A Reality Check for Progressives on the Rittenhouse Case

Among the most interesting aspects of the Rittenhouse case has been the reaction of Progressivism, Inc. Judging from social media posts, many progressive commentators believe that Mr. Rittenhouse was clearly a villain even before he shot anyone, because anyone who would come armed to a riot claiming to want to help protect the community from rioters is almost certainly a violent white nationalist using the riot as an excuse for vigilantism. It's not possible that someone like Rittenhouse was motivated by a sense of community responsibility, duty, or other praiseworthy ends.

I have not followed the Rittenhouse case itself very closely, and I have no special insight into what was going on in his mind at the time. But having authored an article on armed self-defense during the riots of summer 2020, I know that the stereotype that many progressives have of those who engaged in such actions is wrong. Consider ground zero of the riots, Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed (from my article, which has the footnotes):

In the city's Lake Street neighborhood—which was at the heart of recent riots—restauranteur Cesia Baires formed Security Latinos De La Lake, a group of gun-toting locals dedicated to protecting the area's Latino community. Baires' group was one of many armed neighborhood watches that sprung up in the Twin Cities. It's not something that I would want," Baires told MPR, "but . . . we were left alone. . . . There were no cops that would come around. So what are we to do? Just stand there and do nothing?"