Could you kill a person?

[FolkLikePanda]

Some people I'd like to kill, its the getting into trouble and being thrown into prison thing that makes me not want to do it. I don't think I would have any moral problems because the people I want to kill are complete tossers but then again if I did I probably have to feel some guilt due to the victims family.

 

[Sosabowski]

All of you on this page who have a live and let live attitude on this page are as capable of taking another mans life as I am. I have.
The irony is that it is your social circumstance that allows you to think this in the first place. As an ex squaddie I was deployed in Iraq, the former Yugoslavia and then Iraq again and I used to think like this too. I was then subjected to sights that the most graphic of horror writers couldnt comprehend. Things done to women and children by young men who have mothers, wives and children of their own. Callous and without thought for anothers life.
Did they believe they were right in their actions? Yes.
Religion? Sometimes.
Social circumstance? Always.
Problem is that the world isnt rosy and when people watch the worlds troubles through a TV screen and enact their bravery through the media of gaming they become complacent enough to think that troubles in real life are not going to affect them personally.
Ultimately, it is your personal circumstances that allows you to be a pacifist. The human animal is not a pacifist. It is confrontational and warlike. Terratorial and possesive. Just remember back to when you were a child and never knew it was wrong to hit another child because he or she had a toy that you wanted to play with. Maybe you were on the receiving end of this innocent violence. Why do you know its wrong now? Because your social circumstance taught you this.
It was a good question by the OP. Unfotunately some people on here have dealt with it in a very immature, obvious and flippant way.

 

[wax88]

Yes actually, if it's justified/warranted. i wouldn't hesitate to kill if i needed to. Not even pause to think. Yeah, military training does that to people...

 

[James Crook]

If I were told to pick up a gun and shoot right dead some guy like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, bin Laden or Al Capone, or ranging up in these levels of douchebaggery, I'd do it.

 

[Griffolion]

Could you you kill a person? Could you both mentally and physically bring yourself to end a life? And if you did, would you be able to live with guilt over it, no matter what sort of person you killed?

I would never be able to do it, I wouldn't be able to live with guilt, and I deeply fear if it will have consequences in the afterlife (not trying to start religious debate).

No matter what side they're fighting for, or whether they're a good or bad person, I just wouldn't be able to do it.


Also, by 'could' I mean, could you make yourself do it? As in, WOULD you?

I don't want to, but I can't guarantee ever that I won't. The same applies for everyone.

 

[Woeps]

Probably not but if I have to save my own life(or that of a person close to me) I maybe can

 

[Kl4pp5tuhl]

If I was told for example, to kill the Norwegian Shooter as an act of justice, I wouldn't.

I'd drag him to court.


...except he won't need his arms and legs there.

(Yes, I've got Norwegian relatives, can you tell?)

There's a great movie about this topic called Vortex. Could be up on YouTube.

 

[-Torchedini-]

Depends on motivation and relation to the person.

But I could do it, and if I realize what I've done Im eiter in a psychiatric institution or running around like a mad man.
So yay for blissfull ignorance if I ever kill somebody
Thats with no good reason.
If I have a good reason, yes I could kill.

 

[Vykrel]

sure, if i had a good reason to. like if someone put Anders Breivik in front of me and gave me a hand gun and a free pass, i could take him out.

and i dont think there would be any change in my character afterwards. i realize that people are basically just animals, so i would have no problem killing someone who is a TRUE animal.

 

[Whispering Cynic]

Yes. I'd have to have a good reason for it... like self preservation. If someone attempts to kill me I am perfectly comfortable with ending their lives.

Come to think of it, I feel I am capable of doing pretty much anything, given a sufficiently good and rational reason...

 

[Dominic Burchnall]

It the purely mechanical sense, yes. I know the weak points on a human body to kill quickly and with minimum danger to myself.

Ethically, it would be dictated by the situation. Could I kill someone I knew personally? No. Would I kill for money? No. Would I kill if someone was threatening people I cared about with lethal force, or meant them permanent harm? Yes. In that situation, I would have no qualms about killing that person. They threatened people I love, and if it is a choice between sparing their life or saving my friends'/familys', then there is no choice at all.

Just as a point in clarification, when I say I could not kill for money, I mean in the sense of in a civilian envionment. If a war broke out and I was conscripted, or I joined the armed services voluntarily, then I would kill, but it would sit very heavily on my concious. If wounding or maiming was an option, I would prefer to wound or maim.

 

[Adrian Botha]

To protect my family or close friends yes, if someone raped or killed my little sister id do it and i wouldnt feel guilt for it,

Beyond that no i wouldnt take a life, not for money, not for any other reason than those two above

 

[CLC Akira]

Depends on the situation. If myself, family, or other were in danger and killing the person that was going to kill them would keep them out of harms way. Hell ya I would

 

[Sparrow]

Probably. Of course, I've never been in that situation before. When it comes down to it I'm not sure if I would or if I wouldn't.

 

[Alssadar]

Probably not, but if it's a matter of life or death-I might.
Most likely, I'll run away.

 

[BodomBeachChild]

Probably. especially in self-defense. But on a "could you, would you" only without justificition, yes.

 

[Blow_Pop]

Depends. Is my life in danger? Because if my life is in danger then yes I could. They break into my house? Yes I could. Someone randomly walking down the street? Na.

 

[Darkwolf22]

Yes.

 

[Jegsimmons]

cold blooded murder? probably not, but not impossible
self defense? oh sure. easy as pie.
war? yep.
manslaughter or accident? nope.i would be guilt stricken.
getting paid for an assassination? depends on who it is and what they did to deserve it. personal politics come into play...not that i take hit jobs, im just saying hypothetically.

 

[chuckman1]

I am capable of killing a person, and I should know, becease I tried.

When I was little I had to take Ritalin to keep me focused, but there was a side effect, I had a horrible temper. I was incredibly impatient and very quick to piss off. There were periods when I went absolutely berserk, and I would not remember anything because I would black out during the episode.

When I was in third grade, there was an incident in which I did go berserk, but I vaguely remember what I did. I was in the after school program getting ready to leave, I was in horrible mood, more so than I usually was, and a girl insults me. I don't remember what she said but it was the straw that broke camel's back. As soon as she said it I whipped around and proceded to try and strangle her, with a pipe cleaner that was lying around. I got dragged away by the councelors, and was immediately taken off the Ritalin.

After taking me off it I have become a much more patient, kind, compassionate person.

I try not to get angry, because I know what I'm capable of.

Ya Cocaines a hell of a drug (ritalin is cocaine 4 the kiddies).

OP: Hmmm definetely in a life or death situation like shooting someone who was gonna stab me.
Innocent person no I couldnt,someone who probably should be dead no for fear of repercussions, someone who's raped a family member probably if it was in the act of it then again I'd probably do that to pretty much any would-be rapist.