Send a Quote Enter a brief message. SendOk2 “Detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife.” ~ Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) US Supreme Court Justice, also known as "The Great Dissenter"Source: commenting on the standards for self-defense; Brown v. United States, 256 U.S. 335, 343 (16 May 1921).