Again, the issue here is not threatening harm against those threatening them, it's with threatening (and indeed, actively perpetuating) harm against uninvolved third parties.
Punching back the guy who punched you? Understandable. Lobbing a molotov cocktail into the kitchen, pointing at the guy who punched you and declaring "Look what he made me do! You better stop him!" to onlookers? Completely unhinged.
