ok... that 3 stike law.... seriously not cool.... lame.... totally lame...
sure, most of the time it probably does identify true habitual offenders - but what about the other times that some poor sap gets caught in the crossfire?.... well, like this (the OP's story) for example.
Oh that is nothing, you should see when they give someone 3 strikes for a single act that they stack on multiple charges for.
Technicaly you could go away for life for pulling your gun out on someone because you feel in danger and never even firing it. Assault with a deadly weapon, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a deadly weapon, and a dozen others.
Then there is other times where someone does something 20-30 years prior, and the strike is retroactively applied for something minor later on. In fact strikes can even be counted for offenses in other states, whether they were more or less severe in that state.
There is also no judicial discretion. Thier descretion is in charging in the first place, if someone is found guilty the 3 strikes law is mandatory and even if the judge feels it is a load of bull they must apply it.
CA puts more people in prison than any other state, has some of the strictest laws in the nation, and yet you are still more likely to be the victim of crime in CA than in most other states.
So the normal rhetoric you hear does not add up. The "well its because they only give them a slap on the wrist". The real reason is cultural.