Could you kill someone?

[psychokillerornotkiller]

I was at a social event where a we were talking about gun crime in America. One woman said she had lived in America and was talking to an American women who had a gun which she said was for self defence. The woman at the social do said she said to her, ' But could you really kill someone with it?' To which the American woman apparently went silent, and the British woman at the social do declared, ' It was like she have never really thought about that!'.

The clear implication of the British woman's argument was that, of course no right minded person could shoot anyone, so there is not point in having a gun.

But I thought, ' I could kill someone. If someone was coming to kill me, and they were fair minded enough to give me time to reach into my bag and retrieve my gun, I would shoot them. And if they were coming for my child I would definitely shoot them. |I might be traumatised afterwards, but I would shoot them.'

I'd always assumed everyone was like me. But the British woman obviously assumes everyone is like her.

So, in genuine curiosity as to find out whether I am an outlying psycho, I thought I would put it to the vote.

YABU - I could never kill anyone
YANBU - I could kill someone.

Yes absolutely I could

If i thought that amount of force was necessary, yeah of course.

(xx) I don't think the decision gets made = "I have to kill them" but more "they may die but I have to stop them anyway and this is the only way I can stop them"

Suppose someone is coming at you with a gun in their hands & you think they will use it to hurt you, you also have a loaded gun in your hands, it's not so much you think "I'm going to kill" as "I have to shoot to stop them shooting me". I'll probably miss or maybe they will die but either way I have to shoot. I'm not out to kill, just to stop any harm to me.

fwiw, I've been a victim of crimes in USA & none of those criminals had guns that I could perceive. My brother did get a gun pointed at him in ~1971, that was a big deal story in our family.

(xx) except when cops shoot, cops always shoot to kill

If I had to in order to keep my children safe, I think I could. I would really struggle with it and it would likely destroy my mental health, but I would for my kids. It's a very scary prospect.

If we lived in the States, I would likely feel the need for a gun in my house to protect my family (and I am very left wing and anti-guns). For that reason, I will never move my family to the States.

Having watched Bad Sisters recently and spent every episode wanting to kill him over and over again, I have discovered I’m quite murderous at heart.

I have wanted to kill (or at least badly maim) people who have just hurt my children, so I suspect I might have the will but being weak and clumsy with terrible aim I can’t imagine I would manage it even if I wanted to.

Good job, really. We can’t go around killing people for upsetting our kids or being evil exploitative assholes so it’s best to stick to hypotheticals (and Clas Bang in that role)

Can't vote on the app, but
YANBU, I would like to think so if they were going to kill or rape me or my family. Only in those extreme circumstances and if I had the means to do it. I'm not strong enough to actually fight someone.

I used to sleep with a wok by the bed when I lived alone, after I'd been burgled. I knew I'd find it easier to smack someone round the head with that than actually stab someone 😱

I imagine I could. No idea really though.

Apparently a number of people who have guns to protect themselves end up getting shot by the intruder with their own gun- the intruder just takes it from them and shoots them 😬 I’d definitely rate an intruder’s ability to shoot someone above my own.

I hope I’m not on your list 🤣🤣🤣

Absolutely! If I needed to.

yes, absolutely no problem

In the heat of the moment/adrenaline flowing I reckon I could and would if I was being attacked/my kids were.

Oh, I'm pretty confident I could totally kill someone. I don't even think I'd find it difficult. It's only a basic moral compass that stops me.

In self defense or protecting my family 100%.

Also i have to admit that there are certain situations where i would be capable of killing someone out of pure vengeance

I was just thinking this.

If someone killed or seriously harmed my family, if I had a gun and an opportunity to kill them and avoid having them breathe in my world, and constantly appeal to be released from prison etc, I would. I'd take the consequences.

This

You can’t answer this question unless you’ve been in a situation that through fear or hate you would kill someone - or decide not to.

I remember my best friends dad died when we were 13. She came back into school after 2 days off and people genuinely bitched about her for coming back so soon. When none of these people had experienced the grief of losing a parent so how could they say how they would react.

If someone sexually abused my DC, I could quite happily plan and execute their demise. No guilt , nothing .

I think if it was kill or be killed, or someone was trying to harm my children then yes, I probably could. It would be easier to do it in a non contact way like shooting than having to kill someone with my bare hands though. Actually as a tiny, very puny woman I doubt there are many people i could stab or strangle even if I did want to!
I also think I could probably kill someone who was suffering hideously. I was reading something about WW1 recently and there was a bit about soldiers shooting their own wounded who had non survivable injuries or were stuck on barbed wire etc but weren't actually dead yet. It's a horrific thought and obviously would be an awful decision to have to face, but I think in circumstances where there really is no hope I could probably do it, as I would want someone to do it to me if I was dying a slow agonising death.

I agree with this. It's one thing doing something at a distance, eg fire a shot across the room, or at a different time to when the person will die, eg poisoning. What I could never understand is how someone could kill someone close up. The memory of them would always stay with you.

Of course. I used to work with homeless young men in South London and the phrase I used a lot was, "best way to get stabbed, carry a knife".

Sorry I should have been clearer - the father caught the man raping his 5 yr old daughter.
He wasn't charged.

If I or my daughter were being threatened I could easily. I’m definitely a fight person not a flight person.

I doubt I could kill somebody on a premeditated basis. Mainly I wouldn’t have sufficient confidence in my ability to cover my tracks.

In self defence. And anyone attacking my children. I would use whatever force was required to stop them and if that resulted in death then so be it.

If someone was threatening to kill your child, pretty sure you’d be able to kill someone.

We all could.

I’ve got a list of people I’d like to kill 😂

If you knew my former in-laws you’d understand.