Whom they turn into heroes says a lot.

Another example for this

This too.

Man, I’m sensing a pattern here

Not making light of or lessening the gravity of what Chauvin or Rittenhouse did, but still, a lesser of two wrongs don't make that one right.

Nice use of the objective case.

As I understand it...the Wisconsin court system ruled he (Rittenhouse) did indeed act in legitimate self defense as far as the shootings were concerned, while still convicting him of [layman's terms because I'm not a lawyer] being there with a deadly weapon in the first place?

Not a hero, sure, but also not a villain. Just sadly misguided.

Radicalized 17-year-old thug takes it upon himself to be the riot police without any training in crowd control — tragedy ensues, totally predictably.

“Self-defense” shootings often can be avoided. “Stand your ground” laws encourage brinksmanship rather than the theory of cooler heads prevailing.

Perhaps he got off of the worst charges (I didn’t keep up with this case tbh), but he should be nobody’s hero.

Oh I absolutely agree he shouldn't have been out there. I may have the vigilante number (3-7-77) in my ID, but vigilante justice is something needed only in the distant pass or maybe potential future (if s**t actually hits the fan with these threatened militia attacks in August). Kyle put himself in a BAD situation that was entirely avoidable.

My sole point is that the courts have, if I recall correctly, determined that once he was IN that situation some of his actions were justifiable in light of how the crowd reacted to his presence in turn.

Here in Montana, way back when it was the real Wild West, gangs of people known as vigilantes rose up to combat what was seen as tyranny on the part of corrupt local leaders. They'd often carve or write, "3-7-77" into the home of someone they didn't like. Nobody knows what the numbers truly stood for, but it served as a warning to the occupant that they had 24 hours to get out of town or else a lynching mob would hang them. In one of our bigger ghost towns (either Phillipsburg or Virginia City, can't recall which) you can still go see a noose they used, hanging off a rafter in a building.

Nowadays we of course outlaw actual vigilante activity, because it was rather cruel and wrong, but the vigilante spirit of never giving in to an overbearing or unjust authority is a huge part of the Montana identity. We celebrate Vigilante Day every year with parades and generally having a good time, the highway patrol uses the number as their logo, and I personally am hoping we one way make a gold 3-7-77 on a blue field the state flag.

Probably a lot more than you wanted to hear, but I'm a history nut.

That's your takeaway?

Again, nowadays it just stands for pride in being fiercely Montanan. Symbols, like words, change in meaning over time.

There is a certain irony, sure, but it wasn't an anarchist symbol or anything...just a warning to those who abuse power.

Prosecutors also want to admit evidence that Rittenhouse repeatedly punched a teenage girl during an incident on Kenosha’s lakefront the month before the August shootings.

https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/prosecution-looks-to-introduce-evidence-that-rittenhouse-is-associated-with-the-proud-boys/article_9e6a8392-9308-56d9-b56b-2e2d67ef3f15.html

Like sloth, I've not followed the case to closely because I don't really care too much about it. I just wanted to clarify points I've already elucidated on.

Let's see, one used his second amendment rights for self protection, while the other turned her back on an anthem that represented the country she supposedly competes for on a world stage.

I don't consider any one of these people as heroes, but I'll tell you which one I look at as a two-bit loser who only did what they did for self glorification.