosecutor did a poor job making a case. At one point he brandished Kyle’s AR15 and pointed it at the jury with his finger on the trigger!! It was aggressive and off putting. In many states, Wisconsin included he committed the crime of menacing or brandishing, very often it is a Jail-able offense. There was a serious number of missteps that lead to the eventual “Not Guilty” verdict. The look on Kyle’s face and body told a story about the pressures that he had lived under over the past year. I was pleased with the verdict, many were not. What I will say is, that the system worked the way it was designed. The Prosecution couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it was murder. A jury of his peers ruled in his favor. Once aging protests broke out. Mostly from those that didn’t understand the importance of self defense and were acting emotionally. All loss of life is unacceptable, but this situation will follow Kyle the rest of his life. He is already facing death
threats. I hope that he can resume a semi normal life, chances are that he will not. I know George Zimmerman and his life has never returned to normal. Both of these situations altered many lives forever. Kyle’s biggest mistake that night was being in that position and being separated from his group. There are many learning lessons that one could take away from this shooting. Being careful not to put yourself in this type of situation if you can help it will help keep you safe. Until next time. Be safe!