I try to keep some type of weapon - lethal or non-lethal - on me most of the time.    Wishful thinking says I won't have to ever use them. However, with all the tension that Ferguson and other incidents have caused, in combination with the general mentality of the days, I'm concerned that a successful incident of self-defense might have the potential to be twisted into a hate crime.    I assume invoking the 5th Amendment until speaking to a lawyer is preferable?    What other precautions can someone take to avoid having their self-defense misconstrued?