Use of Deadly Force

I've watched some of the media reporting of the George Zimmerman trial where he is being tried for second degree murder for shooting and killing Trayvon Martin.  Much has been said about self defense, use of deadly force and at what point it is prudent and legal to use deadly force in an altercation.

I'm here to tell you from personal experience that if a person is in a fight and his primary concern is at what point is my life threatened to the extent I can prudently use deadly force then he will get the living daylights beat out of him, or maybe even killed.  Not good options.

There are no Marquis of Queensberry rules for fighting when in a brawl.  Also, things happen so fast you don't think, you react.  There is no time to strategize.  You can't give the other guy any benefit of the doubt.  When I was in the army a guy attacked me.  I decked him.  I stood there waiting for him to get up instead of pouncing on him.  I should have run, but that wasn't manly.  He came up with a wooden brace out of a canvas cot and proceeded to flail me unmercifully.  I had the good sense to take a dive after the second lick to my head protected only by my hands which took the beating.  I had to make a parachute jump the next morning with a group of trainees.  My hands hurt so badly my fellow cadre-men had to buckle up my parachute for me.

For anyone in a courtroom to presume they know what goes through the minds of two guys in a fight is pure folly.