# The Rittenhouse trial **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 4, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798 "2021-11-04T14:56:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/61 "2021-11-05T01:01:02Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Yep. I mean, Rosenbaum heard the same gunshot Rittenhouse did. Except he _knew_ Rittenhouse had a gun. If he’d shot him in the head there, the situation would be exactly the same. I’d be curious to know if @octopus agrees with this. And whether he thinks that it is a good thing that our legal system works this way. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/62 "2021-11-05T01:05:26Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Aren’t rights supposed to come with responsibilities? What, like obeying the law? > [@](#): > > I think “not shooting unarmed people” is a pretty basic responsibility. No, shooting people in self-defense can be plenty permissible. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/63 "2021-11-05T01:05:33Z")
Rittenhouse didn’t shoot merely because he heard a gunshot. There were several factors that justifiably made him fear for his life. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/64 "2021-11-05T01:07:05Z")
Rittenhouse travelled to Wisconsin where he would be provided a weapon because he really didn’t want to spill some blood. Uh-huh. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/65 "2021-11-05T01:08:03Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > > > Is that a requirement for exercising one’s rights? > > Aren’t rights supposed to come with responsibilities? I think “not shooting unarmed people” is a pretty basic responsibility. “Armed” is not the threshold. It’s if there is a reasonable belief an aggressor was directing unlawful force or violence against the defendant and the force used to counter the violent act was immediately necessary. Besides at least two of the victims in this case had a weapon. One had a handgun and one was trying to hit Rittenhouse on the head with a skateboard. Yes that can be considered a weapon. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/66 "2021-11-05T01:09:46Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Rittenhouse didn’t shoot merely because he heard a gunshot. There were several factors that justifiably made him fear for his life. You know, I’d say Rosenbaum had plenty of reason to fear for his life, considering how he was shot dead by Rittenhouse. But I guess that’s just my liberal bias speaking. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/67 "2021-11-05T01:10:22Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Rittenhouse travelled to Wisconsin where he would be provided a weapon because he really didn’t want to spill some blood. That’s like half a step away from saying, _hey, dressed like that, she was asking for it, and why was she in that part of town at that time of night._ The relevant questions are whether someone has a right to be there, and a right to use lethal force in self-defense; and, as far as I can tell, the answers are — “yes” and “yes”. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/68 "2021-11-05T01:11:21Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > That’s like half a step away from saying, _hey, dressed like that, she was asking for it, and why was she in that part of town at that time of night._ Rittenhouse went there with a deadly weapon. He didn’t go there wearing revealing clothing. That you would compare the two is, frankly, disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/69 "2021-11-05T01:12:26Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > That’s like half a step away from saying, _hey, dressed like that, she was asking for it,_ That’s fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/70 "2021-11-05T01:12:41Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Rittenhouse went there with a deadly weapon. He didn’t go there wearing revealing clothing. That you would compare the two is, frankly, disgusting If he went where he had a right to go, and then defended himself, then I don’t see the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/71 "2021-11-05T01:12:51Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > > > That’s like half a step away from saying, _hey, dressed like that, she was asking for it, and why was she in that part of town at that time of night._ > > Rittenhouse went there with a deadly weapon. He didn’t go there wearing revealing clothing. That you would compare the two is, frankly, disgusting. In an open carry state “went there with a deadly weapon” isn’t going to mean much. You can legally go just about anywhere with a deadly weapon. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/72 "2021-11-05T01:13:37Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > In an open carry state “went there with a deadly weapon” isn’t going to mean much. You can legally go just about anywhere with a deadly weapon That is, indeed, the problem with open carry states, like Wisconsin and Afghanistan. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/73 "2021-11-05T01:13:48Z")
Tell that to the “Skateboarding is not allowed” signs. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/74 "2021-11-05T01:13:48Z")
The point is, he really REALLY didn’t want to shoot anybody. Surely. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/75 "2021-11-05T01:14:36Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > “Armed” is not the threshold. IMO this statement seems to contradict the experience of many, many Americans over the past few recent decades alone. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/76 "2021-11-05T01:16:04Z")
It’s not against the rules to leave out the most important part of my post. It’s just dishonest. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/77 "2021-11-05T01:18:50Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Besides at least two of the victims in this case had a weapon. One had a handgun and one was trying to hit Rittenhouse on the head with a skateboard. Yes that can be considered a weapon. If I saw someone shoot an unarmed person, and was in a position to try and intervene before we got yet another mass shooting on our hands, I’d like to think I’d have the courage to try, even if the only weapon I had access to was a skateboard. Isn’t that what the “good guy with a gun” people keep telling us needs to happen? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/78 "2021-11-05T01:18:54Z")
I think we could all agree that Rittenhouse woke up that morning and said to himself: “Good Lord, I hope there’s no blood spillin’ (spit) in my life today, that would be the worst. Even if I have to travel to do it!” ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/79 "2021-11-05T01:21:36Z")
You are ignoring quite a few relevant details. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798/80 "2021-11-05T01:24:19Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > Besides at least two of the victims in this case had a weapon. One had a handgun and one was trying to hit Rittenhouse on the head with a skateboard. Yes that can be considered a weapon. > > If I saw someone shoot an unarmed person, and was in a position to try and intervene before we got yet another mass shooting on our hands, I’d like to think I’d have the courage to try, even if the only weapon I had access to was a skateboard. Isn’t that what the “good guy with a gun” people keep telling us needs to happen? The issue in front of the jury will be what Rittenhouse reasonably believed at the time he shot. It’s possible that Rittenhouse can be found not guilty even if the victims were operating with the best of intentions. Yes I’m glad I don’t live in an open carry state. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rittenhouse-trial/953798.md?page=5)