Could you kill a person?

[ZeroChan]

If it was for myself, then no, I couldn't. But if someone put my loved ones in mortal peril, I'd kill them personally.

It'd fuck me up afterwards, for sure. I'd end up thinking about all the people who might've cared about that person I hurt, and how they might've done the same as me if they'd seen what I was about to do...

I don't know if anyone has the right to decide who lives and who dies.
I just know that my protective side is strong enough to override that belief, if only temporarily.

 

[Pistachio101]

Yes, I would think that, given the right situation, everyone would be able to kill someone. As for living with myself after it. I don't have a clue, it would depend so much on why and how I killed the person.

 

[manic_depressive13]

Hang on. Let me find a gun and a hobo, and I'll get back to you.

Edit: Turns out I'm too white, Australian and middle class, so I could find neither. I suppose that makes it a "No". However, this is largely due to the fact I've been denied access to games such as Mortal Kombat and L4D2. I'm certain that the moment I am exposed to such filth I will immediately become a crazed murderer. Furthermore, unemployment rates will rise and society will descend into chaos and anarchy. We might even end up like England.

Spoiler: Anarchy

 

[Agarth]

Sure, I could do it and live with it. Well, I mean, if I had a reason like he's trying to kill me or If I was a soldier in war... Or if it's a video-game so it's completely consequence free. Hell, if someday I just went kill-crazy and murdered everyone at work I could then join some sort of assassin organization, or mafia, or something. You get used to killing AND you get payed extremely well for it. The only difficulties would be A. Getting away from the cops when killing my co-workers. And B. Finding the group so I can join them.\

Though if I didn't go kill crazy (And I am NOT joining the army) then I guess they'd have to be on a Police/FBI wanted list and I somehow hit something vital when I was just trying to kneecap them. Or they would have to be robbing me (Again fail kneecapping) or they'd have to threaten the life of me or my friends/family. That's the only reason I could think of. Though if put in the right position and the right events have happened I guess I would kill nearly anyone.

 

[SilentCom]

It sort of depends on the circumstances and the way I would have to kill them. Personally, I wouldn't want to do any killing if I could help it.

 

[Curlythelock]

Given the right circumstance I think that I could however I can't really say for sure until I'm in the situation.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

Hang on a second:

Could you kill another person?

Fixed. And yes, I think I will >

 

[Thundero13]

I wouldn't take another life unless the alternative was getting killed myself

 

[Xaio30]

On the battlefield? No.

In a him-or-me fight? yes.

 

[DonMartin]

To be honest, I think most people here are bullshitting themselves.

I mean, look at any recent war or conflict in the world: the suicide rates for soldiers coming home are higher than they have ever been in the entire history of the world, or at least for as long as we have been keeping track. But just the difference between soldier suicides from WWI and the war in Iraq is huge. People come home and are unable to settle back into ordinary life, and then they think there is no other way out than killing themselves. Now, to be fair, war is different from "just" murder. In war, you see friends under fire or even getting killed. In war, youre not fighting just one person. But a murder brings its own horrible aspects. It's very personal. it's YOU taking someone elses life. You cant justify it by blaming someone else: the choice of murder is yours. No matter what someone has done to you, you can choose not to kill. Of course, the circumstances may force you to lose your calm and kill someone in pure rage, but that's beside the point.

It's like going to someone you dont know's funeral. You sit there and you realize that you feel nothing, no sorrow or pity for who ever has died. But that does not neccessarily make you cold. Not void of values, morals or empathy. You are just not part of that funeral. And it's easy to look at that funeral and think "Well, that's nothing. I dont care about death or people's lives." It's just that it does not make it so. Until you experience something like it, I dont think you can understand it fully.

I apologize for sounding angry. And, as people before me already put a lot shorter and more gallantly: "Talk is cheap" and "Yes, I think I could. But not live with myself after it."

 

[Gluzzbung]

Physically anyone can kill a pwerson, give a coward a gun and suddenly he's Rambo. Dealing with it mentally? I don't really dwell on things or take them to heart so I'd do OK

 

[Ironsouled]

Killing is as easy as pulling a trigger or applying little more than a love tap to the hyoid. Everyone is capable, and indeed, most would leap at the idea of murder if they thought they could get away with it.

For myself... In self-defense, without a second thought.
Murder? I fail to see the need to kill a person in cold blood, but if the incentives were sufficient? Maybe.
Accidental killing/manslaughter? How am I going to stop an accident, so c'est la vie.

 

[Denamic]

If I had to, definitely.
I have no desire to, but if I were faced with a situation that force me to, I would do it.

 

[Drummie666]

I am a pacifist and yes I could, under proper circumstances, take the life of another person.

I know that sounds confusing, but I think I could deal with it mentally.

 

[varulfic]

I think so, yeah. I'd prefer not to test that theory though.

 

[Magikarp]

Yeah. If I killed someone to save my own life, it wouldn't faze me one bit. I would have to kill someone by accident for it to faze me.

 

[mayney93]

easily, i could do it, could i live with it afterwards, maybe not so much

 

[zarguhl]

Yep. If there was reason to I could without a worry.

Conversely if I were told to kill someone I had no reason to kill or I'd be killed, I'd happily smile while being shot and that wouldn't concern me either.

 

[PunkRex]

I would never kill somebody... Unless they piss me off.
Eric Cartman - South Park

 

[CATB320]

I think anyone could kill a person, given the right reasons. I mean, if you're faced with having to kill someone in order to save your family, most would do so.
Definitely easier said than done, though, and I'm sure it'd be on my mind a lot afterwards. Even if you killed someone in self defense or whatever, you still ended a life.