killing someone who is trying to rob you

[Sponger.]

some background on the question...

i am at a bar last night in nicaragua with some people from my hostel having a good time, and this brittish girl decides to kill the mood by getting political and bringing up this incident and trying to critize people from the US for our violent culture or whatever.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/...sta-rica_x.htm

she said that the guy shouldnt have acted in self defense, and that everyone should have just handed over their money. she also said there was no excuse for killing the mugger, everyone disaggreed, but it got me thinking maybe there are more people out there who think this way.



so, if you were approached by an armed gunman who demanded money, and you could kill him in self defense and escape unharmed, would you?

[Kermit]

EZ kill.

[AntonHeat]

[censored] ya !

[splashpot]

So knocking him out or incapacitating him isn't an option? It's either kill him or get robbed?

[Sponger.]

[ QUOTE ]
So knocking him out or incapacitating him isn't an option? It's either kill him or get robbed?

[/ QUOTE ]

yes. we were under the assumption that when you tried to just knock the person out they kill you

[Warik]

Violent culture? lol. I'll take my country's "violent culture" of victims killing their assailants over other nations' "violent cultures" of assailants robbing and killing their unarmed victims any day.

[heater]

[ QUOTE ]
Violent culture? lol. I'll take my country's "violent culture" of victims killing their assailants over other nations' "violent cultures" of assailants robbing and killing their unarmed victims any day.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT

This British girl hears a story about elderly American tourists getting robbed by armed Costa Ricans and her reaction is that Americans suck.

[Your Mom]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Violent culture? lol. I'll take my country's "violent culture" of victims killing their assailants over other nations' "violent cultures" of assailants robbing and killing their unarmed victims any day.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT

This British girl hears a story about elderly American tourists getting robbed by armed Costa Ricans and her reaction is that Americans suck.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's why this whole idea of the US reuniting with the world is complete [censored]. We appear to be the only ones with our heads not completely up our asses.

[kidcolin]

wtfsvi,


Oh boy man. Let's dissect this.
[ QUOTE ]
Say this dude is crazy and thiks your house is really his house. He thinks finding you there means he has the right to kill you. This is his morality.

[/ QUOTE ]

His "morality" is based on falsehoods, so it's inherently false. Him thinking the house is his doesn't make it his.. it's my house, and I have the right to defend it. This is pretty obvious. Unfortunately for him, when he comes in wielding a gun, I won't have time to perform a psych eval. And I'm not going to hole myself up in a closet, hope he doesn't wander into my kids' rooms for the rare case that it's really just a harmless mentally deranged psycho.

[ QUOTE ]
Or say he thinks he has the right to steal your stuff, and if you try to stop him he can kill you. Why is your morality any better than his?

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you serious? Should I even answer this? A morality based on some false precept such as a right to steal and terrorize others clearly isn't moral. And you call my line of thinking a slippery slope.

[ QUOTE ]
Who do you think has the authoroty to decide who is right? The law and some big commitee probably?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe in a person's right to act in a way he see fits when his rights are being infringed upon. It'll eventually reach a court of law, one way or the other. If the person is wrong, he'll be persecuted. That prevents some whack job shooting the mail man because he stepped on his grass. But when I and/or my family is in danger, I'm not going to hope the cops get there, catch the guy, and then spend the next 6 months hoping they lock the guy up. I'm going to do whatever it takes to ensure my/my family's safety. Sometimes that might be hiding in the basement. Sometimes it might be shooting the guy in the face.

I will say this: if the court's start deciding it's unjust for us to defend our homes, there's going to be a big problem.

[ QUOTE ]
Also, no. I don't think a big committee will be better suited to figure out what happened than you are, but I do think that a big committee will be better suited to give a fair punishment (like not the death penalty).

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not a punishment. It's an act of self defense.

[ QUOTE ]
I also think this horrible person hired to clear the criminal's name is a great thing, because I think the criminal has the right to tell his side of the story as well. These are the main reasons we can't leave it up to individuals. People have different oppinions on what is right and wrong, especially when it comes to the degree of punishment.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, fine. Everyone has a right to a fair trial. But again, quit calling acts of self defense "punishment." I'm not punishing the guy who busts in my house pointing a gun.

[sonneti]

[ QUOTE ]
That's why this whole idea of the US reuniting with the world is complete [censored]. We appear to be the only ones with our heads not completely up our asses.

[/ QUOTE ]

bwahahahaha.. stop it you tease.