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Kyle Rittenhouse and Every Able-Bodied Man Had a Moral Obligation to Protect Kenosha

Any able-bodied man over 16 years old had a moral obligation to defend Kenosha against vandals, looters, and arsonists attacking while police stood down.

Evita DuffybyEvita Duffy
November 22, 2021
in Opinion
Reading Time: 5 mins read
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Kyle Rittenhouse
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Despite his acquittal, the left continues to smear Kyle Rittenhouse as a bloodthirsty, “Call of Duty”-playing white supremacist. But if you were in the city of Kenosha, as I was, when the riots erupted, you would know that Rittenhouse was hardly a rogue vigilante. He was one of many brave Kenoshan men who took up arms to protect their families, businesses, and beloved city when the government failed to. 

Indeed, despite desperate pleas for help, Gov. Tony Evers refused to deploy adequate numbers of national guardsmen to protect the city from rioters wielding guns and fire. After 24 hours of receiving requests for aid, Evers had still sent fewer troops to Kenosha than he did to Milwaukee during the NBA finals. Local law enforcement was quickly overwhelmed.

By the second night of rioting, streams of out-of-state professional Black Lives Matter and Antifa rioters had flooded into the city. At the time, I wrote that Kenosha looked like “something I had only seen in photographs of war-torn countries.”

Grossly outnumbered, law enforcement had only enough manpower to protect public buildings in the town’s center. “They were so busy down there saving their courthouse, well what about this? I’m a taxpayer, too” said Sam, an Indian immigrant who owns a torched family-run car dealership in downtown Kenosha, two blocks from the courthouse. 

“I’m a minority too. I’m a brown person. I have nothing to do with this,” said Sam. The 17 people Sam employed have all lost their jobs “for nothing.” Sam has lost “every dime” he has in last few days. pic.twitter.com/VUN08gImg3

— The Federalist (@FDRLST) August 29, 2020

Evers watched thugs and arsonists destroy businesses and terrorize Kenoshans for another 48 hours before he reluctantly agreed to accept help from President Trump and the federal government. He let Kenosha burn because he thought he could blame the unrest on Trump and enhance the political fortunes of the Democrat Party in the 2020 presidential election.  

When the political fire instead turned on him, he finally changed course, but for many residents, it was too late. “Governor Evers has a huge sense of urgency for mask mandates, but when our town is burning to the flippin’ ground, he had zero sense of urgency,” said Kimberly Warner, a single mom who owns two businesses in downtown Kenosha. “He allowed our town to suffer and burn.”

Evers’s inaction resulted in $50 million in property damage that affected 100 businesses, including 40 that were put out of business for good.

It was in the face of all this destruction and turmoil that Rittenhouse decided to defend his community—yes, contrary to what the hacks at MSNBC and CNN want you to believe, Kenosha is Kyle’s community. In the daylight hours of the fateful night that changed his life, Rittenhouse was volunteering to scrub BLM graffiti off a local high school. That night, he told a reporter why he was in Kenosha—to offer medical assistance and be ready to “run[] into harm’s way” to protect people and property. 

Rittenhouse was not alone. When I was in Kenosha, I observed countless men standing with baseball bats, handguns, semi-automatic rifles, and shotguns in front of their businesses and homes. In fact, my now-fiancé, who accompanied me while I was reporting, was also armed. You had to be.

Chuck, a tire shop owner, spent every night of the riots on his roof guarding his shop “with guns.” An exhausted yet vigilant Chuck glared into my iPhone camera at the time and said to the rioters, “Come to my shop and I’ll blow your heads off.” 

Chuck has been spending every night on his roof guarding his uptown tire shop “with guns.” He believes the rioting will affect the 2020 election, and he is “for Trump all the way.” To the rioters he says: “Come to my shop and I’ll blow your heads off.” pic.twitter.com/5oFvKgj2c5

— The Federalist (@FDRLST) August 28, 2020

One of the greatest examples of bravery during the riots was Robert Cobb, a 70-year-old long-time Kenosha man who was viciously beaten by BLM rioters. Cobb saw looters stealing from the 100-year-old Danish Brotherhood and simply could not stand by. 

He tried to keep the horde of criminals at bay with a fire extinguisher, hoping to force them to take their masks off so they could be identified later. Rioters sneak-attacked him, though, leaving Cobb with a jaw broken in three places, a swollen eye, and stitches to a head wound. “He was trying to defend his building and they beat the s–t out of him!” the videographer sobbed in a clip that captured the assault.

Democrats in the corporate media want you to believe that citizens not only shouldn’t arm themselves in defense of their communities but that they cannot legally do so. Make no mistake, this lie is meant to justify Democrats’ continued attack on the American people’s right to bear arms. Under the Second Amendment, the citizens of Kenosha were entirely justified and legally permitted to protect themselves and their hometown, especially because law enforcement could not.  

More importantly, it was Rittenhouse’s moral duty and that of all able-bodied men over the age of 16 to defend Kenosha against the vandals, looters, and arsonists who were destroying the city. 

That is why Democrats and their allies in the media want you to believe that Rittenhouse and other Kenoshans who stood up for themselves are murderous white supremacists. These brave citizens and their “toxic masculinity” represent an existential threat to the left’s authoritarian aims. They simply cannot allow average Americans to believe they can exercise their right to bear arms and protect themselves without the government’s permission. 

Rittenhouse found himself caught in the chaos. Video evidence showed him defending himself with a semi-automatic rifle against angry, gun-wielding, rioting convicted felons and child rapists. Rittenhouse ultimately fatally shot two men and wounded another, in what has now been ruled by a jury an act of self-defense.

“I didn’t intend to kill them. I intended to stop the people who were attacking me,” Rittenhouse said. “I did what I had to do to stop the person who was attacking me.” The truth is, Rittenhouse could have been any of my fellow Wisconsinites that night. The city was in flames and the state had abdicated its responsibility to protect its citizens. In the face of this crisis, Rittenhouse did what he had to do. 

The Kenosha rioting showed America that you don’t have to cower in fear like people in Portland and Chicago. Kenoshans refused to be helpless victims when Marxist and race agitators descended on their city. Men like Rittenhouse tried to defend their hometown. For that, they should be commended as the heroes they are.

*The views expressed in this article solely represent the views of the author, not the views of the Chicago Thinker.

Tags: KenoshaKyle RittenhouseleftistsRobert CobbTony Everstoxic masculinity
Evita Duffy

Evita Duffy

Evita Duffy is the Chicago Thinker's Managing Editor. As a senior at the University of Chicago, she studies American History and Creative Writing. She loves the Midwest, lumberjack sports, writing, & her family. Follow her on Twitter at @evitaduffy_1 or contact her at evitapduffy@uchicago.edu.

Comments 23

  1. himdabo says:
    1 year ago

    Staaaahhhhp it, Evita.

    There were witnesses in the form of ex-Marines and ex-Army who were onsite when Rittenhouse was, and they testified that Rittenhouse was running off at the mouth towards the crowds. At one point an armed ex-Marine testified that he warned Rittenhouse not to make matters worse by taunting people in the crowd. Rittenhouse ignored the older, wiser armed ex-Marine and continued to do so until the crowd turned on him. Rittenhouse brought all of this upon himself.

    • jaye els says:
      1 year ago

      Hey himdabo… you recommend that no one should even talk back to Antifa/Communist/BLM mobs rioting, looting violently attacking 70 year old store owners, regular Kenosha residents like Robert Cobb?

      “Don’t make the BLM/Antifa terrorists mad”

      Nope!

      Did you check out the rap sheet on one of the guys Kyle Rittenhouse killed in clear self defense:

      “KENOSHA, WI — Joseph Rosenbaum, who died after being allegedly shot by Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, on Aug. 25, appears to have been charged by an Arizona grand jury with 11 counts of child molestation and inappropriate sexual activity around children, including sodomy.”

      Hey himdabo – do you also recommend that Americans simply “submit” and let their 11 year old boys be analy homo raped by these sick Antifa terrorists?

      Nope.

  2. Kim Gilbert says:
    1 year ago

    And as these rioters family’s try to take revenge.
    Keep in mind the assaults he endures befor pushed to save his own life. But most of all the family’s must look at their involvement as to why their family members are destroying their town and assaulting citizens. Did parents fail miserably, did siblings counter act this behavior or fuel it.I think any lawsuits should wait till after psychiatric sessions for the deceased family. Live by fire ,Die by fire. To watch those videos of the attacks to Mr.Rittenhouse,reminded me of other attacks by these so called peacefull rioters,where the people they attacked were a pile of beaten and broken bodys.There needs to be accountable measures taken.Not this leftis narrative. More Kyles need to protect their towns.
    GOD BLESS THE AMERICA I USE TO KNOW.??

    • Ààa Anna Withers says:
      1 year ago

      My son was very upset that people could destroy other people’s property and no one be there to protect the community.
      He volunteered to stand in defense of property too. Fortunately it did not escalate that night. Was I praying for his safety, you bet I was. No one should defend such actions that destroy other people’s lives and property. It amounts to anarchy, that is not acceptable. Now we are going to let all the criminals go free? Then it will amount to being in a 3rd world country. Good luck America!

  3. Johnathan Galt says:
    1 year ago

    About time some people remember civic duty.

    Time to roll back the laws protecting looters, and to make shooting looters on sight legal again.

  4. Mark Fischer says:
    1 year ago

    I fully agree that people have the responsibility to defend their communities, but what Rittenhouse did was tactically very unwise and he is very fortunate that he wasn’t killed and that no non-combatants were shot, which is always a possibility even with trained and responsible shooters. In the dark and surrounded by an unknown number of armed hostiles who probably aren’t concerned about where stray rounds go is not where you want to be alone or even in a small group with no urban-warfare training and no logistical support. What should have happened is networking to coordinate effort, planning to put manpower where it will be most effective and logistics to keep people supplied and move them quickly. There were a lot of defenders on the streets but if they weren’t talking to each other they were very limited in their impact.

  5. Andrew says:
    1 year ago

    An article every American should read. The influence of her wonderful mother and dad is clear. Thank you, Miss Duffy. Powerful.

  6. Mike Abbinanti says:
    1 year ago

    Thank you for writing and posting this article. I’m in total agreement with you.
    I’m thankful for people like Kyle Rittenhouse and the other people who were courageous in protecting their businesses and property.

  7. Greg Green says:
    1 year ago

    Able bodied women as well. NYPost has a story of “father-daughter duo armed with AR-15s that they said were to protect the demonstrators.  “We just do security for different groups. We’re doing a favor for them,” Erick Jordan, 50, told The Post while walking alongside his 16-year-old daughter, Jade.”

  8. Matt Andersson says:
    1 year ago

    Very maturely stated. Congratulations. I would add that there is another dimension to ‘standing up and protecting,’ whose object is the political foundation (such as one in Hyde Park) and the financial syndicate that forms around them, that has, and continues, to plan, organize, underwrite and promote social division and violence: this is criminal activity at the White Collar level, but is more pernicious, institutionally embedded and “normalized” by institutional routines and roles, and thereby through such deception, able to continue largely unchallenged. One crime demands the Second Amendment, the other, the First, combined with RICO, as such underwriting foundations operate effectively as organized crime. ’96, Booth MBA

  9. uwu says:
    1 year ago

    > the left continues to smear Kyle Rittenhouse as a bloodthirsty, “Call of Duty”-playing white supremacist

    This is simply not true. A few people probably believe this, but if you had actually bothered to read talk to people on the left instead of your Federalist colleagues, there is (mostly) pretty broad agreement that Kyle Rittenhouse was a dumb 17-year-old with good intentions who got caught up in his own heroic fantasy. Of course, I don’t expect you to read or internalize this since it’s convenient for you to ignore this fact so you can continue to further your career by railing against your favorite constructed enemy, but for anyone else reading, it’s a good thing to keep in mind that “the left” is not some cartoon villain pulling all the strings but a collection of generally pretty reasonable people who may just believe different things from you.

    • uwu says:
      1 year ago

      I also find it extremely alarming that you are, essentially, advocating vigilantism in the US. Any purported student of history should be well aware of this country’s dark history of lynching and mob violence in the name of “safety” and “justice” (remember, people who took part in lynchings claimed to be defending the safety and virtue of white women). I don’t think you specifically will have much of an impact in rising vigilantism—you’ve already tacked yourself to the far right by working for the Federalist—but unfortunately for all of us, you also are a representative of an increasingly violent political right wing in general, and I fear for the future of this country if other writers begin to share your beliefs. Again, I doubt you’re going to actually read this, but if somehow you do, I’d urge you to have some perspective and understand the implications of what you are arguing for.

      • rtg says:
        1 year ago

        “increasingly violent political right wing” = gaslighting
        The “right” didn’t burn down any cities last year. The “right” didn’t stomp anyone into a bloodied heap in the street. The “right” didn’t deliberately attack a Christmas parade a few days ago. If you don’t want “vigilantism”, then enforce the law and lock these people up. If you’re not willing to do that, then don’t blame normal people for defending themselves and their communities.

        (And stop complaining about the author calling out leftist propaganda, while you defame the right.)

        • uwu says:
          1 year ago

          Well the left didn’t do these things either. The difference here is that Republican politicians have largely failed to disavow most of the violent organizations that have aligned themselves with them, and in some cases have actively courted them by echoing their rhetoric. The Proud Boys, Boogaloo Bois, 3%ers, Oathkeepers, and other such groups with dumb names like that are real, organized groups who’ve done actual damage. They’re stockpiling weapons, and are considered by people way more familiar with this than you or I (i.e. the government agencies who monitor and fight terrorism) to be real terrorist threats. The closest thing there is on the left is Antifa, but Antifa is not a single organized group that the far left rallies under but a disconnected collection of generally random people who independently decide to use the label, sort of like “the hacker group Anonymous.”

          • uwu says:
            1 year ago

            More importantly, what I’m talking about is organized violence—premeditated actions perpetrated by organized groups with the tacit backing of politicians or other powerful people—and what you’re talking about is riots, which are definitionally chaotic and unplanned. Nobody planned for the looting, rioting, or violence in Kenosha or other cities to happen; they were simply an unfortunate consequence of what started as peaceful protests. And yeah, I’ll concede that Democratic politicians were too slow to act due to political expediency, but there’s a difference between not acknowledging violence and actively encouraging it. On the other hand, the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, or the Stop the Steal rally in DC, were planned ahead of time, were supported by politicians, and while its organizers never planned to deliberately instigate violence, they very clearly knew there was a good chance it would happen given the number of people who were armed.

    • Andrew Windsor says:
      1 year ago

      The LEFT is anything but “Pretty reasonable”, reasonable people DON’T burn down city blocks & businesses & STEAL. I also note, that you didn’t condemn any of this atrocious behavior. The LEFT in general ALSO want someone to lose their careers if they disagree wit an others opinion. They ALSO DON’T have a sense of humor as they recently tried to CANCEL – Dave Chappele for some Trans jokes, that were NOT offensive & they COMPLETLEY IGNORED the face that Dave’s opener was a TRANS COMIC. Your arguments & your thoughts are deluded. I would be interested to hear your feelings on these “Reasonable people”, if it was your business or you Dads or Mums business being looted and or burned down? The LEFT has gone crazy.

  10. JUAN LAZO says:
    1 year ago

    Siempre el marxismo y toda la ideología socialista y comunista tiene como sustento teórico la lucha de clases, razas, géneros, etc. y lo ponen en práctica con actos terroristas, atacando la propiedad privada, asesinando y persiguiendo a toda persona que se oponga a sus actos vandálicos. Kyle Rittenhouse es un patriota

  11. Andrew Windsor says:
    1 year ago

    An excellent article. Filled with common sense in these, sad to say, crazy times. Very interesting that the PEOPLE, many of them, that were burning down buildings & looting have gotten off without even a slap on the wrist. President Biden should also be SUED FOR DEFAMATION, as should DON LEMON, CNN, JOY REID, MSNBC & many others. Love your work keep it up.

  12. Doug Magill says:
    1 year ago

    Well done Evita. Kyle answered a call to serve and was attacked. The rest is ideology. The left is terrified of understanding that men are designed to protect, and many lives were destroyed by the looting and violence in Kenosha. Bless him and the brave men and women who acquitted him.

  13. jaye else says:
    1 year ago

    No reason 2 sugar coat this:

    The mobs that invaded Kenosha WI – burned, looted local businesses were BLM, Antifa Communists. They behave exactly the same as the various Communist, Antifa, Anarchist mobs that terrorized central & eastern Europe 100 yrs ago. The Communists that came to power in Europe 100 years ago didn’t come to power by fair, honest elections. They took power by political violence, terrorism.

    No use trying to use reason and make deals with these Communists/Antifa. Sure, there is always some “issue” that is used to justify their riots, their mass violence.

    1 man Kyle Rittenhouse dared 2 stand up 2 these Communist Antifa mobs. Very few American GOP Conservatives in authority positions helped Kyle, none had the courage to confront the Antifa BLM Communist mobs in the streets. American Conservatives are usually too cowardly to fight and too fat to run.

    Thanks Evita & everyone else at the Chicago Thinker that dares speak the truth 2 power.

  14. 16 years does not a man make says:
    1 year ago

    Do you really think 16-year-olds are both responsible and capable enough to actually properly defend people and property with guns? 16-year-olds are barely old enough to drive (and usually only have a restricted license in most states), can’t enlist in the military, can’t own a gun, and can’t join the police. I’d like to believe that there is good reason for these age limits to exist. I find it extremely unlikely that you truly believe 16-year-olds should be armed and defending cities, and far more likely that you just picked 16 because 16 is an even number less than 17, which was Kyle Rittenhouse’s age at the time. Frankly, it’s wildly irresponsible for you to be feeding delusional teenage heroic fantasies like this.

  15. big brain says:
    1 year ago

    y’all do like reallize he was from Illinois right… like he wasn’t defending his town, he just came over because he saw violence and wanted to shoot some people.

    • jaye els says:
      1 year ago

      Hey Big Brain – what do you want a militarized, mined border between Illinois and Wisconsin? (I’m pretty sure you don’t want to have a secure border between Nogales Mexico and South Texas).

      Kyle Rittenhouse lived a very short drive from Kenosha WI and had strong family ties to Kenosha WI where he had a job as a lifeguard.

      And the Antifa/BLM mobs that invaded Kenosha WI from Chicago, IL weren’t concerned about crossing state lines.

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