But that's the thing. "Unreasonable force" is a subjective term that could mean anything or nothing. Unfortunately, when you're being attacked, you don't have time to sit down and list all the possible courses of action. So instead, the best course of action for many people would seem to be to just sit and be a victim.
Good for you. I was raised in a family that encouraged us to do the same. We've never shied away from talking to government officials if we had something important to say, and neither should anyone. They are public servants but they can't read minds.