It's not self-defence to shoot people if the only reason they're approaching you is that you pointed a gun at them or someone else and they're attempting to disarm you because it appears that you're about to shoot someone or just shot someone. Otherwise anyone with a firearm can just point it at whoever and if they react at all, have free reign to shoot them. In fact, it's illegal to point a gun at someone else in the first place unless they're already attacking you (or in some states have entered your property), and Rittenhouse pointing a gun at someone else was the trigger for the whole incident. If he'd been charged for pointing a gun at people, then the second-degree murder charge would have stuck, as self defence isn't a defence against second-degree murder (otherwise a home invader could claim self defence if they shot the homeowner when confronted).

How is it self defense when we chose to go to the protest to start shit?

Goddammit I'm so sick of people defending that piece of fucking shit. He sought to murder and he did. Not even slightly self defense.

Not from what I've been taught and learned. Lesson 1 is never put yourself in a situation you would need to use lethal force to survive. As well he wasn't hired by anyone to protect any property. The entire "self defense" argument falls apart at the start as he should have not been there at all.

Then comes the argument about "the protestors shouldn't have been there at all" and that's where I call them a CHUD, insult them further, then ignore them. Because they just showed expressing one's first amendment rights isn't a reason to be protesting.

I think the best way of putting it was "what he did was stupid, but it's not illegal to be stupid" Like yeah, he shouldn't have been there, but hindsight doesn't matter when you're on the ground getting beaten with a skateboard and all you have to defend yourself is a rifle.

He still is a POS despite it being self defence