Seen on a bumper sticker: " I would rather be judged by twelve than carried by six ". We must normalize self defense regardless the well argued nuances mentioned in this thread. Stresses to our society will always necessitate a greater level of law enforcement and makes the point.
Agree with the sentiment that government can't protect anyone from an individual intent on doing you harm.
But in this specific case, I don't think the kids or their mother could have done much to stop the attacker -- i.e. self defense was not a valid option, at least not for the kids.
The system itself is so punitive, nobody wants to report a friend or relative short of catching them in the act. To do so can ruin the person's life and cause more problems than they had before, especially if the person is having severe financial difficulties -- as was the case here.
Maybe if going through the system was less about forced compliance and more about individualized assistance, people would be more inclined to ask for help for themselves or others. The way things are, the Cops aren't equipped to deal with people before they commit a crime, and the people who might be able to help often can't get involved due to privacy concerns.
This guy sent up flares giving us a warning, and nothing was done. If no one can stop this guy, how are they going to stop anyone who doesn't give us a clue until it's too late?
I think the answer is obvious. Just like vigilantism, when gov't is no longer expected to fix a problem, the people take it upon themselves to try. This often requires the problem solver to break the law, so the good guy is arrested while the problem is allowed to remain unchecked.