This is where I have the slight disagreement.
For example, the hot expanding gases are what caused the bullet to come out of the barrel.
The primer igniting those gases...
The firing pin striking that primer...
The trigger releasing the hammer/striker...
A string of events all fiollowing from your volitional decision to pull that trigger. Nothing in the world "forced" you to do that - as in caused you to do it even if you did not want to do it.
My trigger finger pressing the trigger...
Now you are getting it -
you decided to do that, as opposed to some outside force making your muscles move in such a manner as to manipulate the trigger.
My need to use effective immediate self-defense...
"Need"? How come you have this "need" when the majority of the population (all those non-gun carriers/non-gun owners) does not have that "need"? You are talking about a (I hope) reasoned decision to follow a course of action that has as its logical conclusuion the defensive use of a firearm. But it is a decision many people do not make, whih makes me ask how you come to define it as a "need".
Yes, I also desire to not become dead/seriously injured if I can avoid it. And I agree that in some situations the defensive use of a firearm is an effective way to avoid becoming dead or seriously injured at the hand of someone else. But it is a desire, not a "need". (I need to eat in order to stay alive. I desire to eat pizza as opposed to eating tofu. But eating either will keep me alive.)
A bad guy presenting a clear and present deadly threat...
Again - your choice of one among many possible responses/reactions. There are, as noted above, many more people that do not select this response/reaction. Some of them select running away - and remain alive for having done that. Some select "just giving them what they want" - and remain alive for having done that.
It's not completely arbitrary, no, but it's not a simple "my fault" neither.
Actually, yes it is completely and utterly "your fault". Regardless of how reasoned or how unreasoned it was you made a decision and carried out a course of action. And that includes taking a shot that you could not guarantee would only impact the identified threat.
Felons can be charged with murder if someone dies as a result of anything happening that kills someone in the commission of their crime, even if someone else pulled the trigger on their partner.
But somehow you should not be held responsible for the bullets that you shot that hit something other than what you intended them to hit? (Do I indicate some level of sarcasm? Is it really sarcasm, as opposed to snark? I'm not sure.)
Yes, we are responsible for our bullets. I don't want my reasoning to be taken lightly. But if I have to put a hole in your car to have the most effective means of saving myself from a deadly threat, I'm going to do it and not feel bad about it, and I will argue to the court that the man I shot is additionally responsible for fixing your car.
See everything above. Be prepared to be laughed at as well as being told that line simply does not follow established legal reasoning, which happens in this case to actually follow established/accepted moral reasoning. You always had the choice not to shoot, even though you had a firearm in your hand.
Now, I might get stiffed and have to pay for it myself, and I will, but I will still argue that the bad guy is responsible.
Back when I was employed by the state prison system, I had opportunities to discuss parole application cases with the members of the Parole Board. The chairman often asked inmates this rather simple question: "If someone was holding a gun to your head and told you that if you did not commit <the crime the inmate was convicted of> they would shoot you. Under those circumstances, is there anything you could do to not commit that crime?" I never heard an inmate say that they could let themselves be shot as opposed to committing the crime. (Yes, it's a pretty crappy alternative, but it
is an alternative.) The point being that you always have alternatives. It's just that many of those alternatives result in consequences we do not want.
stay safe.
