Any soldiers here? Could you take a human life?

[_TJ_]

In all seriousness I don't think I could do it.

Would you ever consider joining the army and fighting under any circumstances?

I read a while back that psychologists discovered 90% of soldiers
would be unable to fire their weapons if they knew it would kill
someone.

Something about this strikes me as very true. I don't think
many people have the ability to kill - armies rely on brainwashing
their troops to get them to act aggressively.

TJ

[nytemare]

1. I think it becomes an act of survival after a while

The tragedy comes when you look at cars that didn't stop at roadblocks because they didn't understand, and were killed. The troops are thinking it is a car carrying a bomb, and they might be killed, so they shoot, only to discover it was women and children.

I can't imagine the guilt that goes with that.

[_TJ_]

2. I think that picture of the little six year old girl...

...covered in her parents blood will haunt me for the rest of my
life. :(

[stray cat]

7. It was haunting -

However, if someone was trying to kill her would you intervene even violently or let it happen.

[_TJ_]

8. Yes I would use violence

I would even use a gun in a situation like that. I swear though,
I would make every effort humanly possible not to kill anyone.

If I ever took a human life I know I wouln't be able to live
with myself.

TJ

[nytemare]

12. No doubt

I feel for anyone put in a difficult situation. I feel even if I was truly justified in killing somebody to prevent my own death, or anothers, that I would still think about taking a life.

[LynnTheDem]

3. You don't know if you could do it or not until you're faced with it.

Got a child? A loved one? Would you kill someone who was hurting them, trying to kill them?

Would you kill to protect yourself?

You don't know until it happens to you.

Soldiers in war don't have time to think about it; it's kill or be killed, and the instinct for survival is one of the strongest things in nature.

Everyone has the ability to kill. What triggers that ability varies.

Hand a loaded gun to a mother, and then attack her child in front of her...think you have a 90% chance of not getting shot?

[_TJ_]

6. I think I know my own personality

"Got a child? A loved one? Would you kill someone who was
hurting them, trying to kill them?"

If I had a gun I might shoot them in the leg! I doubt I would
be able to point it at their head unless I thought I only had
a second to act.

"Would you kill to protect yourself?"

If I were attacked I would defend myself but my intention
would never be to kill the other person.

"Everyone has the ability to kill."

I don't think that's true. If I had a gun, and I killed someone
during a violent confrontation, it is very unlikely that it
would have been my intention IMO.

TJ

[LynnTheDem]

9. Let's hope you never have to find out.

As for thinking you'd fire "in the leg", unless you're a very good, very experienced target shooter...

Well, let's just hope you never have to find out. :)

[Baclava]

4. "I am not an animal"

Until you point a gun in my face...then, I guess you lose.
We haven't come that far from the trees, really.

[stray cat]

5. As a civilian if someone was going to kill me or my family I would.

[Wilms]

10. .

[camaro3232]

11. You can never know until you are in that type of situation