Kenosha/United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse is a good thing. Loyal Ammoland readers can all agree on that. That being said, let’s not pretend that what happened was an ideal outcome. For that day in Kenosha, it was arguably one of the less tragic outcomes. Two people are dead, and regardless of their records, they still had families who loved them.
First of all, one thing needs to be said: Contrary to claims by many in the media, who spread a lot of nonsense before and during the trial, what happened in Kenosha was not a protest.
It. Was. A. Riot.
Don’t take my word for it, watch the videos of the buildings burning. In some cases, you may see purportedly reputable outlets claim that what was happening in Kenosha wasn’t what you were seeing.
Save those clips and show them to your friends and family when they ask why you don’t trust the media.
Now, what can we learn from this?
The Second Amendment Is A Fail-Safe
In the case of Kyle Rittenhouse, the Second Amendment was a fail-safe for the failures of the state and local governments to keep law and order. When seconds mattered, cops were minutes away when Rittenhouse was attacked. He is alive because he had access to the tool necessary to protect himself.
The entire purpose of a fail-safe is to keep a bad situation from spiraling completely out of control. When it comes to using our right to self-defense, it’s a bad situation. When things deteriorate to the point where lethal force has to be used, it is an ugly situation. Some on the Left are pointing to people who seem eager to break out the guns. Don’t give Bloomberg or others that sort of ammunition to use against us, and distance from those who do so.
Just Because It’s Legal Doesn’t Make It Smart
One thing should be very obvious: The middle of a riot is no place for a 17-year-old high school student. Contrary to the repeated lies from the media and others who insist (despite court testimony) that he went from Illinois armed for battle, Kyle Rittenhouse did not go out looking for trouble. He had family in Kenosha and was working as a lifeguard in Kenosha.
That said, he arguably made it easy for trouble to find him by going out to clean graffiti before order had been restored. When possible, one should do their best to avoid a situation where one might have to use lethal force in self-defense. There’s no law against going out to run errands or to try to help out in the middle of a riot, but it’s not the smartest move.
Even in a bad situation, the first choice should not be to start blazing away at the bad guy (or bad guys). Common sense can help people avoid most dangerous situations – and help you escape others.
Get Training And Practice
It is never enough to just have the tools for self-defense. You need to know how to use them and the laws governing them, including those surrounding self-defense. Reading the works of Massad Ayoob and taking personal protection courses (like those the NRA offers) are things that ought to be top priorities for those who choose to carry.
When the time comes to act in self-defense, there will be a lot of physical and mental reactions when the “fight or flight” reflex kicks in. At that point, you’re not going to rise to the occasion, you will default to the habits you picked up while practicing and training.
Preparation Isn’t Just Guns And Ammo
Kyle Rittenhouse may be a free man in the sense that he isn’t in jail, but he is facing massive legal fees just from his state case. We’re not even getting to a potential federal civil rights case or civil wrongful death suits. Rittenhouse was lucky in that the national attention his case got will defray the costs to some degree, but he may still be paying off his lawyers for decades.
If you seek pro bono help, you may end up getting what you pay for. USCCA offers insurance coverage for legal fees and a network for attorneys, but the Cuomo regime’s destruction of NRA Carry Guard has resulted in some USCCA services being unavailable for residents of New Jersey, New York, and Washington state (which again, should be an exhibit for why Letitia James’s jihad needs to be stopped).
Have Plans For The Aftermath
Proper previous planning is necessary for the aftermath of self-defense. In addition to the preparations listed above, you will need to be ready for a lot of things. You may be completely in the right legally and morally in the use of lethal force for self-defense, but it will still not be an easy path. Depending on the situation, you could face social stigmatization, media vilification, and a host of physical, mental, and emotional after-effects.
Have plans to deal with security for you and your family, addressing the legal aftermath (especially if your prosecutor is like Binger), dealing with your health (physical, emotional, and mental), and for your financial future (in case of professional repercussions and or the expenses you incur).
Local Elections Matter
Far too often, Second Amendment supporters look to Congress, the President, the Supreme Court, or to their state legislatures, governors, and state courts to resolve Second Amendment issues. They forget that local officials matter, too. The sheriff and top prosecutor wield outsized influence on the day-to-day exercise of our Second Amendment rights. Vote, and act accordingly.
Second Amendment supporters have much to learn from Kenosha. They also have lot of work to do, and that includes defeating anti-Second Amendment extremists at the federal, state, and local levels via the ballot box as soon as possible.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.