Confident big man had his hands down both times he approached. Whups. That's a good bleed. I always heard 30 seconds to unconsciousness from opening a carotid artery. Dude was down in 12.
I often joke that people here have a Garden of Eden innocence because serious violence is so rare. They put themselves into situations without thinking. A few weeks ago a guy died from a knife wound after he chased a bicycle thief. What did he think was going to happen when he catches up to a guy pumping adrenaline?
Few weeks ago a woman told me a pearl clutching tale of elderly friends who went camping and some aboriginals tried to steal their generator off the trailer. So the husband got out of the car to discuss it and shoo them off. And they kicked his old ass. Isn't that shocking? Uh, no. Thieves being willing to engage in violence is totally predictable and your friend is a naive fool. Welcome to reality.
Three nights ago, I was working late, alone on a building site. After dark, with a headlamp. Up the hill, I notice a vehicle pull up next to my truck so I go outside and walk up the hill to investigate. The dude is taking pictures of my truck. I say hello from a long way off so I don't startle him. Immediately, it's what do I think I'm doing there, am I stealing things, etc. I explain politely I'm doing the drywall, have worked for the builder for 20 years, its all good, etc. The whole time I'm approaching him with a headlamp on that basically blinds people. The guy never seems to believe that I'm working there, remains rude and accusatory, but let's me get within two feet of him. Theres no one else around. It's after dark at the side of an unlit road, and he seemed convinced I was a thief. What if I was a thief? What if I decide I need to get those pics he just took? Duh. He was not built for conflict and he let someone he thought was up to no good get right up on him, he can't hardly see me, nothing in his hands (at his sides) but a phone, all by his lonesome in the dark. I saw the light bulb come on over his head once I was right in front of him. "Oh, this person could touch me." I told him to go home and call the police if he didn't like my story.
I guess you could argue I was risking a situation but whatever. It's my truck. It wasn't even his house.
Your Lockean intuitions serve you well, man of both thought and action.
From Second Treatise of Government (
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7370/7370-h/7370-h.htm)
CHAPTER. III.
OF THE STATE OF WAR.
Sect. 16. THE state of war is a state of enmity and destruction: and therefore declaring by word or action, not a passionate and hasty, but a sedate settled design upon another man’s life, puts him in a state of war with him against whom he has declared such an intention, and so has exposed his life to the other’s power to be taken away by him, or any one that joins with him in his defense, and espouses his quarrel; it being reasonable and just, I should have a right to destroy that which threatens me with destruction: for, by the fundamental law of nature, man being to be preserved as much as possible, when all cannot be preserved, the safety of the innocent is to be preferred: and one may destroy a man who makes war upon him, or has discovered an enmity to his being, for the same reason that he may kill a wolf or a lion; because such men are not under the ties of the common law of reason, have no other rule, but that of force and violence, and so may be treated as beasts of prey, those dangerous and noxious creatures, that will be sure to destroy him whenever he falls into their power.
Sect. 17. And hence it is, that he who attempts to get another man into his absolute power, does thereby put himself into a state of war with him; it being to be understood as a declaration of a design upon his life: for I have reason to conclude, that he who would get me into his power without my consent, would use me as he pleased when he had got me there, and destroy me too when he had a fancy to it; for no body can desire to have me in his absolute power, unless it be to compel me by force to that which is against the right of my freedom, i.e. make me a slave. To be free from such force is the only security of my preservation; and reason bids me look on him, as an enemy to my preservation, who would take away that freedom which is the fence to it; so that he who makes an attempt to enslave me, thereby puts himself into a state of war with me. He that, in the state of nature, would take away the freedom that belongs to any one in that state, must necessarily be supposed to have a design to take away every thing else, that freedom being the foundation of all the rest; as he that, in the state of society, would take away the freedom belonging to those of that society or commonwealth, must be supposed to design to take away from them every thing else, and so be looked on as in a state of war.
Sect. 18. This makes it lawful for a man to kill a thief, who has not in the least hurt him, nor declared any design upon his life, any farther than, by the use of force, so to get him in his power, as to take away his money, or what he pleases, from him; because using force, where he has no right, to get me into his power, let his pretense be what it will, I have no reason to suppose, that he, who would take away my liberty, would not, when he had me in his power, take away every thing else. And therefore it is lawful for me to treat him as one who has put himself into a state of war with me, i.e. kill him if I can; for to that hazard does he justly expose himself, whoever introduces a state of war, and is aggressor in it.
