Two recent court cases highlight situations that terrify me.

Let’s start with Kyle Rittenhouse’s case. His was in all respects a clear-cut case of self-defense. I’m not going to debate his decision to be in Kenosha that night. That’s a whole ‘nuther can o’ worms. Suffice to say, it would have taken a lot more to put myself in that area. Here’s the two parts that terrify me: 1) being cut off and surrounded by angry people, and 2) then having my story rocketed to the front of national news because of the media climate at the time. The former because of the tactical situation. The latter because of its downstream impact on my life.

Then let’s take a look at the case of Andrew Coffee IV. This highlights that my fear of the police fucking up and deciding to no-knock my house. Because there have been too many episodes of police mistakes and swatting for me to consider it outside the realm of possibility. As for Mr. Coffee’s particular case, I think McThag summed it up quite well.

Whatever your feelings of how they got into their situations, both of these young men had the right of self-defense. They used that right of self-defense appropriately. And they will pay a price for it.

These are the extremes. You have been warned.