On: NULL license plate not such a bright idea

[kelnos]

It's a figure of speech; when used colloquially in this manner, it has nothing to do with any kind of attack.

It just means "argue a point on principle when you know you aren't going to affect change".

[shawnz → kelnos]

It's a figure of speech which means to argue on a point of principle without regard to the cost when you know you aren't going to affect change. It absolutely doesn't make sense in the context where there's no attack. Otherwise how does the dying come into play in the analogy?