Colt AR-15 rifle. Photo: Bruce Forsyth.
December 2021
Regarding the letter from Albert Sanders (4 December, Toronto Sun, Letters to the Editor): Does Mr. Sanders condemn the actions of Gaige Grosskreutz, who also went to the “protest” armed, in his case with a handgun? This is the same one that he pointed at Kyle Rittenhouse, just before he was shot in the arm. Let me repeat that; he pointed a handgun at Rittenhouse, and then he was shot.
In order to understand why Rittenhouse was acquitted, we need to put aside our Canadian bias and look at the facts: the court found that under Wisconsin laws, Rittenhouse did nothing wrong, including using deadly force to defend himself. We can debate whether Rittenhouse actually needed to be armed, or whether he needed to be a part of the self-appointed militia that was patrolling the streets of Kenosha, but he was in lawful possession of the AR-15 and he did have connections to the city (his father lives there), despite what many in the media insisted on both points.
We don’t have to like it, but we need to remember that the people Rittenhouse shot were not peaceful protesters, nor innocent bystanders. All of them were engaged in the unlawful act of using/threatening force against Rittenhouse; force that would have resulted in serious injury or death for him.
Sources: Letters to the Editor, Dec. 4, 2021 | Toronto Sun, Kenosha Rittenhouse trial victims: These are the 3 men he shot – CNN, Vigilance and Vigilantism (theepochtimes.com).
The original Letter to the Editor:
SLAP IN THE FACE
Acquitting Kyle Rittenhouse was a slap in the face to the dead men’s families and loved ones. The fact remains that he went down there already armed as if he wanted a deadly confrontation. A gun is only deadly when someone picks it up and uses it, otherwise it is an inanimate object that sits in a gun locker. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the dead men. It is a sad commentary on our world when human lives seem to be of no importance and men like Rittenhouse feel the need to arm themselves to try to solve a conflict. By all means voice your opinion, get pissed off about something, do something construction not destructive. Only a true coward hides behind a gun. If the wannabe ‘tough guys’ insist on defending themselves, put the guns down and fight like a real man would in a fair fight with your ‘enemies.’ Better yet, have a discussion about your differences and try to find common ground.
Albert Sanders
Toronto
(The evidence was presented and he was found not guilty. We can all have an opinion on the outcome, but he was tried fairly)
