Kyle Rittenhouse did Act in Self Defense but He and His “Patriotic” Militia are Still Guilty

Photo by Tony Alter

In late October, a New York Times video report broke down the Kyle Rittenhouse case. So after viewing, I have come to a conclusion that I am relunctant to admit. It looks like Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed two people because he feared for his life. Yes, he defended himself, but his individual case is too narrow a framework to arrive at an overall verdict.

Even so, let’s begin with Rittenhouse and I’m going to kick off with Bill Maher’s take. “He looks like a kid who has seen too many superhero movies,” and Rittenhouse’s quote just prior to the shooting aligns. “Our job is to protect businesses and part of my job is to also help people. If there’s somebody hurt, I’m running into harm’s way. That’s why I have my rifle.”

I admit that thinking he showed up to simply lend a hand and serve as a protector is a bit naive. But he still sounds like a stupid kid who thinks he can swoop in and heroically quell the unrest. Either way, his presence amounts to a novice playing toy soldier with a gun he has no business carrying.

Thus, I can’t help wonder what a more experienced member of this makeshift Kenosha Guards would have done when Joseph Rosenbaum threw a plastic bag and went in pursuit. How about turning, confronting and telling Rosenbaum to back off.

Who knows, I don’t know anything about guns, and when the judge decides jurors must view the incidents through the eyes of a 17 year old, self defense sounds reasonable. But once Rosenbaum goes down, self defense becomes clear.

The crowd knows he’s the shooter, and once Rittenhouse trips, doesn’t the poor fool face the real chance of being beaten by a mob. Possibly to death? Yes and he shoots. Of course, the mob’s wrath only exists because of volatile scenario that Rittenhouse helped to create.

So where are the lesser charges?

Nonetheless, let’s put the majority of blame where it belongs. “I believe truly in my heart that if it wasn’t for my actions and those of these brave men and women who answered my call to arms, I think that we would have seen a way worse outcome than what we saw,” Kevin Mathewson told the New York Times.

That might have a chance of being true if his so called militia actually arrived on the scene to protect lives and property. Not exactly an original thought, and Trevor Noah nailed it. “"No one has ever thought, 'Oh, it's my solemn duty to pick up a rifle and protect that TJ Maxx.' They do it because they're hoping to shoot someone,” Noah lambasted.

A pretty reasonable assertion, but we certainly don’t have anyone admitting this. Or do we? Yes, because Mathewson reveals his intentions in his Facebook call to arms. “Any Patriots willing to take up arms and defend our city tonight from the evil thugs?”

The thug comment aside, if the primary purpose is defend life and property, why is he invoking patriotism. After all, the term has a different meaning for everyone, and in doing so, he is only rallying people of the same political perspective as his.

And who is he looking for specifically? Patriots who hate Democrats and don’t take kindly to the multicultural nation that chips away at their perception of what America should be.

I won’t go as far as to say they hate black people. Maybe I’ll let Ryan Balch do that. Among those answering Mathewson's post, he described himself as a "Boog Boi" in a series of Facebook messages to the Chicago Sun-Times (and also told the publication that there were at least 32 members among the chaos).

But Balch withdrew support for the Boogaloo Boys afterwards, according to the Times report. How convenient, and while the unfolding of events seems to favor Rittenhouse’s exoneration, responsibility should land on the organizers.

A suit was brought against Mathewson, Balch and Facebook but was dropped. So in the end no one is being held accountable, and we aren't left with much. Just please acknowledge that those who set the events in motion didn't arrive with lofty sentiments of offering protection. Their aims were purely political, and worse yet, they did so at the point of a gun. Thus, the Kenosha Guard is right there with protestors who turned violent and carry just as much guilt.