@wundayatta In war we have two things going on. As a member of the military, you take a solemn oath to defend your country. When you are in war and kill, you are doing your duty—acting on that oath—following lawful orders. So it’s easy to push the responsibility for pulling the trigger off onto others. And on top of that, there is the very real truth that the guy in your cross-hairs would smoke you in a heartbeat if he had a bead on you first. It really is kill or be killed, and killing is your job.
@Sunny2 I came withing a hair’s breath of killing a young man who forced my door open while there was a disturbance going on out in the street. There were a bunch of teens and young adults hollering, throwing rocks to break out street lights, and generally destroying property in the street outside my place. I lived in a duplex that generally had the front door open till late at night. This was in the 1960s, and life seemed much safer then.
When I heard the ruckus arise, I pulled out my M1 Carbine, put in a full clip, and chambered a round. I sat back down in the living room with the rifle across my lap, hoping there would be no need to use it. Then I heard the front door to the duplex open. I swiveled the weapon toward the door, and in a moment, a young man perhaps 22 pushed the door open. I leveled the rifle at his head. Before I had to fire, he has to presence of mind to say, “Oops. wrong apartment. Sorry! He quickly exited and the commotion in the street almost immediately came to a halt.
I am grateful it worked out as it did. But if he had taken any menacing movement toward me and my family, I’d have unloaded a full clip into him just to be sure. I don’t “like” killing. I disapprove of the death penalty. But when it comes to protecting innocent people from monsters, the monsters die.
@Lightlyseared You realize that’s an admission you would commit premeditated murder for profit. The Koch Brothers might be happy to find a job for you.
@WillWorkForChocolate I can follow and agree with both those sentiments.
@Blu Welcome to Fluther. Thanks for an honest answer. I know what I’m capable of only because I’ve been in the position. We really act without much conscious thought. You’re quite right that if you have never been there, you probably don’t know what you would do.
@WestRiverrat Same here. Unless they manage to get off the first shot, they are dead.
@josie I’d see yours and raise you one. If they are trying to kill me, my loved ones, or a bunch of innocent people I’d feel no reservation in taking them out.
@ragingloli Could you explain that. Are you saying that nobody ever breaks into a house armed and willing to kill the occupants to steal what they can find there. Clearly, that is not true. And while the exact terrorist scenarios I detailed as hypothetical have not happened yet, plenty of situations have occurred where the carnage was less, but the basic premise was the same.
@tinyfaery The only qualm I might have is if I found the intruder was unarmed and probably posed no threat to the life and limb of my family. So long as I knew they were armed and dangerous, I would waste them in a heartbeat, and never look back.
@woodcutter You have the right to use deadly force in self defense and also in defense of other human beings. In some states, it’s even legal in defense of your property. Personally, I’d not kill to stop a thief I knew posed no threat to me or others.
@janbb Me too.
@athenasgriffin If you would kill in self defense, then in both of my mad bomber scenarios, you could use that to justify pulling the trigger. If you had a mad bomber in your sights, you would be withing his kill radius. But I’m a bit surprised by the idea you would kill to protect yourself, but let a madman kill millions including himself rather than have his blood on your hands.
@SpatzieLover Unless you are an incredibly skilled marksman, you had best take a kill shot if someone is armed and ready to use deadly force against you. No point in you both dying.
@Coloma In the instance I related above when I was almost required to use deadly force, it was pure reaction. I hadn’t thought through a bit of it. I’m just glad I didn’t blast away before giving the kid a chance to back off.
@LittleLemon Thanks for an honest, soul-searching answer.
@augustlan From past experience, I absolutely know I could and would.
@digitalimpression Thanks.
@bewailknot Thanks.
@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard My take, exactly.
@Blueroses Again, My take exactly.
@lillycoyote & @Blueroses I live on a very crowded street in downtown Boston. Don’t even get me started on rouge car alarms! :=)
@Symbeline If you couldn’t do it, I’d do it for you.
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