Kyle Rittenhouse, then aged 17, had a life-long interest in law enforcement. He was a Police Explorer as well as a cadet with the fire department and a certified life guard. He put his interest to practical use. When he saw politicians ordering police in Kenosha, WI to stand by idly while stores were looted or set on fire by BLM and Antifa rioters, he couldn’t just shake his head sadly and do nothing, like so many of us.

He grabbed a rifle and a first aid kit, went to Kenosha, and began by cleaning grafitti from a high school. He defused a potentially violent confrontation. But then he got into trouble. The defense says he was attacked, had a gun pointed at him, was hit on the head with a skateboard, and was kicked in the head. That is, he claims to have been assaulted three times with a deadly weapon, or with force likely to cause death or serious injury – centuries-old justification to use deadly force in self-defense.

The prosecution claims, ineptly, that he went looking for trouble and deliberately shot three innocent people, killing two. In addition to the prosecution’s other problems, this assumes that looking for trouble is necessarily a bad thing. Isn’t that what we pay police officers, firefighters, and paramedics to do daily?

But regardless of the outcome of the trial, what can we say about Rittenhouse himself? He is obviously well intentioned but naive. He saw uncontrolled street violence and set out to do what he could. So who is really responsible? WE ARE.

WE voted in progressive politicians who, to paraphrase Harry Truman, know as much about maintaining law and order as a pig knows about Sunday.

WE sat watching the game and munching snacks as police were defunded and demoralized.

WE sipped beer as the streets were filled with looters, arsonists, and attackers.

WE shrugged helplessly as stores were picked clean or set on fire.

WE remained apathetic as the loudest yellers got their way, while quiet, law-abiding citizens were ignored.

WE created the chaos that Kyle Rittenhouse tried to remedy. And we have the gall to blame him?