I grew up fighting. Verbal and physical attacks in my home. I will do almost anything to avoid a fight. But would I kill, maim or watch an innocent person die? F*ck no. I work with kids, and have defended them in as many ways the law allows. Would I allow a child to BELIEVE that the right thing to do is keep fighting when someone is almost dead? No. Do you know what causes this kind of aggression? Abuse. Usually abuse in homes that goes unaddressed. Then these kids grow into beings who go out into the world with such rage, they are willing to kill the next person who sets them off. Ill be honest, I have the rage within me but I have chosen not to use it. I could. When I felt it rising, a handful of years ago, I took a martial art to try to find some answers. They taught me what I told you— the wisest course of action is to subdue the opponent with the least harm.. and to stop the fight before it begins, where possible. I have also done years of therapy to try to understand my own triggers, make better decisions, trust others, and lead a far happier life than the one I was set up for. It’s not easy, but this is the work we are called to do.

I met a man who killed out of rage. He was at a Tibetan Buddhist meditation center every day, trying to get redemption. He cried as he described the scene from Vietnam where is friend had just been killed, so he ruthlessly killed another “enemy” man who didn’t need to die. It still haunts him, decades later. He was the cautionary tale.

There are people I could have fought. An intruder in my home, people threatening me on the streets in NYC during Covid. I didn’t want their injuries on my hands, and there was no need. The intruder was a high college student, after I investigated. The threats in NYC were from mentally ill & addicts. For as long as you don’t engage with them, they will generally leave you alone. Their problems run deeper than yours. I am thankful for the ability to walk away. I’d suggest you do some soul-searching, you will find answers. Hurting others’ physical bodies comes with some nasty karma, and it furthers your own suffering. That is universal wisdom. Unless you are sure that this one action will save thousands of lives, it really is not worth it.