I want to clarify something. I'm not on the "Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero side." It seems like most people invested in this case are invested in Rittenhouse's perceived character. I don't care. I don't care if he's a great person or a monster. I don't care if he was stupid - if being stupid at seventeen years-old were punishable with life in prison, 99.5% of us would be in prison.
I care about the truth and I care about the precedent that this sets in one way or another.
Rittenhouse making a series of bad decisions and one arguably illegal decision in possessing the firearm has zero to do with determining self-defense or murder. Stop grasping at that. It makes you look dumb.
If Rittenhouse's intentions were entirely noble, that doesn't make him a hero. If Rittenhouse really was hoping that somebody would get violent so he could fuel a hero complex, that still doesn't make him guilty. Yes, intent matters; but, actions matter too and actions are easier to see.
Truth is more important than our emotions. If Rittenhouse is convicted, we've killed truth in a crime of passion.
What's more, self-defense as a concept is on trial. This is going to set a tone for a long time about how we treat people who were assaulted and decided to not become victims of the assailant - will they just become victims of the state?
Bottom line, our justice system can't be about who we love or hate, or about our personal beliefs. It must be about truth.