giving them whatever they want is basically the only thing you can do - knives, firearms, brass knuckles, etc are almost always going to win (and probably leave you dying on the ground) if you start that fight.

This logic train also leads straight into 2nd Amendment arms race hellscapes too which also is... 

and actively dangerous at worst. 

If you're in a serious situation with somebody even a little bit bigger than you (even if you're trained), 9 times out of 10 the best action is   to run away as fast as you can.

And if they have any sort of weapon (which any agent of anomie is likely to have), then running away or...

Cross country is the most effective form of self-defense

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