Killing Someone

[Tee Kay]

I can't see myself killing another person. But then again, I'm young and have yet to see the world. I might change for the worse in a couple of years. Who knows?

 

[IglooDame]

Ditto what Lotus said, roughly. Some people are better able to deal with it than others, and I haven't seen any reliable indicators that'll tell you ahead of time.

But particularly ditto this part:

Me personally, I'd rather leave this world, never having to kill. Hopefully that can be the case.

 

[Turner]

A reporter once asked an anonymous sniper in Afaghanistan what he felt when he killed an enemy insurgent. The sniper thought quietly for a moment before answering: "Recoil."

I don't think it would be that hard to kill someone in war. People have been doing it forever, if it were so difficult, there would be no war.

That's not entirely accurate.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Killing the enemy is like stepping on an ant. Do you worry about that? It is just a screwed up moral code that this world has created that makes us feel bad for killing an enemy...

Do we feel bad when we spray a can of raid on some bees? No. So don't feel bad now.

Does that work both ways?

edit: I'd never kill someone or join the army if I could avoid it. I allready avoided joining the army, now for the not killing someone.

 

[warpus]

So,

I am a 21 year old Male. I have enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Infantryman (11Bravo), we are scheduled to deploy in 30 days from today. Everyone that I talk to has nothing but negative things to say about Iraq, being there, the deaths, what it is like to lose close friends and what not.

So It got me to thinking, what would you feel, do, and experience if you were to kill someone? Even if it was from an insurgency dedicated to the destruction of your government and your heretic views on life?

I joined as an infantryman because I decided if I was going to join the Army, i wasn't going to be "Chairborne", I was going to be part of the fight. There really is only 2 parts to the army, those who fight, and those who support those who fight. So I am anxious to know what my fellow Civ-Fans think, If you were to join, what would it do to you physically, mentally, and morally to kill someone? Even if they were opposed to your entire way of life? (and no it doesn't mean you have to be fighting for the U.S., because I know a lot of you are non-US citizens.

Don't they provide that sort of psychological training @ boot camp (or wherever it is you go for training)

??

 

[Yeeek]

Don't they provide that sort of psychological training @ boot camp (or wherever it is you go for training)

??

Yes however, it is still theorycraft. No one really know how they'd react if put in the action untill it actully happens. It is never as smouth as in your training class.

Actully the problem is not how you will react because you have been trained to be in such situations and will most likely act accordingly. In other words, shooting the bad guys and doing your job.

The real question is how it will affect you and your life. hours, days, weeks, months, years after it happened.

 

[batteryacid]

Many of you seem to not get my point. It is a new modern social construct that we are supposed to feel all this compassion. This is a moral code created by a certain sect of society. What makes it right? It seems many of you have not thought about it.

Humans are not wired to feel this way. It is created. Some society leave their babies to die. In history there are tons and tons of bloodthirsty cultures. They surely didn't shed tears as they conquered lands.

It is a modern invention. In other words, don't develop your moral code based upon others or based upon whats on tv. Figure out what you value, why you value, and how you want to live your life...and live off of that.

Science has shown, that the brain has even a special part that makes us feel compassion and identify with other person´s feelings ("Spiegelneuronen" is the german word for it) so its a hardwired thing that can be SUPRESSED by training or propaganda or self-preservation instinct in a life-to life situation, so its the other way round.

 

[CaptainF]

Many of you seem to not get my point. It is a new modern social construct that we are supposed to feel all this compassion. This is a moral code created by a certain sect of society. What makes it right? It seems many of you have not thought about it.

Humans are not wired to feel this way. It is created. Some society leave their babies to die. In history there are tons and tons of bloodthirsty cultures. They surely didn't shed tears as they conquered lands.

It is a modern invention. In other words, don't develop your moral code based upon others or based upon whats on tv. Figure out what you value, why you value, and how you want to live your life...and live off of that.

There have always been people who have no problem killing, just as there have always been people who do.

 

[Lotus49]

In training, they put you into a sustained highly physically stressful & psychologically frustrating environment, while steadily getting you more and more comfortable with the idea of killing (for example, your response to every command in Marine bootcamp, is to stomp your foot, and yell: "KILL!" - then go do it, trained to act on command, without hesitation).

It's just a military machine... you're young and stupid, and they just want a mission accomplished. Once you're no longer a 'cog in their machine', they couldn't care less about you. In fact, they don't really care that much, when you're IN the machine.

But, if that's what you want to be...

Me? I got real tired of it, even in bootcamp. I just had to ride it out, because I had no other real opportunity in my life at the time. Plus there were some benefits I wanted to stick around for - why I joined in the first place. They do "make a man out of you". But, that's not all they make...

 

[Narz]

I would never kill anyone unless they tried to kill me first (or maim me or rape my girl or destroy my livelihood).

Even then I'd probably feel something about it, what I don't quite know.

Be safe out there, hopefully you won't have to kill anyone.

 

[Kozmos]

Physically: Elevated adrenaline level
Mentally: Probably some sort of twisted pleasure since I check about 80% on sadism, perhaps initial guilt and little remorse or not depending on the situation of the killing.
Morally: I absolutely have no objection to killing strangers or even baby seals.

From my friends in the military, they say that killing is one of those things that gets easier the more you do it.