But it's really about “free speech” if you suggest that being able to legally say a word doesn't permit you to pick fights with people angry about you saying that word.
If I wanted to go on a safari and didn't have a post history of wanting to turn minorities into pepperoni. Say walk into a bar and say nigger to the bar tender in conversation. And then a black tries to attack me that is a better legal standing for self defense approaching true self defense.
A 3rd party tried to attack me for something that was not directed towards me they tried to attack me from behind and I defended myself.
Now if we add in factors say I am strolling down the street and pass a melanated gentleman and loudly call out out of my way you pavement ape and he starts a fight that begins to muddy the waters with the legal concept of true self defense. Because you are instigating a hostile interaction. Say the gentleman was white and you casually throw in choice words about his wife or calling him a mouth breathing missing link Neanderthal. If he chooses to escalate that is you causing escalation.
If we add on another layer and say I am walking in front of someone and choosing to insult his honor and color coordination blocking his path. That almost gets rid of self defense entirely if he is unarmed. But if someone records the interaction of you stepping in someone's way while instigating that would most likely become murder.
True self defense in law in a iron case can still bring you to court say that a methed out tweaker tries to hit you in the head from behind and you have no history with them and have not shared a single word and you blow a hole through his CNS it can still be disputed because a hostile prosecution saying "well you shouldn't have had that spirited walk through tweaker ally at 4pm in the afternoon."
Self defense law is extremely case by case basis and factors all throughout the scenario have effects on the outcome. Location, time, social media history, personal outward disposition, locations of shots that where fired, what ammo you are using how scary does your gun look, is it a modified firearm?
So when you look at the overhead outlook of the case a armed man who regularly talked about wanting to make room temperature joggers was loudly shouting nigger to a poor combat veteran. Pointing a camera in his face then recklessly fires in a uncontrolled fashion to the point he shoots himself it does not look like a sunny outlook for our dear chud.
Here is a case where a man shot a nuisance streamer and didn't get convicted of attempted murder but instead got a reckless discharge of a firearm.