I've received an immense amount of pushback from some people regarding the Operation Blazing Sword - Pink Pistols press release on the Rittenhouse verdict. This is disappointing, as I took great pains to make the statement as neutral as possible regarding Rittenhouse himself and focus solely on the gun rights aspect of the case.
I stand by my assertions that if Rittenhouse had been convicted, ADA Binger's position of "You were armed, therefore you deserve violence upon your person" may well have taken root and destroyed what we have left of the right to keep and bear arms. Pink Pistols cannot perform its function if using a weapon for self-defense automatically negates your right to self-defense, and it is for that reason we agree with the court.
Once the argument of "You aren't allowed to defend yourself" has been accepted by the courts, it doesn't matter your political affiliation, race, sex, religion, disability, or anything else; that charge will be used against you.
You are either for self defense or you are not. There is no grey area.
On a related note, there are an astonishing number of people who cannot wrap their heads around the concept that there can be an overlap between behavior that is "Perfectly legal/Well within your rights" and behavior that is "Ill-advised/Self-endangering."
It is perfectly legal for me to dress up in a skimpy bikini with $100 bills stuffed into it and totter down the sidewalks of a rough neighborhood in stiletto heels after midnight. I have every right to do that. However, this also puts me in significant danger of assault, theft, robbery, etc.
Now, if I am assaulted/robbed/etc, it's the fault of the criminals. It's not my fault, because a crime needs a criminal to commit it: no criminal, no crime. It's not my fault because even if I'm not there, the criminal may decide to prey upon someone else. But doing such a thing proved to be ill-advised and self-endangering, because I increased my chances of becoming a victim happening by making myself an easy, enticing target.
Similarly, Kyle Rittenhouse being in Kenosha, openly carrying a rifle while trying to protect businesses and stop fires and offer medical treatment, was perfectly legal. He had every right to be there doing those things. (If you doubt that, look at what the court ruled.) It was also ill-advised of him to do so, and it put him in significant danger. He will be forever scarred by this, and the repercussions will follow him all the days of his life.
And it wasn't his fault, because we have footage showing he was attacked first every time. However, he made himself a tempting target, because he looked like a vulnerable child with a valuable gun. If he hadn't been there, then other crimes would have happened; they just wouldn't have happened to him.
It astounds me that there are people who can't grasp this concept that just because something is ill-advised doesn't automatically make it illegal. If everything dangerous was made illegal, we would have no police, no firefighters, and no military.
Your head is there for more than just decoration. Please use it.
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