Quote Originally Posted by hollohas View Post
A pat on the shoulder as described is no different than a handshake. It was clearly meant as a friendly gesture and a refusal of hostilities (hence the laughing). You said that was worthy of hitting the man over and that you would have done the same. If you continue to say that it's ok to hit a man who pats you friendly, then I stand by my statement. If you think that a friendly pat on the shoulder is a threat of bodily injury, then I stand by my previous statement. A man who hits another man for a friendly pat is no man at all.

That is the thin veneer of civilization when you can't even give a friendly gesture to someone who is angry at you without expecting them to hit you.

What a joke.

Hollohas out.
Bingo!
Quote Originally Posted by tmleadr03 View Post
So your saying that it is easy to interpret intentions when tempers are running high and we should just assume the best of intentions from someone?

You do notice that in your hypothesis the catalyst was what? Not the name calling, but the physical contact. I am now a dead man not because I called you an asshole, but because physical contact was initiated and I miss-interpreted it. You bet my life on my ability in the heat of the moment to properly read your mind.
No need to read my mind- if my hand is balled up in a fist, and I reach back to punch, it's a threat. If my hand is open, I'm clearly in a jovial mood, and my hand does not come at you in any way menacing, you'd still hit me? There are various kinds of physical contact, and not all can be seen as threatening... unless you are Samuel L. Jackson's Mr. Glass and a harmless pat on the back could cause your rib cage to shatter. People do not need to be so damn sensitive, a pat on the back, a handshake, a friendly shoulder clap, etc. are completely different things from a punch, a kick, a judo chop, etc.