Enough, I say you are a troll.  

Was my saying I don't mean to cause offense bothersome to you? Do you feel offended even though I said I don't mean to cause that? Or do you disagree with the facts presented in this case? Is the testimony or video evidence I shared inappropriate for this site?

I posted my comments because I believe strongly that innocent people should not be convicted. That's a major focus of this site isn't it? Is the problem that I shouldn't say I believe that this particular defendant is not guilty? You can still think so, I don't mind. Nor would I downrate you for saying so. But is saying my opinion so terrible that my comment should be erased? Many blogs are echo chambers. I didn't think this one was.

Regarding the claim "your pal" - I truly have no idea who Ironmask is. Should I? I'm pretty sure he's not even saying what I am:

[I] have sought the truth and have rejected the false characterizations presented by media hacks who are financially invested in all of us hating on each other. Let's try to rise above that.

Is that last statement the problem? Rise above the distortions and lies we've heard? Did you downrate me because I pointed out the media has been dishonest and you don't want that said on this site? I don't downrate people who believe what they're told even if I think it's incorrect, a distortion or outright dishonest.

I said it to help create community cohesion by understanding the false divisions based on untrue media declarations. Having seen the court evidence, I realize that the false media claims and characterizations not just wrong, they're divisive and getting in the way of us joining together to prevent another tragedy like this. How can we work together if I'm not allowed to say I think the main problem is the violence at our protests?

BLM protests were overwhelmingly peaceful.

Not that he "deserved" to be shot, only that his history and violent past help make sense of what happened that night.

Given Rosenbaum's temperament and violent history as a pedophile, it's not surprising that he would seek conflict at a riot and exhibit dangerous behavior that night. It's important to understand who he was because it affects his choices, his calling Kyle a F@cking N-word, his declaration that he was going to kill Kyle and others, his choice to attack Kyle and his dangerous attempt to grab Kyle's rifle. If people are unwilling to learn about and understand what happened that night, preferring to continue to promote dishonest memes, we won't be able to prevent future tragedies.

"KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) -- The first man shot by Kyle Rittenhouse on the streets of Kenosha was "hyperaggressive" that night, threatened to kill Rittenhouse and later lunged for his rifle just before the 17-year-old fired, [prosecution] witnesses testified Thursday."

Much as it seems like a simple solution to just tell people not to bring weapons to protests to protect residents and property, until we get the police to do their jobs and stop the violence, we'll continue to see concerned citizens fill the void left by police, mayors and governors who fail to protect us. Portland burned for months. I bet the FBI has videos of every rioter who committed violent crimes in Oregon, Kenosha and elsewhere. Why haven't those dangerous criminals been arrested, charged and convicted? That is unacceptable. Until the Left steps up and demands an end to the violence, the wingnuts will continue to point out how foolish we are. What's everyone afraid of? It's not racist to demand anti-racism protests be allowed to occur without rioting.

I get it that some folks will refuse to seek the truth and continue pushing already disproven memes:

"he traveled to Kenosha with a Loaded AR-15"

Pssttt...

1. The rifle was bought and always remained in WI.
   
2. "Traveling to Kenosha" was a frequent occurrence for Kyle since he's worked there (20 minute commute) and his father, uncle, cousins, friends and coworkers all lived there. Kenosha was Kyle's community in every sense of the word. On the other hand, a lot of people traveled from across the country to protest and/or riot in Kenosha, Portland and other cities causing millions of dollars in damage. Does that help people of color when our local government resources are sucked up paying for the damage?  
   
3. Weapons are loaded after they're brought to the location they're needed for protection, not before.
   
4. AR-15 is essentially a trigger word for those who are uncomfortable and unfamiliar with weapons. The rifle was a Smith and Wesson, not a Colt. No matter, the point is that there are much more dangerous weapons out there and they are owned by people who should never be allowed anywhere near a gun. From the good sense Kyle showed in not shooting Grosskreutz when his hands were up in the air, I'm going to say Kyle is not one of the nutcases we have to worry about. Grosskreutz, on the other hand, brought an unregistered gun to a protest and hid it in his clothes in violation of concealed handgun laws. That's a very dangerous thing to do and I hope he's never allowed to purchase a gun in the future.

Look, people like me are willing to identify, assess and help mitigate the nonsense on both sides. My comments here are an attempt to draw others into the habit of disregarding the divisive, inaccurate, dishonest memes and seek the truth so we can create in a more sane, compassionate world.

So please stop maligning me with nonsensical interpretations of what I've written here:

"you'd like to give him a cup of cocoa"

I realize youth like Kyle can be manipulated into attempting something they might not be mature enough to handle. Yet he handled himself remarkably well. He didn't obtain an illegal gun or "brandish his rifle" as corporate media still claims. (Lookin' at you npr/NYT). He wisely retreated when crazy malevolent Rosenbaum tried to attack him. In spite of how terrifying that must have been (yep, I've been there, done that trying to escape violent angry men myself, which might be why I understand Kyle's self defense actions) Kyle only turned to defend himself when he was cornered and after he heard a gunshot. After having to use legal force to protect himself, he went to find the police. When other men attacked him, and granted, they might have thought he had done something wrong, he did not shoot anyone until one chaser had hit him in the head with a brick, he stumbled to the ground and the next man (Freeman) kicked him in the face, then Huber smashed him in the head with a skateboard while he was down, resulting in Kyle shooting Huber in another completely legal self-defense action. That shot caused the fourth man chasing him, Grosskreutz, to stop in his tracks and raise his hands to show he was unarmed. After all of that head slamming and the terror those attacking men must have caused him, Kyle still very responsibly lowered his rifle upon recognizing that Grosskreutz was not a threat at that moment, only bringing it back up when Grosskreutz pulled out his illegal Glock loaded with a bullet already in the chamber and rushed Kyle pointing his handgun at his head. Once again, it was a completely reasonable, sensible and legal act of self-defense when Kyle shot Grosskreutz in the arm that was pointing the loaded handgun at his head.

The reason I point out these details is because they matter. After a year of misinformation from corporate-owned media, good people like you still believe Kyle violated the law. And many people don't understand that the other people involved that night had violent criminal histories and issues that affect the terrible choices they made that night. Instead of hating on some kid like Kyle who got duped into protecting a rich man's property, we can choose to understand what actually happened, ensure the police do their jobs properly so private citizens don't have to step up to help, and break down the barriers between our side and those who will continue to make us look bad when we repeat false memes and act with derision instead of compassion and understanding. The more that folks on our side repeat false memes on this or any of the other contentious issues that seem to have completely different scripts on each side of the divide, the more we loose the attempt to win over and keep voters.