Ethical Dilemna?

[youbeyouibei]

I saw this issue sorta briefly mentioned in the thread about a good starter handgun.

(Youre carrying a gun in this hypothetical situation). If you came home and saw someone walking out the back door with your jewelry box is it worth it to shoot the person and take a human life over $300 worth of jewelry?

My initial reaction to reading that was absolutely yes, id have zero problem doing it. In fact if i saw someone (a person i didnt immediately recognize) walking out my back door with any of my stuff id have no problem shooting them. It would have to look like an obvious robbery though. Now i personally dont have any guns. I've put some serious thought into getting one eventually but at the moment the most dangerous gun i own is a pellet gun lol. Do you guys think that my opinion would change after i got a handgun? Am i a bad person for reading that and having that kind of reaction? I'd just like to hear what people think on the subject. I feel like my initial reaction sorta makes me sound like a trigger happy psycho lol. If youre comfortable saying so, let us know if you have a gun. If you have any stories similar to the hypothetical scenario go ahead and share them if you like.

There is no right or wrong answer to your question, really. You're going to be judged on the totality of the circumstances, the laws in effect in the state/area in which you live and any number of other factors, including case law for similar situations, mitigating and extenuating circumstances, etc. If I were confronted with that situation, as a 200+ pound individual trained and proficient in the use of various empty hand martial arts techniques as well as being armed, no, I would not take that shot. If a 90 pound female carrying a child were confronted with that situation with the "robber" being a 275 pound Patriots offensive line looking fella, that would dramatically change the perceived level of threat and the circumstances in that case. Much like a boxer or prize fighter being held to a higher standard given their training and experience if they get into a physical altercation with someone. The burden and onus of the situation is on you; know the law, know your rights and make dang sure of things before you pull the trigger. Once it's sent, no calling it back. If the situation dictates it, by all means defend yourself or those around you if it's warranted. As soon as the aggressive action(s) on the part of the individual(s) committing the offenses ceases, YOU then become the aggressor and you better make sure of what you're doing if that's the case. Again, heat of the moment, moment of passion, etc. Like I said, there is no right or wrong answer and it's largely going to be a case-by-case basis for the situation you mentioned. Food for thought if you ever decide to upgrade your Red Ryder, lol!