Could you shoot somebody?

Question

If you was in a position where it was life or death could you pull the trigger and watch another person die? This may sound like a morbid question but it is a reality that we could face at any time of our life. If not shoot somebody, then do whatever it is in your power to kill them?

Answer 1

Nobody really knows until they're in that situation. But if someone was threatening to harm my wife, I don't think I would hesitate.

Answer 2

I think so. It would depend on the situation but i think maybe I could. I think it would affect me terribly though and i cannot imagine the guilt I would feel so I don't know if i could cope afterwards.

Shooting is a very impersonal way of killing though. You can pull a trigger with your eyes shut and kill someone. That is the only reason i believe i could. I don't however think i could stab someone or strangle someone or another method which is very personal like those. I don't know if i could do that. They also take time. Shoot someone and you do it right and thats it, over in a second, before you can think. Whereas anything that takes time, when the person takes time to die, thats when it becomes more and more difficult.

I think if we are put in these situations though, we likely will act differently to how we expect. You don't know until you've been tested. I think it's pretty impossibly to predict. Someone who says they could maybe would crack in the situation and couldn't, and someone who thinks they couldn't may do if they were placed in a certain situation.

I also think we probably all have our 'breaking point', a weakness that would lead us to do something such as kill another person. It's just whether that weakness is found or not.

Answer 3

THe act of killing another person isn't difficult at all. When you have a firearm in your hand it only takes between 3.5 pounds to 12 pounds of pressure to activate the fireing mechinsim. after that in less than a split second a cartige discharges, and a bullet is traveling out of the barrel moveing at a min of 857 fps. Add to this the sypathic muscal reaction. That is where oppisite limbs (fingures included) well mimick the same action as that of the oposing limb while under great stressw or duress. So the pulling of the trigger is most likely going to happen. But the real problem is liveing with the aftermath of takeing a life. I have done it while stationed overseas, and here in the states while at work. Neither was easy to live with. And goddess willing I well never have to defend my life, or my familys off-duty with deadly force. But if it comes to it I will, and can.

Answer 4

I have a shot gun and never shot anything but plastic skeet. I went along on a hunting trip (not with the shotgun)in the Karoo (south africa), and when offered a prize Springbok that looked directly at me in the telescopic sights, I shot into the ground just in front of us. The other "hunters" were NOT impressed, the rifle owner shouting, 'you bloody idiot do you know how much those fu--ing shells cost?' I hope the Bok enjoyed it as much as I did.
As to shooting a person? There are many people I would dearly love to shoot DEAD, but if it came to the push, NO. I think maybe I could shoot a human rather than an animal, but the answer remains NO.

Answer 5

Sure, if fact most days I'm hoping that something life or death occurs so I can use my gun... ha ha...

If the service man here working on my furnace doesn't fix it now on the 3rd visit and stop running it on high fan throughout my house filling it with cold air, I may have to shoot him.
I guess when you're cold and getting colder any excuse will do.

Sure I've got no problem mortally wounding another. What are they doing invading my house and coming toward me with the intent to tickle me? I'm thinking no. I'm thinking they mean me harm or otherwise they'd have started running as soon as they saw me at home. Yep, they won't be walking out of here.

Answer 6

I'm not sure that anyone could answer this until they were in the situation. I was stalked once and my husband bought me a gun. Could I have used it if I had been attacked? I really don't know, I dread the thought of taking a life but if I was scared enough I suppose I might. I am now a mother and I feel I could well kill someone to protect my children.

Answer 7

I honestly don't know, if it was someone doing something that could kill or seriously injure(rape etc) one of my daughters~Yes! But if it was me that was being hurt, threatened or whatever; I don't know. I hate guns and have never fired one, so I don't even know if I would know how. But if all I had to do was aim & pull the trigger~I believe that I would. I just pray that I am never put in a situation where it would be necessary.

Answer 8

No you couldn't watch them die because you'd have to call the cops right away. The "make my day" law varies from state to state and usually only applies when there is an intruder in your home and has made a viable threat to you or to someone who cannot protect them selves. Depending on the disposition of the gun (who owns it does it have a permit?)

It's never "legal" to murder someone as that is a defined criminal term, you may exercise deadly force when the above criteria are met.

Answer 9

You are allowed to use a REASONABLE amount of force to protect your life and the life of others. Use of a weapon is allowed but you have to be reasonable. You can't shoot someone with a shotgun because that smacked you on the back for example. If someone was attacking you with a weapon (or even without a weapon) and they have the capability of murdering you or causing SEVERE bodily injury, then you would be within your right to shoot them.

Answer 10

If my life (or my family's life) were in danger, I would do it without a doubt. It's survival of the fittest. Kill or be killed. I want to live for as long as I possibly can. I have extra incentive to live, too: I'm happily married to the love of my life and have a gorgeous daughter. If any of that was jeopordized, I would do whatever is necessary to save them or myself.

Hope this helps.

Answer 11

Yes, but it would completely depend on the situation. I would hate to do it in any case, but if my family was being threatened in a life or death sense, I would empty the gun. Similarly, in a self preservation situation, I might pull the trigger, but I would definitely try to incapacitate them first.