Poll: Could You Pull the Trigger?

[Koeryn]

Take a moment before you answer, and leave your anonymity induced Internet Hard-Assness at the door. Leave your gun control arguments at home. Leave your moral high-ground at the front desk. This thread isn't about what you think of anyone else here, it's for you to be a little introspective, and be honest with yourself, and us.

In this case, the word trigger is really metaphorical. I'm not talking about guns, so much as asking if you feel that when push comes to shove, when your life is on the line, could you take the life of the person trying to take yours?

I'll go ahead and start things off here. After all, how could I ask you to be honest with me, when I will not share my own feelings on the matter?

TL;DR version: I think I could take a life to defend my own.

Spoiler: Thorough version:

"Who knows?" is the only response I can honestly give. My dislike of humanity, and general emotional detachment (a couple of people I've known for years think that I have Schizoid Personality Disorder) point to me not being overly beaten up over taking someone's life, especially if my own is on the line. If the media is to be believed, conditioning I've received from video games, especially combined with the combat training I've gained from martial arts, and airsofting with my brothers, make it more likely that I would competently pull the trigger against a fellow human, that I would be able to kill if it came to it.

I think it would be harder for me to do the deed unarmed, or at least, without a gun. The closeness of the act I think would leave a more lingering emotional/mental scarring.

The way I see it, the only way to know for sure, is to be in that situation, and walk out of it alive.

EDIT! Added a question! And if you're up to it, please give us a little background on your responses.
EDIT2: The average self-defense range with a handgun is less than twenty feet, often closer to 6-7 tops. We're not talking about picking off the guy who's screaming at you from a roof top, we're talking about the person who's trying to beat you to death with a baseball bat, or shoot you, or just beat the shit out of you. Point is, they're not any further away than the up-close, you just have a ranged weapon (handgun most likely, not a lot of people carry crossbows these days).

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
Q: The BadGuy is threatening not just your life, but your family's. Does this alter 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?

Spoiler: Good information about firearms in self-defense

There are good reasons police don't "shoot people in the leg just to stop them".

1: There is no safe place to shoot someone. Shoot someone in the shoulder in real life and it's unlikely that it'll just incapacitate them for a while, and they'll be up and about the next day with their arm in a sling like in the movies. Depending on where it hits, the bullet could destroy the ball-and-socket joint in the shoulder, leaving the subject's arm useless, or it could ricochet off of the scapula and end up in the chest cavity, or it could nick a major blood vessel. In any case you could still kill the person.

2: It's easy to miss. A bullet is a small thing and it's very easy to miss your target, especially in an adrenaline-charged, "kill or be killed" kind of scenario. Soldiers and law enforcement officers are trained to aim for center of mass (i.e. the torso) for a reason, it gives the highest chance of hitting and incapacitating the target.

You might try to shoot an attacker in the leg, hoping to just incapacitate them. Assuming you don't miss, the bullet may sever the femoral artery. That gives your attacker a few minutes to live, in which time they may retaliate and fire back. Result: You're both dead.

Discuss! Or answer! Serious thread is serious.

 

[Marter]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
A: Probably, I value my life above others, especially those who are going to attack/kill me.
Q: Would having someone close to you in the situation with you change your answer above?
A: No, I'd still do it. In fact, it would make me think about it less.
Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
A: I'd prefer a ranged weapon, as it takes less effort, less risk to me, and less chance of getting blood on my clothes.

 

[Luke5515]

1. I honestly beleive I could
2. In the situation as in attacking or have to save them to? If it was them trying to kill me, I might think twice. maybe try to not kill them. Saving them, I'd to it all the quicker.
3. It probably would, but I think that both would be scaring anyway.

 

[DefunctTheory]

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

A: Yes. Its half of my job.

Q: Would having someone close to you in the situation with you change your answer above?

A: No.

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.

 

[Shock and Awe]

I would be making a pretty shitty career choice if my answer was no, so the answer is an invariable yes, if someone threatened my friend, comrade, country, or myself, I would not have a problem killing them.

 

[Aerodynamic]

1.I think I couldn't, honestly I feel bad if I just trip someone, even if they deserve it.
2.If they are threatening them I would be more aggressive but careful.
3.Close up kill would make me hesitate right before the kill, and probably make me not do it. With a ranged weapon I wouldn't think of it, I would go straight for the kill.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

1. Yes, if someone wants try and take my life i'm damn sure gonna make them work for it if not kill them where they stand.

2. if the family member tried to kill me i'd at least incapacitate them then turn them into an authority. To save them again yes.

3. If i knew it would save other people i wouldn't bother me in the slightest seeing someone die by my hands.

 

[jakeEHTlovless]

it is not fun killing, but, if i was pushed hard enough, theres no telling what could happen. but, since im going into the marines in 2 years, id better make my desicion soon.

 

[Riobux]

I don't have a clue. I can try to think about it and I can guess I would be able to, but is it right? I'm not sure at all and chances are I will never be in a position to find out.

 

[Budthead]

1) Yes, if there was family in danger. I've done it before, while people have been endangering people on my property.

2) I don't get what you mean by that part.

3) No, not really. If someone was in danger and the only way out of preventing an innocent death was to kill the perpetrator, I'd be ready to kill at any range.

 

[Koganesaga]

1. I've been told I had the look of a killer before, which kinda snapped me out of the blood rage I was feeling at the moment, so my answer is yes.

2. If it was someone I or a loved one cared about I would hesitate, but in the end I'd probably kill them.

3. If they had a knife, I'd decapitate them with a smile if I could use a Katana. Of course if they have a gun, I'd also like a gun so I don't have to close the gap and likely die in the process.

 

[rokkolpo]

1.if the other person has a weapon and i was able to get it from him or i had a weapon in the first place.
then i might, i'd prefer running away though.

2.from when i was young i could only think ofone true scenario when i could kill someone, and that was if anyone harmed my sister.

3.i would most likely easier kill from up-close.
from a distance i would shoot his/her leg to disable the person.


i'm gonna go with ''i have no idea''.

 

[Darth Caelum]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
Yes, yes i would. Life is about Survival afterall. I'd kill my Conscience for me to take the other person's life

Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
As in would i NOT kill the person if a loved one was there? No, no i would not, in fact i'd try to kill him faster so as not to hurt them.
If you mean however if i would sacrifice my life......Depends on the Loved one..

Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
Probably. The Up-Close Kill would make me keep stabbing at the Bastard for a good while, Long Range would make me a Cold and Analytical Killing though.

Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
No, no it would not.

DISCLAIMER: I would like to say to everybody that this is how i truly think and feel. Please do not make insulting comments or Replies on this. Thank you very much.

 

[Mgween92]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
No, I utterly hate my life and would welcome anybody willing to end it.
Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Again, no, I don't value their lives much either.
Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
A bullet is a bullet. Does not matter where it is fired from
Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Depends on the circumstances. For example, does the stranger deserve life?

 

[Baron Von Evil Satan]

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

A: Yes, I do. I like living, and I'll do what I can to continue living.

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

A: I doubt it, seeing as I am willing to kill the dude anyway. If they're more threatened then I am I just have to be a ninja about killing said attacker, or get him/her to focus their attention on me.

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, I have no quarrel with blood and such. Though I don't think I'd go all Joker on they ass if I had to use a knife...

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

Alease refer back to Q 2.

 

[chromewarriorXIII]

Q: Do You think you could take a life to defend your own.
I think if I really needed to that I would try my best to defend myself. If that resulted in having to take someone else life then I may be hesitant but I would do it.
Q: Would having a friend or family member's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
If I had a friend or family member's life on the line as well, there would be much less, if not any hesitation. I have few friends, but I care about them too much.
Q: Would the difference between the up-close kill, and the point and click of a ranged weapon have a difference on you?
There would be a difference. I would prefer to use a gun or ranged weapon because I will feel much less personal about what I've done. However, if all had was my hands, I would still do it if necessary.
Q: Would having a stranger's life on the line with yours make you change your reaction?
Well, my original reaction is to defend myself anyway, so adding a stranger doesn't change it too much. I think I would be more willing to take the other persons life if it was their life on the line as well.

 

[floppylobster]

Isn't it the harder thing to do to fight the intense feelings for self-preservation and not pull the trigger?

I mean there's shooting, being too scared to shoot, but then there's logically thinking through the consequences and deciding not to shoot. I feel like the third one is the harder, (and more rare).

 

[trueluigi7]

1.I think if I could not talk the person out of it I think if I really had to I might be able to do it

2.If I had a friend or family member with me I would try even harder to defend myself and companion

3.I think that a close-up kill would be much harder for me to carry out, I don't know if I could

4.I think I would do everything to save that strangers life

I believe in Philanthropy or in other words advancement of the Human Race and I believe that every person should do their best to be the best person they can be. In the end I could probably do it, but I have no clue at all how I would be after.