Poll: Could You Pull the Trigger?

[awsome117]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?

1. Yes, although if I could just disable him in any other way, I would take that option.

2. Yes, as I would to anything to save/help them.

3. Not really, although I am more experienced in close ranged combat/arms.

4. Yes, as again, I would still try to save the stranger's life even not knowing him.

 

[Marine Mike]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
A: Definitely, I've been willing to kill for less important things.
Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
A: Only in a way as to increase my effort to kill the one doing the threatening.
Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
A: Mildly, I've always preferred guns because of their ruthless efficiency... but I have no objections to using knives/sticks/rocks/fists/feet/cars/dildos
Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
A: Not in the slightest.

 

[Koeryn]

Why kill them when you can shoot them in the knee cap, much more pain full and keeps them from following you. If I had a gun and someone was coming at me with a stick yelling random religious terms, then "POW! RIGHT IN THE KNEE CAP!" Stops them dead in there tracks, with out them dead.

I've seen this response a couple of times while browsing answers. While it sounds like a good idea, in practical application, it really, really isn't for a couple of reasons.

Since you've got a gun in your ideal here, that's what I'll explain:

1: If you're shooting in self defense, your attacker is usually inside of 15-20 feet, often much, much closer. Proper training is teaching you to aim for center of mass, as in the body. It's a large target that's hard to miss, even in a high-stress, adrenaline rushed panic. Taking the time to take an accurate shot at a small, fast moving target is a good way to get stabbed, beaten, disarmed, and/or dead.

2: I don't know where you're from, but in America, if you cripple them (and shooting them in the knee-cap is a life-long disability), they CAN and probably WILL sue you. They even have a chance of WINNING. To be completely cold and mathematical about it, there are court costs (which are expensive) their hospital bills (probably paid for with tax dollars), and then more tax money going to keeping them in jail. It just makes more sense financially to end their life than wound/cripple them.

 

[TehCookie]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
Yes, I follow the golden rule, treat others the way they treat you. If someone was trying to kill me I'd kill them back.

Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Yes, it would make me focus less on saving myself and more on saving them. I would still kill the person if necessary though.

Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
A little, if I feel like I'm going to be killed I'm going to be scared, and when I get scared my first tendency is to claw and bite anything that comes near like a rabid animal. Also I'd probably be better with a knife because I don't like guns, so even if I had a gun I would move into point blank range to make sure I don't miss since I never fired one before.

Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
If it was me and a stranger in danger it wouldn't but if it was me trying to save a stranger it depends on the stranger. If it was someone important like a doctor I would pull the trigger but if it was some bum I wouldn't.

 

[Sirenskye]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
No. I don't want to die, but equally I don't think I could take anyone else's life away either if it were just myself in danger. I'm a strong believer that there's always another way around something, so I would be looking for a way to incapacitate rather than kill.

Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Completely, I would kill to make sure my mum, boyfriend or my best friend could get out of a situation like that alive. I value their lives above anything else in the world and I'd do anything to protect them. I still would look for a way to knock out the person first, but I certainly wouldn't hesitate to kill if there was no opportunity to knock them out, or for whatever reason they won't go and stay down.

Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
Probably yes. Being closer to the person when you kill them would have a huge impact, whereas being further away would hopefully have less of an effect. Would it stop me from killing them if I needed to? No.

Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Yes, I don't think I could kill if they were a complete stranger, but it wouldn't stop me fighting like hell to try and help them. A person in danger is still a person in danger after all.

 

[Xeros]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.

Yes, without hesitation.

Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?

No, in fact it would give me more incentive to kill, in order to protect.

Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?

The only difference it would have on me is how I killed them, but personally I'm a knife person.

Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?

No, it would give me the same incentive as someone I cared about being with me.

 

[Koeryn]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
Yes, I follow the golden rule, treat others the way they treat you. If someone was trying to kill me I'd kill them back.

Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Yes, it would make me focus less on saving myself and more on saving them. I would still kill the person if necessary though.

Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
A little, if I feel like I'm going to be killed I'm going to be scared, and when I get scared my first tendency is to claw and bite anything that comes near like a rabid animal. Also I'd probably be better with a knife because I don't like guns, so even if I had a gun I would move into point blank range to make sure I don't miss since I never fired one before.

Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
If it was me and a stranger in danger it wouldn't but if it was me trying to save a stranger it depends on the stranger. If it was someone important like a doctor I would pull the trigger but if it was some bum I wouldn't.

This is entirely off topic, bit I was carrying my laptop to the back, and tried to flick your avatar off my screen. I think you bug-sniped me.

 

[mchoueiri]

I have no idea how I would act if I had to pull the trigger to save my family or myself. It is something I hope I never have to think about

 

[BakaSmurf]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
I'm a bit of a sociopath, so yes, I believe I could.

Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
So, what, if I don't kill the attacker the person that's close to me could die? Yeah, I'd still kill them.

Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
Not at all, if the person is trying to kill me, I might actually enjoy seeing the light fade from their eyes after jamming a knife into their neck or whatever else I might end up using to defend myself.

Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
I don't see why it would, unless you're saying that my actions could get them killed, in which case I might hesitate a bit.

Yeah, I think that I could take a person's life in self defense.

 

[Quaidis]

Unless I absolutely lost it, perhaps in some odd far-fetched perscripted drug-induced rage, I would find a way to disable the person instead of kill them. For example, if some man is trying to hold me up in a store and I have no other choice in the matter, I would do my best to either take their weapon or go for the eyes/balls to render them into a momentary stupor, then either run or get help. If this was a woman, I would aim for the hair or stomach. Or choke until they are dazed, but not until they die.

If I was being held up or forced into defense and I had a clubbing or stabbing weapon, I would do my best to aim for limbs or the side of the head. Something to disable the person, but not to mortally wound them.

Should guns be involved, I would aim for non-lethal marks. Shoulders, legs, at worst the stomach area. It would be easier to shoot the person than it would to stab or club them with a 5-iron.

This would be even so if a family member is involved. However I am not responsible for what that family member may do.



Now if I was in the position where I had to kill the attacker - say some rabid dog was trying to kill me and I had to put olde yeller down, I would do it without a thought. If this person was human, I would do it but would need therapy afterward. A child? I have no idea what I would do if a child was trying to shoot me down with their parent's gun. That would probably take me by so much surprise that I would be dead before I could make an action.

 

[Jzolr0708]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
Yes.
Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
It would only make me do the deed faster.
Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
A ranged weapon would make it easier for me to do it, but I would strangle someone to death if I needed to (Not taking Strength into the equation, just the moral ability to do so)
Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
No. I would still kill someone to save a person. As much as I generally dislike people because so many of us are just annoying, I feel that everyone deserves a life, even if you do live it sitting at red lights and never using your turn signal.


My long answer is this: If they were just an innocent bystander, and I had to kill them to save myself, I would do it, but it would haunt me for a long time. However, if this was, say, a mugger, or a murderer, it would be no problem. When I get really angry, I just lose control and want to bring harm to the people who are the source of my frustration. It's one of my bigger faults.

 

[Captain Schpack]

1]yes
2]no (I belive i could still kill)
3]blood on clothes not cool but i dont't it'd matter yo me.
4]I'd try to get niether of us kille or hurt.

 

[WolfThomas]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
A: Yeah I think I could, I hunt, so I think if I'd probably kill first instinctively, then have the emotional effects much later
Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
A: No, except for trying harder
Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
A: The only difference would be what degree of legal trouble I'd be in (we have weird self defense laws in Australia). For example I could kill a man breaking into my house with a double barreled shotgun and get off scot free, but if I used a hockey stick it would be a problem.
Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
A: No once again.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

1. Probably. I get pretty violent when threatened.
2. More violence, less thought.
3. Close up, pray. I want to be sure, and I can't exactly use a precision weapon. Unless I'm using something indiscriminate...in which case, it's murder.
4. Don't know. Depends on who it is.

 

[Connor Lonske]

*snip*

I've seen this response a couple of times while browsing answers. While it sounds like a good idea, in practical application, it really, really isn't for a couple of reasons.

Since you've got a gun in your ideal here, that's what I'll explain:

1: If you're shooting in self defense, your attacker is usually inside of 15-20 feet, often much, much closer. Proper training is teaching you to aim for center of mass, as in the body. It's a large target that's hard to miss, even in a high-stress, adrenaline rushed panic. Taking the time to take an accurate shot at a small, fast moving target is a good way to get stabbed, beaten, disarmed, and/or dead.

2: I don't know where you're from, but in America, if you cripple them (and shooting them in the knee-cap is a life-long disability), they CAN and probably WILL sue you. They even have a chance of WINNING. To be completely cold and mathematical about it, there are court costs (which are expensive) their hospital bills (probably paid for with tax dollars), and then more tax money going to keeping them in jail. It just makes more sense financially to end their life than wound/cripple them.

I was not completely serious when I wrote that. You made some good points, but I think I would rather have assault in self defense than a felony like manslaughter, and as if I care how much care he needs in jail, I don't have to pay for it.

 

[thePyro_13]

I voted I have no idea, as its hard to gauge how you would react to such a situation until you've been in one. These answers reflect how I would like to act in these situations. But I'm not a fighter, and it's likely I would either bail out of fear or be unable to react at all.

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
I would hope so, either way one person dies, I'd rather not be that person.

Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Probably not, I'd be more willing to take a single life to save multiple lives. Especially if those are the lives of people I care about.

Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
Yes, its no doubt far easier(psychologically) to kill someone from a distance than to be up close. Being removed from having their blood on you or them being able to struggle against you makes would make it a much less traumatising experience.

Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Probably not. I still rather the attempted murderer get killed than me or any unfortunate passer-by.

These are all assuming the attacker it out to kill me. If they just wanted to rob me or whatever than then can take what they want and leave. Ideally I never want to be responsible for the death of another. But I would be willing to take that responsibility to avoid death(assuming their is no way of running away or otherwise escaping).

 

[Srkkl]

Where's the "I know I could" option. With the flood of adrenaline in my brain of some one threatening my life I could pull the trigger/stab under any circumstance.

 

[koriantor]

I think I could. I'd probably be scarred by it, but I would if I had to. Of course, I'd only do it if I absolutely had to, I don't like to spill blood without needing to.

Now, if people close to me had their lives threatened, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

It all depends on the situation. It'd have to happen for me to find out what I'd do.

 

[Serge A. Storms]

I could probably kill in any situation in which it was necessary, but it'd only be fun if the circumstances that lead to that situation included me getting fucked up on something first.

 

[AngryPuppy]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
A: I know I could. My life or theirs? I'll pick mine every time.

Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
A: As others have said, it would just make it that much quicker.

Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
A: No difference to me.

Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
A: Why would it?