Ethical Dilemna?

Interesting answers guys, i really like them so far. Brandi i lol'd at yours and the disclaimer haha. I dont know how much of my reaction is male instincts but you could be right haha. I dont like other males trying to mark my territory! jk jk lol.

I never thought about the difference between shooting to kill and just shooting to injure them. I doubt id be a good enough marksman but of course id rather shoot to injure so i dont go to jail for murder. If i knew the person wasnt armed id much rather just beat the crap out of them but you cant ever know in situations like that. I didnt think of how laws differ between states so much too. Im not positive on this but i know a guy who moved up here from FL and when he got his gun permit down there the instructor had told him that if someone breaks into your house and you choose to shoot then you better shoot to kill bc otherwise they can sue you and stuff. Not sure exactly how accurate that is but i thought that was interesting too. Someone breaks into your house but if you shoot you could be the one getting in trouble lol.

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Originally Posted by BrandiR

I do have a gun now. I need a different one, so I don't currently carry. But I have one at home that I could use should the need arise. I really, really, really hope it never does. It probably never will. In my CareBear influenced opinion, saying you'd shoot someone over a jewelry box doesn't make you a bad person. But I do think you should ask yourself and answer yourself honestly, "Do I carry a weapon in case I ever need to protect myself/someone else, or do I carry a weapon because I'll be damned if someone is going to steal my stuff, or cut me off in traffic, or call my girl a nasty name in a parking lot!"?

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Hmm i re-read this again. This IS a really good point. Im actually not a confrontational person at all, i dont really get mad often. Thats why i made the point to say i realize i sorta sounded like a trigger happy psycho lol. I guess i probably wouldnt shoot them in real life unless i knew i was good enough to only shoot to injure them.

If it was legal and I had a safe shot, I'd possibly pull the trigger on a thief in my own home.

However I know of no where in the US allows you to pull the trigger on someone who is outside your home with stolen goods and is running away from you.

A firearm is a lethal weapon. People have died from being shot in the leg (Sean Taylor). If it is used, it should be used to stop the person who poses a threat of bodily harm to yourself or others. A person who is retreating, carrying property is not posing a threat. I would not hesitate to use lethal force to defend my life or the life of anyone in my family. However, I would not use lethal force for someone running away after stealing property. To do that is committing a crime, even if you are good enough in a situation like that to shoot to wound. It is not self defense.

Honestly I'd probably shoot. And that's why I don't own a hand gun. I have thought about it over and over. Even went as far as getting a handgun purchase permit. But I just can't me owning a hand gun ending well if I were ever put in a situation like that. Especially if it were my son's stuff. I'd be like "oh hell no you ain't stealing from my boy.", and then I'd be in jail.

if someone was leaving my house, probably not. if someone was entering and it was dark, especially if my child was home, i wouldn't hesitate. not many people go breaking into houses at night without some sort of weapon, and i wouldn't risk something happening to my child or me and me not be there to raise my child. if this is the case i would shoot to put down. it's dark, i don't know if the intruder has a gun. if he decided to shoot back, bullets fly through walls, and i wouldn't wanna risk my child getting hit. now if this happens to me before i have kids, and i'm the only one home, i'll probably just walk out and pump the shotgun where he could here it and if he doesn't immediately get out maybe blow a warning shot through the wall. lol after that i have a hard time believing anyone would stay in the house.

I have a loaded shot gun under my bed and soon will have a .45 carry. If anyone breaks into my trailer they will get shot with the shotgun, first two shell are bird shot next two are loaded with rock salt last two bird so I have a little choice what I shot someone with but in my trailer i will shoot other wise if you are threatening me with out a gun I'm very good at fighting :)

I'd like to add that a very large number of B & Es are committed by "kids". Sometimes they're bad kids. Sometimes they're good kids who are doing a bad thing. Sometimes they were pressured into it.

Point? In my opinion, it's a little (no, a lot) harsh to take the stance that if someone is in your house who doesn't belong there, you would be willing, able, and ready to shoot them. Keep in mind, that could be your thirteen year old kid taking a dare someday.

If you shoot an unarmed intruder or a child, then you took an irresponsible shot.

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

This ^. Not necessarily shoot to kill, but shoot to prevent harm to myself and family until police arrived. Knees would be great...

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Unfortunately around here that would result in them either shooting back at you, or suing for everything you own.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I didnt think of how laws differ between states so much too. Im not positive on this but i know a guy who moved up here from FL and when he got his gun permit down there the instructor had told him that if someone breaks into your house and you choose to shoot then you better shoot to kill bc otherwise they can sue you and stuff. Not sure exactly how accurate that is but i thought that was interesting too. Someone breaks into your house but if you shoot you could be the one getting in trouble lol.

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That's a sad thing isn't it?! That could happen here too. When I got my shotgun, for use IN HOUSE for protection of my child's life (I probably would have never even bought it if I didn't have a child to protect), my grandmother's first response was, "But they can sue you if you use it!" Sad, but true. There have been cases of burglars breaking into homes, getting injured (even through their own fault) and then suing the home owner. There have been cases of people entering fenced yards with a "Beware of Dog" sign, then suing the owner when they get bit, because the sign was "admitting fault" for having an aggressive dog (never mind the fact the person entered the FENCED yard without permission!). I have spoken to law enforcement in my area, and here's the really sad thing I've been told: If anyone ever does break in while you are home (home invasion) and you have to shoot to protect yourself and your family, make sure they are A) Completely inside your home (i.e. not in the exterior doorway), B) Facing you (not feeling), and C) shoot to kill so the only story the police hear is yours.

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Originally Posted by creepin

if someone was leaving my house, probably not. if someone was entering and it was dark, especially if my child was home, i wouldn't hesitate. not many people go breaking into houses at night without some sort of weapon, and i wouldn't risk something happening to my child or me and me not be there to raise my child. if this is the case i would shoot to put down. it's dark, i don't know if the intruder has a gun. if he decided to shoot back, bullets fly through walls, and i wouldn't wanna risk my child getting hit. now if this happens to me before i have kids, and i'm the only one home, i'll probably just walk out and pump the shotgun where he could here it and if he doesn't immediately get out maybe blow a warning shot through the wall. lol after that i have a hard time believing anyone would stay in the house.

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My husband and I actually have an "abort word" now for this very reason. We came up with it after talking to others who have been in similar situations as us. If you are in a situation where it is dark, you cannot visually identify the person, and they are coming at you, there may not be time to ask "Who are you?" and get a satisfactory answer. My husband may come home in the middle of the night, sometimes leaves the bedroom at night (he'll get restless legs and leave the room so I can sleep), and after our dealings with the bad neighbors (LONG story), we decided that "abort word" was a good idea.

Like Don said. If you pull that weapon out you are stepping through a door that can not be shut and nothing can be predicted once you go through it. The idea of pointing a gun to intimidate or shooting someone to injure is not the best idea in the world. If you can point that gun to intimidate then you do not need to pull it. If you can shoot to injure then you do not need to pull it. For me, when the firearm comes out I am going to take someone's life.