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I kinda left it open for everyone to make up their own mind on the matter. It sure opened my eyes to the fact that I'd have to be more careful in a situation like that. Comments like telling the OP to leave his gun at home just seem to insult more than teach anything.

If I were in such a position as the OP before reading this thread, I would have done something very similar. Now I won't. I learned something.

It's pure luck that the OP isn't in a huge legal mess right now. I hope he realizes that and adjusts his future actions. I was only saying it turned out all right because no one got shot and no one's sitting in a jail cell. I'm in no way suggesting that he should do it again.

There was just a certain aspect of constructive criticism missing from several posts... the constructive part.

I've been on both sides of this... asking people to quit swearing in front of my little brothers and being in a group of friends who were asked to quit swearing in front of younger children. I've also never seen a simple request for good manners turn into a verbal confrontation, let alone a fist fight. Usually the people cursing sheepishly apologize and at least make an attempt to calm it down.

Based on that personal experience, it seems some of you are being a bit harsh on the OP for not assuming that this was going to turn into a possible deadly force scenario. After being ragged on for it, I'm sure he won't make that "mistake" again.

Granted, the OP could have phrased his words better. The guy obviously wasn't mentally an adult, scolding him like a child was asking for trouble. Now he has to prove he isn't by acting more like one... ironic, but that's how it works.

If someone tried to get up in my face while I had a kid I was responsible for with me and he had several buddies, I would also start thinking that this was going south quick, despite how it got there. Would I shoot some guy in Wal-Mart for putting me on edge? No, I'd attempt to shrug it off with a, "Hey man, it was just a request, didn't mean to offend you." It's hard to look like a tough guy when your victim's apologizing. It's a way to hand him the win, use him as a teaching tool for your son later, and no one gets shot or arrested.

If he can't accept his victory and just has to beat you up, well that's his choice, and everyone gets to live with the consequences. You're at a disadvantage because engaging in a fist fight while carrying a holstered gun isn't going to be fun, and pulling that gun in this situation could arguably be worse. This thread might save quite a few people from ending up here, and so it has served its purpose.

That's why we have this forum, so we can all learn from and debate situations like this. I still say the OP made out ok on this, because he didn't draw his weapon, but he was lucky that the loudmouth didn't push the situation, otherwise we'd be hearing about this on the news.