I'm sorry for the hardship you've faced and the friends you have lost to jail or death.

I don't mean to be rude but I'm over 65 and have friends and family members that have been both on the giving and receiving end of violence, as I have been myself.

I am not unaware that my experiences may be different than others, but I also have a right to expect that people should be using their brains more than their emotions when in tough or crisis situations ... if for no other reason than emotions can change on a whim vs a well-thought-through action based on facts and knowledge.