When SHOULD you use Lethal Force?

This article is intended for people who own (and particularly those who carry) firearms. It may also give some insight into the proper mindset of a responsibly armed citizen who does not own a gun or even understand conceptually the idea that there are millions of people who do carry guns eery day for the purpose of personal defense. While there are certainly extremists on both sides of the Gun Rights Issue in the United States and around the world, I think most people live in the middle ground. Many people have no well thought out political position on the topic. I think it is important for the undecided to hear from responsible gun owners and about the responsible use of arms as defensive tools.
Many people wonder what the law says about whether or not they can use a firearm to defend themselves or their families. While that certainly is an important question, it is not the most important question in regard to the use of lethal force. You do need to know what your local laws are about owning, storing and carrying firearms and you need to follow them!
But, in the moment of a defensive situation, when you’re faced with a lethal threat and you have the means to defend yourself, the question isn’t “Can you use lethal force?”, it’s always going to be “Should you use lethal force?”
Legal concepts like “stand your ground” and “castle doctrine” exist to protect those who righteously and appropriately defend themselves, not to expand opportunities for people to use defensive firearms. I believe that gun shop wisdom in regard to jurisdictions where you can use lethal force to protect property under certain circumstances do more harm than good to both individuals and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in general.
You should only use your firearm when you need to, to protect yourself or someone you care about from grave harm or death. It really is that simple. Don’t use your firearm to defend property. Don’t use your firearm to scare someone that might be a potential threat. If you have the opportunity to avoid conflict, to de-escalate a situation, to evade a threat or to barricade yourself from the threat to delay conflict, it’s what I think your responsibility to do is. Ultimately if you take any of those steps, but then ultimately need to defend yourself or your family with a gun, it’s going to be much more obvious to anyone that investigates the situation that you did everything you could to avoid using lethal force. Avoiding that act, and the aftermath that comes with it, should be high on the priority list for all responsible gun owners.
If you aren't a currently a gun owner, it is important that you understand that the vast majority of armed people who want to be safer are constantly thinking about avoiding conflict and using many strategies and techniques to avoid the need to use their gun.