What Do You Think?

If you haven’t already heard/read about the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse, then I suggest you do some Google-type research. 

For those of you who ARE familiar with the name and the associated offenses … this post is for you.

As a refresher: Rittenhouse faces five felony charges and a misdemeanor weapons charge for killing two individuals and wounding a third during a protest in Wisconsin. If he is convicted of the most serious charge against him, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. 

Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday, the 15th. The final jury members will be selected and will, most likely, begin deliberations on Tuesday. (Added note: there is still some discussion related to some lesser charges which the judge is considering over the weekend and will announce his decision on Monday.)

So where do you stand? Should Kyle Rittenhouse be found Guilty or Not Guilty? Do you see him as an armed vigilante who should definitely be sent to prison? Or was he simply a misguided kid trying to defend himself? Or perhaps something in-between?

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My personal opinion? No matter the circumstances, two people DIED at the hands of a 17-year-old kid using a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle. While I hesitate condemning him to life in prison because of his age, I do not feel he should be allowed to walk away scot-free.

“Get Your Guns”

The following is a quote from Heather Cox Richardson’s latest newsletter, but I read about the incident in other sources as well.  

At a protest in Santa Monica yesterday before a vote on a mask mandate, a man held a sign with the names and home addresses of each Los Angeles City Council member and said protesters would go to the homes of anyone who voted for the mandate and, if it passed, “Civil War is coming! Get your guns!”

One can’t help but wonder, along with Heather, how many are going to get caught up in this radical thinking? 

Certainly Tucker Carlson at Fox News agrees. Although he was condemning the recent actions in Afghanistan, his words exemplify the thwarted thinking held by so many in today’s society:

This can’t go on … We need to change course immediately… or else the consequences will be awful. 

In this instance, Tucker is correct. If these non-mask-wearing idiots carry out their intended actions, yes … “the consequences will be awful.”

Never in my lifetime (which includes a considerable amount of years) has this type of grade-school thinking been so prominent. Certainly in this country there have been multiple uprisings in all shapes and sizes and for multiple “causes,” but threatening specific individuals with weapons of death simply because a person doesn’t like a mandate — not even an actual LAW (!) — is mind-boggling. 

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@chadloder pic.twitter.com/QICGpuT2sc

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Image by kerttu from Pixabay

Caution: VERY Disturbing Video

I subscribe to an email newsletter from NPR. In today’s issue was the following blurb:

National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre’s carefully cultivated image as a hunter and outdoorsman is taking a hit this week after a leaked video showed his clumsy marksmanship.

Since I have fairly strong negative feelings about LaPierre, I was interested to see what the video showed so I clicked on the link.

–MY MISTAKE–

The headline on the linked page was: “Video Leaks of NRA’s Wayne LaPierre Missing His Mark on Elephant Hunt.” Sadly … disgustingly …  the headline was correct. He definitely missed the mark. The video shows him taking FOUR shots at the elephant … and it still wasn’t dead. The final –and deadly– shot was made by another member of the hunting party. NOT LaPierre.

What was even more sickening was the “praise” by the individuals accompanying LaPierre on the hunt – “Well done. Great shooting. Good stuff.”

(After LaPierre’s messed-up shots, the video also includes images of his wife shooting an elephant. Although she achieved her goal much quicker than her husband, the video images are even more disturbing.)

As I have expressed on numerous occasions, I’m not totally against guns, per se. I personally don’t like them, but I know there are many who enjoy and use them for non-nefarious reasons (such as target shooting or collecting various models, usually older ones). I do, however, condemn those who have them strictly for bragging rights. Or to mock the Second Amendment.

Or to conduct mass shootings.

But above and beyond that — I DEFINITELY do NOT support using guns for “Big Game” hunting! Especially elephants, which have been proven to be very intelligent animals.

Although the article blurb indicates LaPierre is “taking a hit,” I truly wonder how many will see it this way since he has achieved a “god-like” reputation within the NRA.

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If you have the stomach for it, here is the link to this VERY disturbing video/article.

Remember The Victims

I wrote this as a comment on one of my other blog posts, but decided it needed a post of its own.

From a news report on recent shooting in Texas (8/31/19) —

“Details on the victims have yet to be released. The wounded include three law enforcement officers.”

“The gunman was identified as Seth Ator”.

I understand “privacy” as related to friends and relatives of the victims, but IMO, knowing who these human beings were and the roles they played while alive is FAR more important than knowing who killed them. To this end, I don’t think the shooter’s name should be released until AFTER the victims are identified.

Gun Control Via Parkland Students

Parkland students are back in the news …

Parkland students unveil sweeping gun-control proposal

They hope their plan — unveiled Wednesday morning — will be considered by President Trump as well as his Democratic presidential rivals and will serve as a catalyst for a surge of youth voters next year.