Imagine a scene where you happen to confront a vicious, notorious serial killer
By Bala
@balasri (26537)
India
September 29, 2009 11:38pm CST
who has just fatally injured your child who is lying there writhing in pain but out of danger. You have a licensed gun and killer stands there raising his hands in submission. Having known that the police will definitely understand that you shot in self defense would you shoot that beast down or call for the police and hand him over to them?
3 people like this
5 responses
@tutul0045 (2630)
• India
30 Sep 09
Hi,
Hmm... well If i ever get into such an incident then i will teach him a lesson definately, if not shoot him.
I dont believe in killing but as he harmed the poor child he deserves some punishment. Both from me and the law.
Actually it reminds me one incident when i was around 18-19 years old. We were travelling and a psychotic man was molesting a woman in an almost empty train compartment. My friend who himself is quite a character confronted the man and we pushed him out of the moving train. We could have easily stayed where we were and let him do what ever he wanted to. But iam glad that we did help the poor soul.
Some times in life we have to decide quickly and there isnt time for us to wait for any law to take action. In those situatiion i prefer to listen to my heart than to my mind.
Cheers,
Tutul
1 person likes this
@alokn99 (5717)
• India
30 Sep 09
Bala, While one can give an answer with two alternatives, one shooting down the person and the other holding him there till the police comes, it would be difficult to actually summarise the state one would be in then. I could even think of being in shock with my attention being more on the child.
@princess07031980 (5412)
• United States
30 Sep 09
If someone had killed my child in front of me, I really don't know what I would or how I would react. There are times in life where insanity will truly take you over, and in that regard I may kill him because I snapped. As a parent, you have different levels of fear for your child. You would never hesitate to make things right for them in any situation, but is killing really right?
I have often said, as many parents do, that if anyone were to hurt my babies there would be no questions asked for returning that pain back to offender. It speaks as the utmost protection and love for your child, right? - Going to any extent for the welfare of that child, I mean.
However, I try my best to do what is right and moral, and have God influence me on such decisions. Would God want to me to kill? No. In fact, we are to forgive and not pose trangessions on anyone. A hard call, I know, but I would not CONCIOUSLY kill someone. Not only fear that I would have to answer to the law, but I would someday have to answer to God as well.
@princess07031980 (5412)
• United States
1 Oct 09
Yes, to both of you-I realize that something could break your stance as being under the law. No one is above the law though. Now there are many cases that people do commit terrible crimes, and being of the circumstances, are let off or have far less punishment than people would expect. Would one judge a parent for taking the law in his own hands? Maybe, maybe not. One terrific movie based on such circumstances is "A Time to Kill," starring Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L. Jackson. Excellent movie and right along this very topic.
I may not live the "squeakiest clean" of lives, but I try to follow morals as such, and do take into consideration often times what God would think of my decisions. (I was raised in a fairly vigorous Christian family, and it has served me well into my adult life when it comes to many prospects and situations.) I never want to intentionally let God down. The easiest set of rules to abide by is the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not kill is one of them, probably the most "popular." It doesn't say kill if you have to or if you feel justice needs to be presented. It's plain and simple.
In the eyes of the law, which is very comparable to the laws of sprituality in many ways, killing is not ok. Even if found insane or under special circumstances, could I live with myself knowing I took a man's life? For the sake of my child who was made victim? Of course, that could never be answered unless I was in those shoes. But never do 2 wrongs make a right.
@tutul0045 (2630)
• India
1 Oct 09
Hi princess,
Very well said. Not only we are answerable to law, there will be a time when we have to answer God as well.
Having said that, I think just like doing injustice is a crime, tolerating injustice is even worse than that. If you find something wrong going on, at times u got to take some actions instead of waiting for any help to come.
Cheers,
Tutul
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
1 Oct 09
I don’t think you can ever say what you will do in certain situations until you are there but I would imagine that I would not be capable of shooting the beast. I would call for an ambulance for my child and wait for the Police. My reasons for not harming the perpetrator would be selfish ones also; I would not want to take the risk that my killing him may not be viewed as self defence and I would end up in jail and away from my daughter. If I killed or wounded a man, even if he deserved it, would be something that would take away my peace of mind for the rest of my life.
