Originally Posted by xenigo

You realize it's rather rare to hear of anyone killing someone who claimed it was NOT "self defense". The problem is that everyone seems to think their life is in danger, when they go about blasting their neighbor in the face because of their dog barking, etc. Get in an argument with someone over a parking space, get blasted in the face. Self defense? That's what they all say...

The problem with firearms is that people think they have a license to blow someone's brains out because they feel disrespected... and that loosely translates to them needing to "defend" themselves. More like needing to defend their manhood...

"Self defense" is subjective, and everyone has their own definition. I'd rather not leave my fate up to the guy who is itching to pull the trigger because he's had a bad day, or feels stressed out at work, or who's wife is about to leave him. I don't think you have to be defined as "mentally ill" to fall under the "hyper-emotional", "stressed out" or "on edge" category.

How many people have you heard yell "I'm gonna fucking kill you!" when someone drinks too much? I've certainly heard that a few times in my life. How do you stop that guy when they've got a 9mm on their hip? He has the gun legally... he's not "mentally ill"... he passed the background check. He's just really fucking pissed off that you looked at him weird when he started yelling and pushing people around in a bar... and now he's after you. He wants to protect himself from you.

He's going to "fight for his right to defend himself", and you're now his target. He's not a felon, just someone who's in a major rage at that one moment... and he's got a gun... and he's going to kill you.

He won't be showing up on any mental-illness radar. I think we all been in that guy's presence at some point or another.

This "self defense" stuff is too subjective for the general public.