How Guns Twist the Logic of Self-Defense Laws
Wisconsin’s open-carry rule will help Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse make his case.
The trouble begins when you start applying the legal rules to someone in Rittenhouse’s situation, namely, someone who has carried an AR-15-style weapon to what is intended to be a peaceful protest. In a commonsense universe, this act itself would appear to be a provocation.
Yet under Wisconsin law, adults are entitled to carry around their licensed firearms in public places. An open-carry law means that prosecutors would have a tough time convincing a jury that simply carrying an assault rifle counts as a provocation.
The density of errors here is breathtaking.