Would you kill to protect your property?

[Enkidu Warrior]

Here's the scenario:

Somebody breaks into your home and attempts to steal something of non-trivial value. For whatever reason you have the option to kill the intruder and prevent him from stealing your stuff or you'll have to let him go and have no hope of ever getting your stuff back. The items being stolen are not insured. They are of great value to you, but their loss would not threaten your survival in any meaningful way.

There is no surprise involved. For whatever reason you are able to calmly respond to the situation.

There is no physical threat of any nature to you or anybody else, except for that which you pose to the intruder and you have complete confidence in this fact.

You have no knowledge of the intruder whatsoever. There's nothing that marks them out in any way except for the fact that they're trying to steal from your home.

You have no other options - no non-lethal shots, no chasing after the intruder, no police, no booby traps. Either kill or abandon your possessions.

Anyone who posts something containing the lines 'it depends' will be hunted down and tickled. Answer in the spirit that the above scenario lays out and without reference to any laws.

 

[RedRalph]

Not for property, no. If my family was threatened, then without hesitation. but no way over something that wasnt alive.

 

[JerichoHill]

No physical threat? Well, if your home is broken into I dont think that's a valid assumption in the first place, because how would one know?

 

[holy king]

one would in this scenario... *sigh*

 

[Enkidu Warrior]

No physical threat? Well, if your home is broken into I dont think that's a valid assumption in the first place, because how would one know?

The tickling squads are on their way!

Seriously, just answer in the spirit of the scenario. This isn't meant to be a practical question.

 

[Jawz II]

Within the spirit of the scenario... no, I don't think so.

But I have to say, it was very hard for me to answer no. And that's just so I don't have to think of the thiefs mother and siblings and what have you crying over the worthless SOB and feel bad.

Also, I don't want to have to worry about someone slashing my tires, breaking my windows or stealing my letters, etc (as revenge).

If the options had been anything less than death for the guy, like "would you beat the guy to an inch of his life? put him in the hospital for months, break his legs, knock out his teeth etc etc" then I would have said yes I would.

 

[silver 2039]

Yeh I would kill the person.

 

[Jawz II]

I don't think so.

 

[IglooDame]

No. The object of non-material value may or may not be worth the intruder's life, but for certain it isn't worth the mental trauma I'd experience for the rest of my life after I killed him.

 

[zxcvbnm]

Can any material wealth be worth more than a human life?

 

[Pannonius]

I would kill the criminal.

 

[Phlegmak]

Here's the scenario:

Somebody breaks into your home and attempts to steal something of non-trivial value. For whatever reason you have the option to kill the intruder and prevent him from stealing your stuff or you'll have to let him go and have no hope of ever getting your stuff back. The items being stolen are not insured. They are of great value to you, but their loss would not threaten your survival in any meaningful way.

There is no surprise involved. For whatever reason you are able to calmly respond to the situation.

There is no physical threat of any nature to you or anybody else, except for that which you pose to the intruder and you have complete confidence in this fact.

You have no knowledge of the intruder whatsoever. There's nothing that marks them out in any way except for the fact that they're trying to steal from your home.

You have no other options - no non-lethal shots, no chasing after the intruder, no police, no booby traps. Either kill or abandon your possessions.

Anyone who posts something containing the lines 'it depends' will be hunted down and tickled. Answer in the spirit that the above scenario lays out and without reference to any laws.

In this completely fictional and mythological scenario, I'd have to say, yes, I'd kill the intruder.

Can any material wealth be worth more than a human life?

Yes. Example: The material wealth is necessary for your livelihood.

 

[silver 2039]

The person is a criminal.

 

[IglooDame]

Can any material wealth be worth more than a human life?

Yes, in two ways: as Phlegmak says, the material wealth could be necessary to your own survival; and/or the human life might be worthless in the first place (example: an unrepentant serial rapist-murderer).

 

[zxcvbnm]

Yes, in two ways: as Phlegmak says, the material wealth could be necessary to your own survival; and/or the human life might be worthless in the first place (example: an unrepentant serial rapist-murderer).

In the first case it would be a life versus a life, in the second, how can one define what human life is worthless?

 

[brennan]

More than ten characters required to say "No".

 

[IglooDame]

In the first case it would be a life versus a life, in the second, how can one define what human life is worthless?

It's like obscenity - I know it when I see it.

Of course, I don't go around censoringending worthless lives because it's a waste of time, annoys the neighbors, and might land me in prison, aside from the aforementioned objection that I would probably feel all sorts of trauma, guilt, and so on. But that doesn't mean I don't consider some lives worthless.

 

[Kozmos]

Since I am mildly psychopathic and have an odd bond with my belongings I would assume yes that I would shoot the intruder if he tried to steal my bandana or other miscellaneous items.

 

[Dubai Vol]

Somebody breaks in to my house and is stealing from me? I'd kill him without hesitation. If I detain him and call the police he'll be back on the street and stealing again tomorrow.

The word you are looking for is VERMIN. You kill cockroaches and rats. The thief is lower than them.

Ooh, it's a human life! No it isn't. A human doesn't break into my house and steal from me. Anything that breaks into people's houses is subhuman by definition. This is not "oops, it was an accident!" This is "I have made the conscious decision to be a criminal."

If the justice system worked, I would let them handle it. The justice system does not work. I know this from pesonal experience. The next person who steals from me will die. It's that simple.

 

[silver 2039]

I would probably feel all sorts of trauma, guilt, and so on

Why would you feel guilt for killing a criminal that was trying to steal from you and broke into your house?