Just wanted to post this again....
Have you ever had a stick swung at your head? Even if it misses, you can't understand what its like unless you're in that situation.
My opinion of the matter is - Stafford swung first. At that point he gave up all his rights. If i'm involved in a confrontation with someone and they use a weapon as force against me, i don't care what the rules say, i'm protecting myself however i can do it at the time. In this scenario, Perez looked like he naturally reacted to swing Stafford took. Perez's act was more of a defensive stance by going on the offensive, IMO. Was it the brightest decision he could make? No. But how is he supposed to gage that at that point in time? Instincts kick in, right or wrong.
That being said, i believe the league was right in giving out a long suspension, because these guys are still not getting the point. But i find it ridiculous, that the player who took the first swing, connecting or not, only receives a handful of games.