~Would You Take A Life??~

[Steve Hanson]

I'd put that closer to 40%. Many people handle stress very well and are able to postpone their emotions until the danger is past

Shooting another person is an event that most just simply aren't prepared for. Fact

Acting in response to a threat, the "fight or flight" mechanism is something ingrained in every human. When presented with grave danger, emotion stops and we react to the situation instinctively.
"What is my best chance of surviving?", we ask ourselves. If there's an opening to run through and we feel physically able to run, we run. Those of us lying in bed with a revolver close by would likely chose to fight. Training makes the reaction nearly automatic resulting in a loud bang and a dead intruder.
A few moments later is when emotion takes over again. Many people will be ill equipped to deal with what they've done, but many more will roll over and go back to sleep. I'd likely fall somewhere in the middle. I'd probably call the police, put on a pot of coffee and bitch about the mess.

Training is a key. Because most people say, yea, I'd pull the trigger. The problem is is most people won't have a gun in their hands when they face that situation. Their attacker might not have a gun either. So you have to be prepared to act no matter what the situation is. You're at home with a wife and kids. You run, you leave them stranded. An attacker has a gun on one of them? What do you do? It's not always and rarely is a case of I'm sitting here locked and loaded and you come at me.

 

[Ernie S.]

Sorry man, but it was a seriously stupid thing to do. Particularly for someone who claims to be so trained........In my honest opinion, you shouldn't own or be licensed to carry after that.

You're welcome to your opinion, Jester. We're just going to disagree on this topic. It's not something I would have done with most people, or something I would suggest to others, but it was the most efficient and expedient way to deal with that particular situation.

Sorry guy. Had you put me in that position, I'd have beat you half to death with the gun and called the cops. Good-by pistol permit!

 

[Ernie S.]

Shooting another person is an event that most just simply aren't prepared for. Fact

Acting in response to a threat, the "fight or flight" mechanism is something ingrained in every human. When presented with grave danger, emotion stops and we react to the situation instinctively.
"What is my best chance of surviving?", we ask ourselves. If there's an opening to run through and we feel physically able to run, we run. Those of us lying in bed with a revolver close by would likely chose to fight. Training makes the reaction nearly automatic resulting in a loud bang and a dead intruder.
A few moments later is when emotion takes over again. Many people will be ill equipped to deal with what they've done, but many more will roll over and go back to sleep. I'd likely fall somewhere in the middle. I'd probably call the police, put on a pot of coffee and bitch about the mess.

Training is a key. Because most people say, yea, I'd pull the trigger. The problem is is most people won't have a gun in their hands when they face that situation. Their attacker might not have a gun either. So you have to be prepared to act no matter what the situation is. You're at home with a wife and kids. You run, you leave them stranded. An attacker has a gun on one of them? What do you do? It's not always and rarely is a case of I'm sitting here locked and loaded and you come at me.

In both cases where I came close, I had a lot of time. In the first case, a man was trying to break down my front door to rape my wife. In about 5 seconds, I racked a shell into the chamber of my Model 12 and positioned myself 6 feet from the splintered door. I could see the man through a partially broken panel and I shouted that I was armed and I would fire if he entered. He thought better.
In the second case, I had my .44 in a shoulder rig, covered by my leather jacket when a crack head angled across the ally, with his right hand behind his back. He asked if I had a cigarette. (code for I'm going to rob you) I was carrying a pack in my shit pocket and figured I'd play his game.
I said, "Sure, guy", unzipped the jacket and reached for the pack. All he saw was the nickel plated model 629 and decided to give up smoking on the spot.
As he turned to run, I saw the knife.
Both men chose wisely, but were a second from death.

 

[Steve Hanson]

Acting in response to a threat, the "fight or flight" mechanism is something ingrained in every human. When presented with grave danger, emotion stops and we react to the situation instinctively.
"What is my best chance of surviving?", we ask ourselves. If there's an opening to run through and we feel physically able to run, we run. Those of us lying in bed with a revolver close by would likely chose to fight. Training makes the reaction nearly automatic resulting in a loud bang and a dead intruder.
A few moments later is when emotion takes over again. Many people will be ill equipped to deal with what they've done, but many more will roll over and go back to sleep. I'd likely fall somewhere in the middle. I'd probably call the police, put on a pot of coffee and bitch about the mess.

Training is a key. Because most people say, yea, I'd pull the trigger. The problem is is most people won't have a gun in their hands when they face that situation. Their attacker might not have a gun either. So you have to be prepared to act no matter what the situation is. You're at home with a wife and kids. You run, you leave them stranded. An attacker has a gun on one of them? What do you do? It's not always and rarely is a case of I'm sitting here locked and loaded and you come at me.

In both cases where I came close, I had a lot of time. In the first case, a man was trying to break down my front door to rape my wife. In about 5 seconds, I racked a shell into the chamber of my Model 12 and positioned myself 6 feet from the splintered door. I could see the man through a partially broken panel and I shouted that I was armed and I would fire if he entered. He thought better.
In the second case, I had my .44 in a shoulder rig, covered by my leather jacket when a crack head angled across the ally, with his right hand behind his back. He asked if I had a cigarette. (code for I'm going to rob you) I was carrying a pack in my shit pocket and figured I'd play his game.
I said, "Sure, guy", unzipped the jacket and reached for the pack. All he saw was the nickel plated model 629 and decided to give up smoking on the spot.
As he turned to run, I saw the knife.
Both men chose wisely, but were a second from death.

Now what if it wasn't a knife the second guy had, but a locked and cocked pistol? Yours is holstered, he's ready. That changes the game completely. Were you prepared in that situation?

 

[Intense]

Coulda-shoulda-woulda doesn't fly. You play the hand you are dealt to the best of your ability.

 

[Montrovant]

I think pretty much everyone is capable of taking another person's life, given the proper circumstances. The more appropriate question would be, "What circumstances would be required for you to take another's life?"

Thankfully, I have never been put in a situation where I had to make that choice. I won't know what it would take until I reach that point, but I don't think it would be harder for me than the average person. Hopefully I'll never have to find out.

 

[Wingsofwind]

YES, I could take a life.

What would make me do so is a threat to myself, my girls, my husband, or anyone who is being attacked by an animal(as in human with no regard to life). I have had dreams of doing so.

I was once in a situation where my husband and I almost had to take a life. A guy try to force his way into our home. Our girls were at the table eating supper and saw the whole thing. I am glad they didn't have to see one of us kill someone.

We didn't have a peep hole in the front door and my brother had just left. We heard a knock on the door and thought my brother forgot something. I asked who it was and got no answer. I asked again and still no answer. By then my husband had gotten up. We thought it was my brother playing games (he has done it before). But to be sure, my husband and I both pulled our firearms.

I keept my firearm at my side and my husband pointed his at the door (he wold always lower the firearm as soon as he knew who it was). As soon as I opened the door the guy pined me between the wall and door (I don't think he ever knew I was there).

My husband yelled at the guy to stop before he got all the way into the doorway. The guy kept coming even with a gun pointed right at him. So my husband told to stop or he would get shot. That caused him to stop but he would not leave, he just stood there. Then I use the door to push him outside. It worked at first but right when I almost had the door shut the guy started pushing back. My husband helped me get it the rest of the way shut. Then we called the police.

When the police got there, the guy was already gone (but they found him somewhere down the street). They told us that we had the right to shoot him. If he wouldn't have stopped he would have gotten shot. My husband had all the slack pulled out of the trigger.

I don't think that guy really knew what could have happened that night. We later found out that he was a friend of a woman who lived 4 doors down from us. And that he was passed out in front of her house before he came to ours. The police said he looked like he was on something and probably thought our house was hers.

This is when I stared having the dreams I mentioned.

 

[JBeukema]

Or maybe that should read, COULD you take a life??

If so, can you describe what would motivate you to take another's life??

I have, though it was unintentional. I got in an altercation with a comrade of mine a few years ago and it ended rather badly.

 

[JBeukema]

I don't believe in stating fight

I do believe in responding with overwhelming force when attacked

I don't box. If I'm in a fight, my goal is to make sure you don't get up and can never come back

Interestingly, the one time somone never got up again was an accident and involved no weapons

Go figure

 

[JBeukema]

This threads a bit chilling.

I had no idea so many people "think" they could end someones life w/o hesitation.

I'm starting to feel like a pacifist all of a sudden.

Meh, they are full of shit. Only a sociopath would be as gleeful about taking a life as some of these poseurs are acting.

You mean 1 in 25 people?

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[JBeukema]

or maybe that should read, could you take a life??

If so, can you describe what would motivate you to take another's life??

if it was absolutely necessary.it is not as easy as people think

I disagree. When I've had to use a weapon to defend myself and when my comrade died it proved to be far less than people make it out to be.

,I had a guy attack me with an ax saying he was going to kill me and if I had killed him there is no way I would of been guilty of any crime but once I wrestled the axe from him I threw it on the roof and when I got him down all I did was hold him until police arrived and other than giving him a couple of whacks.. I didnt even hurt him.I will never really know if his intent was to kill..he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and given a few months house arrest and probation and ordered to take something like AA...

sometimes I wonder why I used nothing more than necessary force

because that is your nature

 

[JBeukema]

I concede that putting children in the equation alters the odds considerably.

Yup. You don't ever wanna mess with Momma Bear.

And never, never, never get between a cow and her calf. Those little suckers bawl once and you're dead meat. Cows are vicious and relentless.

They're also tasty. The spoils of victory are bbq and bier

 

[Phoenix]

They're also tasty. The spoils of victory are bbq and bier

Cows are yummy - agreed.

But if you mess with her baby and you don't have some sort of weapon, you'll be on the losing end. Just sayin'.

 

[JBeukema]

They're also tasty. The spoils of victory are bbq and bier

Cows are yummy - agreed.

But if you mess with her baby and you don't have some sort of weapon, you'll be on the losing end. Just sayin'.

Cows are definitely not small animals- they can (and do) hurt people

Best to kill them first, before they organize

 

[Phoenix]

Cows are definitely not small animals- they can (and do) hurt people

Best to kill them first, before they organize

Considering we've had bulls that weighed a literal ton, yeah, they aren't small. Two such animals in a relatively large area make it seem rather small.

 

[JBeukema]

Cows are definitely not small animals- they can (and do) hurt people

Best to kill them first, before they organize

Considering we've had bulls that weighed a literal ton, yeah, they aren't small. Two such animals in a relatively large area make it seem rather small.

the solution is to eat one of the two

 

[Phoenix]

the solution is to eat one of the two

The were too old and tough. Too much testosterone too. We just used them for breeding for a couple years, then sold em.

You gotta feed out the steers ... that's good eatin'.

 

[JBeukema]

Or maybe that should read, COULD you take a life??

If so, can you describe what would motivate you to take another's life??

Another what?

Squished a friggen cockroach this morning. Don't have much trouble with reptiles either.

This is why RTLM called the Tutsis cockroaches...


dehumanizing the target is the easiest way to circumvent the resistance most of the population has to killing another human being

 

[JBeukema]

If you are a cockroach you must be killed, you cannot change anything, if you are Inkotanyi you cannot change anything. No one can say that he has captured a cockroach and the latter gave him money, as a price for his life, this is cannot be accepted. If someone has a false identity card, if he is Inkotanyi, a known accomplice of RPF don't accept anything in exchange, he must be killed
...

RTLM Tape 0011

 

[JBeukema]

Thank you Mr. Gahigi Gaspard, my name is Esilone Twahirwa, I was born in the Commune Mushubati, secteur Mwaki, Cellule Nyarusange, I am in Gikondo on a checkpoint, we are with military and we are in a good shape, there is no problem, no cockroaches, we caught [the following is inaudible]... He was wearing boots, a cockroach’s uniform and a Kalashnikov.

...

Q: Tell us the way you are facing the cockroaches, where are they coming from, what they mean when they say that they have taken Kigali. how is your plight?
R: We are here with military, we are very calm, no cockroach can cross the check-point, instead when we see them we run after them and catch them. I told you that we caught one cockroach earlier and they are even using children. We once caught two kids who were going to Rebero and they have been sent to spy the locations of our check-points but they never go beyond Ku rya gatanu, all the people know it. From ASAP to Mathias’ building, there are people, life goes as usual, and the markets are opened. For example on the market of the place called Marathon, you can find sugar, rice and much more. Therefore, cockroaches did not capture it, it is wrong.


...


Dear listeners, you heard by yourselves that in Gikondo civilians are there with children and there is security. Then, Gikondo has not been captured. Moreover, I meet one officer who leads the soldiers facing cockroaches. I would like him to tell you the situation of his soldiers and the civilians who are here in Gikondo.

RTLM Tape 0012