And JakeStratham, you can't live your life in fear of what might happen if you protect yourself and those you love...
I agree. But I have a keen sense of real danger and benign attacks (age and experience do that to you). The episode in the video is closer to the latter.
Trust me, BluuueJammm, if the life of anyone in my immediate family was
truly threatened by an individual, I'll end the threat. I prefer to do it peacefully, but am willing to use deadly force, if necessary. I made that decision a long time ago. No different than killing a dog that is attacking my child.
The key point is determining how much force is
necessary to end a threat. An ill-placed kick delivered by an untrained 16-year-old girl is nothing. Doesn't warrant a knife to the brain or a closed windpipe. It doesn't warrant a broken nose or caved eye.
...that's a cowards way out.
This sort of thinking is over my head. Seems to address emotion and psychology rather than ending a threat (maybe I'm misunderstanding your point).
The guy in the video handled the situation beautifully. He showed grace under pressure. Perhaps he understands how situations like this can escalate down the road - even weeks later.
'These girls did not pose a real threat - not to the guy, not to the female victim, and not to her unborn kid'
Bullshit. I could take some little fucker like that wailing on me all day if I had to, but sure as fuck a pregnant teenager can't. You can have a miscarage from a lot less than being attacked by some random twats
I am familiar with miscarriages, and the many factors that can cause them. Certainly, a kick in the stomach is a danger. So, too, is stress and myriad other triggers (to your point). It is a poor acid test to determine whether a violent defense is warranted.
Keep in mind the female victim was not kicked in the stomach. Her boyfriend protected her body by placing his own between her and the others. The danger to her unborn child was minimal.
Here's the thing: some people are driven to "defend themselves" out of a desire for retribution. Others simply want to end a threat as quickly as possible. For them, emotion has nothing to do with it, and therefore retribution is off the table.
I'm in the latter camp. If I am ever forced to kill someone, the reason will be more substantial than, "I'll show that mofo who's boss!"