I don't start shit with anyone and I'm not going to let someone start shit with me. If someone insists that fighting me is a good idea then I'll do what I have to to change their mind about it. I agree that brandishing is bad. I also realize that as soon as I pull out my gun that the entire situation changes dramatically. That won't stop me from pulling it out to discourage some idiot drunk and his buddies from beating me up, though. You don't have to be in fear for your life to use your gun. You have to be in fear of your life OR great bodily injury. If I can walk away then naturally that will be my first choice. Sometimes they won't let you.

I watched it happen a couple of weeks ago downtown at 3 am. A couple of guys were walking through a parking lot when a bigger group of guys started shit with them. They really had nowhere to go. One of the guys in the big group started arguing with one of the other guys. A few seconds later he got jumped and beat down. It happened fast. Who knows what the whole story was. All I saw was a couple of normal looking guys try to get past a bunch of thugs in a parking lot and they got jumped for it. I couldn't help but wonder if, had I been in that situation, pulling out my gun would have been the right decision.