Out of the many arguments about the Kyle Rittenhouse case, there is one that keeps popping up in conservative circles: The 18-year-old had every right to defend himself in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that night, but he was a fool for being there in the first place.

Legally, the latter claim has no bearing on the first, which is why a jury found Rittenhouse not guilty of all the felony charges brought against him. But morally, there’s a case to be made that the practical decisions Rittenhouse made leading up to the fatal shooting of two men must be taken into consideration, especially if some on the Right are going to try to make a hero out of him. That is, at least, the argument people such as the Dispatch’s David French and former Trump communications aide Alyssa Farah have made.