Engagement

If we are engaged then we can assume all other avenues of avoidance were exhausted. Shame of that because this is the absolute last option anyone, be it civil or military, should have to resort to in ending the conflict.

Engagement for the military results from societies, both, from reaching a mutual agreement. The military reaching this end are without choice. Civilly it is often an individual choice. Both parties to a civil engagement have choices that are all their's right up to the fist meeting the chin, of one or the other that makes no difference.

In the military engagement the only governing requirements are the articles of war, the orders of superiors and the code of the warrior which is an addendum to those written articles. These usually come from a warrior's moral self-imposed requirements. When it comes to the actual engagement, i.e. one side fighting the other, the only two rules are, first to stay within all the articles, rules and orders provided and two, to make sure you do everything thing possible to not lose - to let the other guy lose for his side.

In a civil situation you have a huge weight to carry if you decide to engage in a physical action. The rules are fluid too. They change depending on the person, persons or groups that are in judgement of what occurred. I would add this includes the public as well simply because we have the ability to capture every little thing done in public and broadcasting it across all borders, boundaries and oceans to every single person on the planet who are all more than willing to express their views, opinions and outrages, valid or not. Civilly to me means if you are not training to avoid but rather to fight you would want to take a look at that strategy - it is a dangerous world out there subject to the whims of the uninitiated, ill-informed and the ignorant. Take a look as some of the daytime shows and tell me if you want those folks judging your actions, right or wrong as may be?

To engage in battle, to fight, to struggle, to quarrel, to argue, to exchange physical blows, to use weapons to cause harm. To call it what you will, fight, defend, protect or whatever it all comes down to a great big "IF" as in IF YOU ARE LUCKY you won't suffer the consequences.

All this and I would add that in a civil engagement of a violent nature your still in need to make sure you don't lose, you don't receive any more damage that absolutely necessary and that you survive - within the limits of the rules of engagement from a civilian view; legally, morally and civilly.  Once I am in the mix I do what I give myself permission to do until it is done and not a moment before but I would rather "avoid it all to begin with!"