To say Kyle Rittenhouse was acting in self defense or is a murderer, entirely misses the point. Context is key to any situtation - which is why a self defense argument is irrelevant. Why? Because the failure here lies with the government, not with Kyle. One can argue indefinitely about the specifics of self defense law, who attacked first, who shot back, and so on - while missing that Kyle was not operating in a theater that is relevant to self defense. Rather, he was operating in a area filled with lawless mobs and therefore the rules of engagement were entirely different. Kyle was acting as a single man militia and was rightfully able to, if not his moral duty to do so.
Before delving in, I will state my point succinctly. The government failed in two ways. Not only did it obviously fail to protect the property of the community, it chose a path which allowed it to happen. I won't fault someone for failing, but I will fault someone for giving up at the hands of the mob when options exist for this very purpose - to protect and defend a community against lawlessness. Officials of Kenosha, and officials all over this country derelicted their duty when they refused to summon and organize the laypeople to a common defense.
Posse comitatus is a latin word - rougly "power of companions". The term is used to describe the age old English practice, continued in America, of rousting the locals by a lawman to stop lawlessness. Wikipedia describes the word as "power of the country". Prior to a standing police force, a sheriff - elected, appointed or otherwise, would rely on townsfolk, countryfolk, or any folk he could get to help him execute his duties. We typically think of this as 'deputisation". In which a sheriff gives the power of the office to laymen to help. Why is this relevant? Because our local governments FAILED and left the majority of people up to the hands of a small mob.
In that year, all over the country local governments responded to violent riots, looting, arson and lawlessness in the wake of the BLM Movement. This is not a damnation of that movement or any statement on it. Peaceful protesting is and will continue to be a powerful force in our country. However - the government was unable to keep the peace, and that is where our problem lies
One of the hallmarks of the legitimacy of government, and one the most important functions is to defend citizens and thier property. BLM was marked with standowns by police, orders to be hands off, or even simply, lack of manpower to deal with so much happening at once
Upon the incitement of a violent mob, the Sheriffs of each area have every damn right to call up a even bigger, better mob. Why should the majority of citizens cower in fear when what we really need is a righteous lawman to deputize, organize and enable the self defense of a city against a ransacking?
And this is how we got here, how BLM happened, how Kyle was put on trial, how businesses and homes were set alight, destroyed, and livelyhoods ruined. We forgot about the power of the people and that government ultimately exists to proctect and serve them, and is made up OF the people, for the people, by the people.
Imagine, at the end of every block, standing on duty, and armed by the second amendment - a emergency miltia muster, a call to arms and a deputization in a time of disaster! I don't expect a static police force to respond to an outsized emergency - I do expect them to raise the alarm, and ring the bell. I expect them to organize and empower those people defending their lives, property and rights!
We need a militia. We need to muster. We need a sheriff in each county willing to call up the men and put down these violent attacks on our communities
Kyle did nothing wrong - the government failed to deputize him, and in doing so being unable to provide for the defense of those citizens of Kenosha, failed to execute their most basic duty as a government - the protection of its people. Thus - for that time at least, there was NO government in Kenosha, or maybe perhaps, Kyle Rittenhouse was the only valid member of the government - acting by and for the people in common defense!
Kyle Rittenhouse is a god damn hero and I continue to be proven to my writings on Anarcho-Tyranny. Further reading on "Derived Legitimacy" is recommended for a case study in Philadelphia
Not random texts I claim no copyright. Random texts, I do not claim copyright.