I'm not making assumptions, you just missed my point, which was there was no reason for the cop to feel the need to have a gun on him to feel "secure" in that situation. It is an example of the paranoia I'm referring to.

As a said ford, it is very rare for someone to just start crap for no reason. If someone is trying to fight with you, then you very likely did something to provoke the situation, thus is is hard to argue it is "unwarranted" or that you are a "victim".

and someone wanting to hurt you doesn't give you the "right to do anything". This is a disproportional response that is highly egocentric, as it places very high value on your convenience and very little in the lives of others.

"you are talking about someone's right to live, despite the fact that they dont care about the victim's right to not get injured" -- you speak as though as rights are equal. they are not. The right to live greatly supercedes ones right to not sustain temporary injury.

As for your situation where you were stabbed. A knife isn't a fist fight, there is far more justification to draw a gun in that situation as I agree a knife is life threatening. That is an apples to oranges comparison.

However, I was always taught in Martial Arts that your first and best option should always be to flee. Get out of the situation and avoid the escalation. It is ridiculous that so many people's first "go to" is use of lethal force and then will argue "stand your ground, I had the right to draw and fire". It isn't about what you had the right to do, it is about what is the right thing to do.

I have the right to protest it doesn't' mean I'm going to exercise it every possible moment I could.