Rittenhouse is being tried for several crimes...
He's charged with killing Joseph Rosenbaum. This is my understanding of what happened in that crime.
- Somebody else fired a handgun. I don't think it's known who that was.
- Rosenbaum went chasing after Rittenhouse. Did Rosenbaum think Rittenhouse fired the shot?
- Rosenbaum was unarmed but was shouting obesities at Rittenhouse. He threw a bag of medical supplies at Rittenhouse and grabbed the gun barrel.
- Rittenhouse may have assumed it was Rosenbaum who fired the shot and thus, in self-defense, shot Rosenbaum.
- Obviously, had Rittenhouse not been brandishing his illegally obtained and carried assault-style rifle, Rosenbaum wouldn't have gone after him.
- Rosenbaum was a perceived threat to Rittenhouse but not an actual threat. I don't know what the standard is for self-defense in Wisconsin. Does the threat need to be real or simply perceived?
- In traffic accidents, if one of the drivers involved was driving without a valid drivers license, I believe that person is automatically at fault since he or she shouldn't have been behind the wheel in the first place, providing, of course, that the other driver was driving legally. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. So if that's the case, if someone who is illegally carrying a gun, uses that gun in a shooting and kills someone, is he or she automatically in the wrong, even if it's in an act of self-defense?
Next!
He's charged with killing Anthony Huber.
- Huber chased after Rittenhouse after Rittenhouse killed Rosenbaum.
- Huber was unarmed and was probably trying to prevent anyone else from being shot by Rittenhouse. With all the mass shootings we've seen by people with assault-style rifles, that was a pretty heroic thing to do.
- Rittenhouse felt threatened as he was surrounded by people trying to get his weapon. That's the part where he broke down on the witness stand and cried uncontrollably when recalling the event.
He's charged with shooting and injuring Gaige Grosskreutz
- Grosskreutz was armed with a pistol, which he pointed at Rittenhouse but never fired. Rittenhouse was on the ground at the time.
- Did Grosskreutz tell Rittenhouse to "drop your weapon" or anything like that. Grosskreutz ran up to Rittenhouse, probably in an attempt to disarm Rittenhouse and prevent another shooting.
- Rittenhouse shot Grosskreutz but not fatally.
- Is that self-defense? Again, Rittenhouse may have perceived Grosskreutz to be a threat, but not in actuality.
There are other charges... illegally obtaining and brandishing a weapon and a few other misdemeanors. I'm not sure at this point how I'd decide as a juror. I'll need to learn more about the laws in Wisconsin and get some more details on the case.
In the sentencing phase, a few things are clear... Rittenhouse has shown absolutely no remorse for killing two men and injuring another. He was wearing a t-shirt with the words "FREE AS F*CK" on it a few weeks after the shootings. He attended a white supremacist meeting afterwards and flashed white supremacist hand signs.
In all likelihood, Rittenhouse is a sociopath. How can you kill another human being and not be affected by it? That a sure sign of sociopathy.
We shall see if the judge factors those things into his sentencing.
So the victims were "idiots" as you say, there is a saying about bravery & stupidity: " Bravery and Stupidity are the same thing, the outcome determines your label." So if one of the 3 victims had been able to kill Rittenhouse he'd be a hero instead of an idiot. The former potus said the same about disabled veterans(called soldiers who died fighting for their country “losers” and “suckers” and that he asked a military parade to exclude wounded veterans because “nobody wants to see” amputees.), a pretty contemptible statement if you ask me.
