[jogger08152]

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I'd just shoot the f*cking dog and not worry about it... but then again, I don't claim it has some "right" against my not initiating force against it.

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You didn't intitiate anything with this dog.

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That's right, the dog initiated against him, and I guess that's the fine distinction he doesn't seem to get.

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Very fine distinction. Exactly when did it initiate?

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When it made the decision to attack and put the plan into motion, charging forward at you.

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Great, now let's talk about humans: if you buy a gun, does that indicate a decision/plan to attack me? Or rather, to express more clearly: if you decide to attack me, will that sometimes begin by buying a gun? If the answer is "sometimes", please tell me how to differentiate.

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Someone buying a gun does not indicate a desire or plan to attack you. If someone plans to attack you, they might begin by buying a gun, or by getting a kitchen knife out of the drawer, or by buying a baseball bat, or a chainsaw, or whatever. The buying of a tool (even a deadly tool) does not indicate a desire or plan to use it against you. If the guy comes at you waving his gun and shouting madly and aggressively at you, then you might have reason to think you were being attacked.

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Incorrect. You might have reason to think you were *about to be* attacked. Is "thinking you're about to be attacked" adequate justification to initiate a force transaction against someone?

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Similarly, if a home invader confronts you menacingly with a gun, you may have reason to think you are being attacked.

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Depending upon the nature of the confrontation, this can be true. Now: would it be okay to shoot him if he were walking toward your front door while carrying a gun? How about if he were walking down your street while carrying a gun? How about driving across your state line while carrying a gun? At exactly what point is it okay to initiate a force transaction against him because you feel he might be going to initiate one against you?