Going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. My post was sarcastic in tone but feeling compelled to run over people has to be justified by a genuine fear of harm. However, like CCW guidelines underscore, even if it is a”good shoot,” your life is still going to be turned upside down and the best course of action is avoiding those situations if possible. Same with the car, if turning right takes you into/toward the demonstrators, it is prudent to turn left and circle around.
However, this strategy assumes (wrongly) a level of civility not currently in evidence among the demonstrators.
In fact, the current wave of demonstrations make a mockery of the term “peaceful protest.” The term from the Ist Amendment is “peacefully assemble to petition their government for redress of their grievances.” Even when “peaceful” (according to MSM), these mobs are filled with people full of violence looking for any excuse to cut loose on persons and property they dislike. That is why there is never a peaceful dispersal at the end of these demonstrations. Instead, there are always bands of rioters intent on using the cover of the crowd and concealment of masks to give anonymity to their crimes.
The last large “peaceful assembly to petition their government etc.” was the pro 2A rally held in Richmond earlier this year where thousands of armed gun owners descended on the capital in an open carry protest of the restrictions on firearm ownership planned by the new Democrat-controlled Virginia state legislature. Alarmed, the legislature hastily passed a law barring non-LEO carry of weapons on the capital grounds.
Unlike the current crop of demonstrators, the pro 2A demonstrators obeyed that law even though it frustrated their protest activities. Thousands of armed individuals still moved freely about the capital without incident. Apparently, having all those weapons in one place didn’t result in some sort of critical mass of spontaneous violence. Maybe guns are just inanimate objects after all ( much to to obvious disappointment of MSM).
As I recall there were some hot heads that ended up being arrested for threats. (Wasn’t there suspicion at the time of a “false flag” operation by anti 2A provocateurs?)
Otherwise, the gun rights supporters peacefully assembled, petitioned/protested, and peacefully departed. They even picked up their trash.
I accept your disagreement and counter with the following:
Forgetting for a moment that I work under the reality that we are at war (see tagline). With that said, allow me to apply another example that may give this scenario a better understanding:
One evening, outside my home, I see persons with faces covered with pointy hats yelling obscene words that can be held from my family. All legal since they are not on my property, but on the sidewalk. There, the also attempt to burn some wood fashioned together as a Christian Cross.
A few moments later, this ‘peaceful protest’ ends after metal ordinance joins the protest at about 1200 feet-per-second. Remain survivors (if any) will testify they were acting peaceably which is their right under the First Amendment.
My defense will be “…I was in fear of my life and that of my family due to my skin color and pass history of such ‘peaceful’ protests….”
Yeah, I’d take my chance in court with that.
Now, let’s take this today’s battle field: While driving down Interstate Hwy X with my family, I suddenly see a crowd of ‘peaceful protesters’ in the middle of the highway causing all sorts of commotion. Yes, they have been known to do this. In the case of any divided highway, making a U-turn is difficult or impossible. I slow down; stop. I cannot backup because of traffic and/or other protesters behind me. In short, there is no escape. I am now “in fear of my life”.
It is at this point where my concern is not the law, but safe exodus of myself and family. To coin a phrase at this point: MY LIFE MATTERS. I honestly would not be able to testify as to how many may have been injured or worse from my escape, but at least I would be around to testify, and my family would be safe.
You see, my defense would be: “…I was in fear of my life and that of my family due to pass history of such ‘peaceful’ protests….” .
Bottom line: If you can avoid such areas, you are much wiser to do so, but if not, the adrenaline in you may cause you to redefine a ‘peaceful protest’ based on what going on around you at that moment, and who/what may be in the vehicle with you at the time.
... and THAT is the point I’m making.
Your counter argument is welcome.