Kyle Rittenhouse - hero

[Peter J Barban]

Recently acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero. Not because he killed people - self-defense almost by definition cannot be heroic.

No, Kyle is a hero for two other noteworthy actions.

First, he placed himself in danger to protect his community - which was under attack. He defied the bullies and thugs who caused millions of dollars of damage to the poorer-multiracial quarter of Kenosha in order to protect property, put out fires, clean up graffiti and render emergency medical aid to any in need (including the rioters).

Second, even when attacked by multiple members of a hostile mob, he used the minimum force necessary to protect his life. He showed such restrain that even combat veterans said that they would have done as well if they were in Kyle's shoes. Attacked by a coordinated mob assault, wounded multiple times, concussed and afraid, he continually avoided confrontation until it was impossible as he retreated to surrender to the police.

Perhaps he went there with naive notions of being a "do-gooder", but when the government ordered the police to stand down and let the down-trodden take a beating in the name of social justice, Kyle possessed the essential Christlike quality of agape love: suffering the benefit of others.

 

[Danthemailman]

Protest photos: Oakland protester calls men killed in Rittenhouse shooting 'heroes'

 

[Peter J Barban]

Anyone who has watched the videos knows that in the riotous mob there were many who were coordinating attacks on Kyle, chasing him as he retreated, spurring others on to "cranium" him as well as assaulting him.

Rittenhouse applied the minimum amount of force necessary to stop the immediate threats and continued retreating toward the police so that he could end the conflict. I found his restraint heroic. If only the mob would have allowed Kyle to escape, no one would have been harmed. Kyle's restraint in the face of chaotic and overwhelming forces was heroic.

For those who need it spelled out, Kyle's a hero, not because he shot some people who threatened his life, but because he overcame the temptation to shoot every threat. In the end, he followed the law even when it would have been safer to "spray and pray".

 

[SarahsKnight]

In that case, Christ will kill many on the day of God's wrath (and send them to eternal torment).

That tells me everything I need to know right there. The bare basics of logic are not only thrown aside - as well as a plain reading of Scripture - when assuming that being killed does not equal death but, rather, being transferred to another place to live forever in torture, but if you believe so much in the eternal torment doctrine, it is small wonder that you call a 17 year-old child who grabs a gun and went willingly to a location of great conflict with some half-baked notion of being some great protector, a hero.


And before anyone says anything, no, Kyle's attackers were certainly not 100% innocent, or total victims. Anyone who went out of control during the protests and started rioting and causing property damage should have been set upon by the cops and arrested, either spending a small amount of time in jail, made to pay for whatever damage they caused, or both. The non-peaceful protesters were not innocent, either. ... They just didn't need to be shot. All the kid was doing by willingly crossing state lines with a gun that should not have been in his possession to a scene of conflict, was escalating the situation. And now he has the blood of two human beings on his hands to show for it, legal self-defense or not. He HAD to have known how great the odds were of winding up using the gun, going over there to Kenosha. Charged with murder? Not at all. That would be unfair. But guilty of something along the lines of reckless endangerment? Absolutely.


People who willfully pick up the sword are not acting in the way of Christ.

 

[SuperCow]

I don’t think Kyle Rittenhouse was a hero or a villain. I think he was a teenager who was asked to help defend a business, and he decided to help out. Then when people attacked him, he didn’t have the experience to know how to deflect the situation and defend himself other than pulling the trigger until they stopped.

He was seventeen and never had been in that situation before. He didn’t deserve to be charged with murder, or for that matter beaten up by two or more thugs intent on beating the crap out of him.

 

[Peter J Barban]

That tells me everything I need to know right there. The bare basics of logic are not only thrown aside - as well as a plain reading of Scripture - when assuming that being killed does not equal death but, rather, being transferred to another place to live forever in torture, but if you believe so much in the eternal torment doctrine, it is small wonder that you call a 17 year-old child who grabs a gun and went willingly to a location of great conflict with some half-baked notion of being some great protector, a hero.


And before anyone says anything, no, Kyle's attackers were certainly not 100% innocent, or total victims. Anyone who went out of control during the protests and started rioting and causing property damage should have been set upon by the cops and arrested, either spending a small amount of time in jail, made to pay for whatever damage they caused, or both. The non-peaceful protesters were not innocent, either. ... They just didn't need to be shot. All the kid was doing by willingly crossing state lines with a gun that should not have been in his possession to a scene of conflict, was escalating the situation. And now he has the blood of two human beings on his hands to show for it, legal self-defense or not. He HAD to have known how great the odds were of winding up using the gun, going over there to Kenosha. Charged with murder? Not at all. That would be unfair. But guilty of something along the lines of reckless endangerment? Absolutely.


People who willfully pick up the sword are not acting in the way of Christ.

What difference does "cross state lines" mean? This is not illegal or immoral. This is usually a dog whistle for "we need more gun control".

The court and jury decided that
1. Kyle had a right to be in Kenosha.
2. Kyle had the right to own/openly carry his rifle.
3. He had a right to walk through the streets during a riot!
4. He had the right to self-defense.

Kyle was the victim and he legally killed his victimizers.

I agree that none of these points are heroic, yet neither are they immoral/illegal. The court decided Kyle was right on every charge.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I think it is a sad thing when Christians espousing belief in the commandments and "thou shalt not kill" can celebrate one who kills as a hero. I think Kyle should have stayed home.

 

[Peter J Barban]

I think it is a sad thing when Christians espousing belief in the commandments and "thou shalt not kill" can celebrate one who kills as a hero. I think Kyle should have stayed home.

That is because you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the Hebrew scriptures. Read up on David's mighty men. How many thousands did David kill, yet he was a man after God's own heart.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Recently acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero. Not because he killed people - self-defense almost by definition cannot be heroic.

No, Kyle is a hero for two other noteworthy actions.

First, he placed himself in danger to protect his community - which was under attack. He defied the bullies and thugs who caused millions of dollars of damage to the poorer-multiracial quarter of Kenosha in order to protect property, put out fires, clean up graffiti and render emergency medical aid to any in need (including the rioters).

Second, even when attacked by multiple members of a hostile mob, he used the minimum force necessary to protect his life. He showed such restrain that even combat veterans said that they would have done as well if they were in Kyle's shoes. Attacked by a coordinated mob assault, wounded multiple times, concussed and afraid, he continually avoided confrontation until it was impossible as he retreated to surrender to the police.

Perhaps he went there with naive notions of being a "do-gooder", but when the government ordered the police to stand down and let the down-trodden take a beating in the name of social justice, Kyle possessed the essential Christlike quality of agape love: suffering the benefit of others.

Heroism is not righteousness in this case.
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5:20.) ... "

 

[Hazelelponi]

I think it is a sad thing when Christians espousing belief in the commandments and "thou shalt not kill" can celebrate one who kills as a hero. I think Kyle should have stayed home.

Murder is different than killing (kill is an incorrect translation as it's best expressed as "thou shalt not murder"). If mere killing was a sin then God Himself is a sinner.

It is not in every situation even scripturally a sin to kill another human being. Self defense is sometimes a necessary part of life, whether in the service to your country or in the defense of ones life.

The people attacking Kyle were, in fact, violent criminals with a history of being on the wrong side of the law more than once who took it upon themselves to attack a kid without provocation, at the same time they were participating in a violent and destructive riot.

Kyle was perfectly justified to defend himself, even being Christian.

 

[TheWhat?]

our chances for a nerf war are completely ruined

 

[rturner76]

I think Kyle should have stayed home.

Me too, especially because he illegally obtained the weapon and he was illegally carrying it. That illegal action started the whole nightmare.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Me too, especially because he illegally obtained the weapon and he was illegally carrying it. That illegal action started the whole nightmare.

The court's didn't agree...

 

[eleos1954]

Recently acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero. Not because he killed people - self-defense almost by definition cannot be heroic.

No, Kyle is a hero for two other noteworthy actions.

First, he placed himself in danger to protect his community - which was under attack. He defied the bullies and thugs who caused millions of dollars of damage to the poorer-multiracial quarter of Kenosha in order to protect property, put out fires, clean up graffiti and render emergency medical aid to any in need (including the rioters).

Second, even when attacked by multiple members of a hostile mob, he used the minimum force necessary to protect his life. He showed such restrain that even combat veterans said that they would have done as well if they were in Kyle's shoes. Attacked by a coordinated mob assault, wounded multiple times, concussed and afraid, he continually avoided confrontation until it was impossible as he retreated to surrender to the police.

Perhaps he went there with naive notions of being a "do-gooder", but when the government ordered the police to stand down and let the down-trodden take a beating in the name of social justice, Kyle possessed the essential Christlike quality of agape love: suffering the benefit of others.

I don't see him as a hero. He went there to offer help and got caught up in the violence and defended himself. I don't think defending yourself makes one a hero. Most people will defend themselves it's a natural reaction. Don't think it (self defense) was a christ-like quality either. Self defense is what one does when their life is threatened by whatever means they have available to them at the time and that can include the death of one(s) who are threatening (intension to do bodily harm to them).

No reason to make anymore out of it than it is.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I was once a 17-year-old boy and I raised 3 boys who were once 17 years old. Here's how it would have gone in my house or my dad's house, for that matter.

"Dad, there could be riot in Kenosha tonight. Can I go?"
"No, absolutely not"

"Will you drive me to Kenosha?"
"No"

"Can I use the car tonight?"
"No"

"Can you unlock my gun so I can have it?"
"No, since you aren't target shooting, hunting, or cleaning it."

"When you're 18 and living in your own place, you can go to any riot you want, but you're not doing it as long as you're under my roof."

 

[seeking.IAM]

That is because you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the Hebrew scriptures. Read up on David's mighty men. How many thousands did David kill, yet he was a man after God's own heart.

Does that count for David's adultery, too? Yeah, we can do that because David was a man after God's own heart. And, while we're at it, we can position her husband to get whacked. It's all good now.

 

[Sparagmos]

Recently acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero. Not because he killed people - self-defense almost by definition cannot be heroic.

No, Kyle is a hero for two other noteworthy actions.

First, he placed himself in danger to protect his community - which was under attack. He defied the bullies and thugs who caused millions of dollars of damage to the poorer-multiracial quarter of Kenosha in order to protect property, put out fires, clean up graffiti and render emergency medical aid to any in need (including the rioters).

Second, even when attacked by multiple members of a hostile mob, he used the minimum force necessary to protect his life. He showed such restrain that even combat veterans said that they would have done as well if they were in Kyle's shoes. Attacked by a coordinated mob assault, wounded multiple times, concussed and afraid, he continually avoided confrontation until it was impossible as he retreated to surrender to the police.

Perhaps he went there with naive notions of being a "do-gooder", but when the government ordered the police to stand down and let the down-trodden take a beating in the name of social justice, Kyle possessed the essential Christlike quality of agape love: suffering the benefit of others.

I find this take disgusting. If he hadn’t brought the gun no one would have died. He didn’t stop any violence, he escalated it.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Me too, especially because he illegally obtained the weapon and he was illegally carrying it. That illegal action started the whole nightmare.

That appears to be a primary point that Peter J Barban is constantly overlooking. He should not have been in Kenosha, and he certainly should not have been there with a gun, especially illegally. He would not have felt threatened or been physically hurt, and two people would not be dead, if not for that.

I get the desire to protect and defend. In fact I often pray to God that if ever presented with a situation in which I can do just that, that He will give me a brave heart to throw myself without question in front of someone - whether it's a stranger or someone I know and love - to spare them pain or death in any way. .... But only as the same example that Christ gave Himself as: the sacrifice, the one who is willing to take pain and damage in the victim's place. I do NOT pray that He give me the heart to carry and use a lethal weapon when needing to be a protector of someone.

We follow the example of the Slaughtered Lamb, not Turbo John Wayne Jesus.

 

[rturner76]

That appears to be a primary point that Peter J Barban is constantly overlooking. He should not have been in Kenosha, and he certainly should not have been there with a gun, especially illegally. He would not have felt threatened or been physically hurt, and two people would not be dead, if not for that.

I get the desire to protect and defend. In fact I often pray to God that if ever presented with a situation in which I can do just that, that He will give me a brave heart to throw myself without question in front of someone - whether it's a stranger or someone I know and love - to spare them pain or death in any way. .... But only as the same example that Christ gave Himself as: the sacrifice, the one who is willing to take pain and damage in the victim's place. I do NOT pray that He give me the heart to carry and use a lethal weapon when needing to be a protector of someone.

We follow the example of the Slaughtered Lamb, not Turbo John Wayne Jesus.

People are praising this like it's a triumph but it's a tragedy. A kid throws gasoline on a fire and we cheer because he didn't get in trouble for it.

 

[LeGato]

Recently acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero. Not because he killed people - self-defense almost by definition cannot be heroic.

No, Kyle is a hero for two other noteworthy actions.

First, he placed himself in danger to protect his community - which was under attack. He defied the bullies and thugs who caused millions of dollars of damage to the poorer-multiracial quarter of Kenosha in order to protect property, put out fires, clean up graffiti and render emergency medical aid to any in need (including the rioters).

Second, even when attacked by multiple members of a hostile mob, he used the minimum force necessary to protect his life. He showed such restrain that even combat veterans said that they would have done as well if they were in Kyle's shoes. Attacked by a coordinated mob assault, wounded multiple times, concussed and afraid, he continually avoided confrontation until it was impossible as he retreated to surrender to the police.

Perhaps he went there with naive notions of being a "do-gooder", but when the government ordered the police to stand down and let the down-trodden take a beating in the name of social justice, Kyle possessed the essential Christlike quality of agape love: suffering the benefit of others.

In my humble opinion, whatever is heroic about Kyle, isn't really him...it's this case that some people feel further confirms everybody's right to self-defense.