Could You Kill Somebody?

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Consider two examples:

1) You do a bit of voluntary work in the local elderly home. You know the sort of thing, ringing a bell when they need lunch and wiping them up afterwards. Old Mrs Richards, an 88-year-old biddy you have grown close to over the months, playing chess against and wheeling her about, looks at you one morning as you open her curtains and tells you she wants you to smother her and stop her suffering. She is in terrible pain every day of her life. You know this because she tells you so. She would rather die than live, and would consider it the ultimate personal favour if you were to do it. She has no family, no friends, nothing to look forward to each day apart from horrible headaches, terrible pain every time she tries to speak, and being violently sick after every meal.

2) A man kidknaps your four-year-old child, violently beats them and sexually abuses them, before murdering them. He is brought to trial but found innocent and released. You know for a fact he is guilty.

 

This is a horrible evil thread

 

No it's not. Why?

 

My answers: no to both situations. I would get put in jail and my life would be completely ruined (even more than it was already in the second case). It is not for me to take the law into my own hands.

 

1) This is a very difficult question and I could probably not do it. Euthanasia is a matter which bothers me deeply since I really do not know what to think of it but I would probably have it illegal in Finland for now. My problem is really that how can I be sure that she would like to die tomorrow? Maybe she'll feel better tomorrow? Whatever I'd do it would probably haunt me for the rest of my life. If I let her from her misery I would wonder if she had approved my actions in her full strenght and if she really did want to die (I could never be fully certain of that I believe).
On the other hand if I'd let her live her suffering would cause me a lot more pain every day and I don't know how I'd bare it, perhaps in the end I would end up helping her get out of her pain, I just don't know.

2) I believe in law and I believe and I know that it is under all circumstances wrong to resort to violence unless you are absolutely forced to it. I however also recognize that I have quite a fiery temper and this would hurt me so deeply that if I saw the man he'd probably be a dead man and I would end up in prison. When something touches you near, your morals bend and something wrong suddenly becomes right. If I had someone (in this case probably a wife or perhaps other children) who keep me sane and bear the sorrow with me then perhaps I could face it. If I were alone without anyone I love to support me after such a happening I would probably kill the man and afterwards kill myself in knowing that what I did was wrong and something that I would never approve.

EDIT: Quite a grim thread really, but interesting never the less. Even writing these answers brought up some sad emotions even though the examples were purely fictional.

 

A curious thread, and quite thought provoking.

For killing someone... no to the first. Even though I knew they suffered, I dont think I'd be able to take their life, even in such a situation. I just dont think I'd have it in me. If the person involved was someone I cared very deeply for... a wife or something, then maybe. But only then.

As for question 2... I dont know. I would initially also say no, but I'm not really sure. I guess I dont know how I'd react until, God forbid, I was actually in that situation.

 

1. I am in favour of assisting the patient in these kinds of circumstances, so - yes.

2. That one is harder. I think my answer is exactly the same as Takara's

 

1. Perhaps I could leave her access to a bottle of tablets so she could take her own life. I don't know.

2. Yes I would kill him but not before I tortured him. You just don't let someone get away with something like that unless you are a sniveling pus*y.

 

Which is why I have trouble with it. Part of me would want to skin him alive, but part of me says that society has an appropriate way of dealing with him. Now, if I thought there was a good chance he would get away with it, then...

Edit: Once again, I didn't fully read the scenario:

I'd go after him.

Edit #2 (@ Sarevok, below) - see my edit #1, above

Edit #3 (again @ Sarevok) - you didn't really have to delete your post which simply pointed out my stupidity (without explicitly doing so).

[ January 24, 2005, 01:40: Message edited by: Splunge ]

 

1) No but I would try and get help for her.

2) For me this is harder. My initial reaction would be to kill him very slowly and painfully. I do not think I would actually do it but am not sure.

 

1. I don't think I could smother her. I know I could probably arrange to leave enough of the wrong type of pills in her room to kill her. So long as I wasn't personally doing the killing, I think I could stomach it, although I'd feel terrible about it afterwards, I'm sure.

2. If it was someone I knew, I don't think I'd kill them myself. I would see to it that their life was an absolute living hell for the rest of their days. There is a lot more damage you can do while leaving someone alive. Also, a la OJ, I'd sue the bastard for everything he'd ever own, because if I knew he was guilty, a civil case should stand up well enough.

Assuming it wasn't someone I knew, I wouldn't do it - I'd pay someone to find someone else to do it. I'd be the first person the police would call if the guy died mysteriously, the first house searched would be mine and no scumbag is worth my life and my child's. I'd just make sure the body was never found. Quicklime, acid or concreting should do the trick - researching homicide can occasionally have practical suggestions...

 

1. If her suffering were really genuine (or I was convinced so), then I would probably be tempted to do so, but would probably not do it, as I would be guilty of murder, and I don't think that I would be able to come to terms with myself afterwards. I mean, heck, what if she was just severely depressed that day, or worse, changed her mind at the last minute while I was doing her in?


2. I can see myself doing this in a violent rage. But I hope I do not, since that would be terrible, maybe not terrible as what the molester did, but nonetheless terrible. Besides, if I did do that, the man's family might seek me out for revenge - not to mention being caught and incarcerated.

What I really hope is to be able to come to terms with that man, because I don't think that a person can do such a thing, and not have potential to reform. Let's suppose he were imprisoned, and after ten years, he was truly repentant, what then? Or worse, let's say I did something just as bad in reprise, and he became repentant some time after, what then?

I think that people have a more vehement response to #2 because such an act speaks to us emotionally, and of course, child rape is one of the most reprehensible acts in our society. Of course, other societies have (or had) different standards.

 

1. No.
2. No.

But I would kill the prospective perpetrator to prevent murder or rape from happening and possibly other crimes associated with physical violence.

 

1. No. I have faith that God will release her from her physical pains in due time.

2. I hope not. I make no guarantees what I would do if I got my hands on him in a blind rage (being big and somewhat strong, I could kill him without planning such mercy). I would rather see him live to suffer from what he has done (maybe beat him severely, cauysing him to fear for his life so that he can remember the child's last moments).

Ultimately, killing him may deny him the chance to repent of what he has done. It's a hard one, because I have been taught that God will forgive whom he will forgive, but we are commanded to forgive ALL who trespass against us. Further, I doubt that the Lord would be quick to forgive one who sheds innocent blood (like the child).

But there are circumstances where I could see myself taking a life. For example, if I returned from the woodpile to find someone harrassing my Grandmother, I may react violently, possibly killing him without such intent. I'm not a trained fighter, but I am 6'2", about 300 lbs (most wouldn't guess me to weigh that much) and have a job that involves physical labour. If I ever truly lost my temper and was forced into a fight, I could seroiusly hurt someone without thinking about it until later...

 

1: Yes, in fact my father already asked me to pull the plug if he turns into a vegetable when he comes of an elderly age.

2: I don't know. Until this moment happens (or any such situation) I won't say yes or no, but if I did, it would feel justified, even though it's not legal justice.

 

1 - I would want to but I just could not bring myself to do it.

2 - I would want to and would find it much easier but I would ruin mine and my families lives by killing him. I do have comfort that child abusers and rapists get punishes by their fellow inmates over here but of course its better that it never happens.

 

1. No, she would die soon enough as it is. I wouldnt want to tarnish my hands to speed up an inevitable event.

2. Yes, but I would be under no illusions that it was the right thing to do. I would do so for personal gratification and do my best to get away with it.

 

1.) Having known someone for only a few months, no. If it was an elderly relative who had made their wishes known in advance then I would arrange for a visit to them to the euthanasia clinic (In switzerland I believe)

2.) Taking the question at entirely face value, (I would need to be absolutely 100% certain), he would still be alive by the time I had finished with him, but you wouldn't exactly say he could expect much of a life to look forward to.
A combination of "to the pain" (Princess Bride), The beating dealt out to Boggs in the Shawshank Redemption and the use of the pressurisation chamber in Without Remorse. Throw in the use made of a starving rat from An American Psycho and I think you'd have what I would describe as "just punishment".

Ah, the wonderful capacity of the human mind to dream up and enact the most horrific deeds on others never ceases to fill me with a nice warm glow.

 

I would have to say nay to both, the first, because, as has been said before, who knows how they would feel tomorrow. The second, because although you may be sure they are guilty, how would you be absolutely certain that they were? Did you follow them, or see them do it? He may actually be innocent, and thus killing him would be wrong. Surely the chance of slaying an innocent man would give you cause to stop and think?

 

Much like Gnarfflinger, though I'm a bit weaker than he is, I guess, so I might give him a call when I need him

1. I would have pitty, but I guess I would not allow myself to 'help' her.

2. My brain says: "No. You are a human just like him and not allowed to take a life. God will deal with him. Hopefully He treats him better than you would and gives him a chance."
My heart says: "Kill! Torture! Pain!"

Sometimes it's better to listen to you heart, sometimes better to listen to your brain.