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View Poll Results: Does an Armed Citizen have a Moral/Ethical Duty to Retreat (complete safety) | |||
Yep, at all times | 30 | 13.89% | |
Nope, Never | 92 | 42.59% | |
Yep, but only on the street, not in the Home/Business | 63 | 29.17% | |
I'm not ansering because I dont want to seem either wimpy or bloodthirsty | 15 | 6.94% | |
I'd rather have pic of you and Spiff iwearing spandex loincloths lard wrestling in a baby pool. | 16 | 7.41% | |
Voters: 216. You may not vote on this poll |
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June 11, 2009, 02:13 PM | #26 |
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This is one of those things that I'm still trying to sort out for myself. I really have to rack my brain to try and form an opinion that I can agree with. While I don't like the idea of watching someone get mugged or raped or watching a store get held up, I'm also not sure it's my place to intervene with deadly force. I honestly don't think I could just stand there.
I would have to at least say something.
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June 11, 2009, 02:16 PM | #27 |
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This is awesome guys, because of semantics and religious differences you're going to end up getting what could be a very good thread locked. I think this is a great question that bears reasonable discussion. Not banter about what defines morals and where they come from.
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June 11, 2009, 02:17 PM | #28 |
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I voted "Yes, but only on the street"
I think one's first instinct should always be to escape, if possible. As you step through your alternatives (very quickly) in a scenario, that thought may quickly vanish, but I think it should always be at the top of the list. Frankly, even in your own home. If I'm standing at the back door, and someone comes in the front, why not vamoose and call LEO? Yes, legally (and even ethically) you could stay and fight in your own home, but that is dangerous and unnecessary. If the BG is there for your stuff - it's just stuff. If he IS after you, then he'll follow and you'll get your chance to "clean the gene pool". |
June 11, 2009, 02:19 PM | #29 |
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5W - speaks the truth - deal with the OP.
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June 11, 2009, 02:20 PM | #30 | |
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June 11, 2009, 02:25 PM | #31 | |
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June 11, 2009, 02:26 PM | #32 |
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Sorry, Glenn, I'll take it to PM. I do think that the source of morals is necessary to inform the discussion but I understand why the controversy detracts from the purpose of TFL.
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June 11, 2009, 02:28 PM | #33 |
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Morals are pretty irrelevant when you get right down to it. They vary so vastly from country to country and culture to culture. To try and pretend you or I somehow have the hard and fast moral set down pat is very naive and self centered to say the least. This question has nothing to do with morals and everything to do with pride and ego. Beyond that it is about person belief and not so called "morality."
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June 11, 2009, 02:33 PM | #34 |
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I would definetly divide the issue in two scenarios: home and street.
At home, once someone has forcefully entered the premises you either confront the individual or hold your ground. On the street I avoid a confrontation at all cost and that means retreat unless the situation forces you otherwise. |
June 11, 2009, 02:33 PM | #35 |
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Sorry for mentioning religion. I removed my posts. I'll go crawl back in my hole now if you're done spanking me.
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"I assert that nothing ever comes to pass without a cause." Jonathan Edwards Last edited by stargazer65; June 11, 2009 at 02:48 PM. Reason: Remove some of the sarcasm |
June 11, 2009, 02:40 PM | #36 |
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You bet yer bippy.
I will avoid conflict (particularly violent conflict) whenever feasible.
For the purpose of this discussion the ground rules are that I can escape safely (I'm assuming that family members are included in that safety). How highly do I value my life? What do I place above my life and the lives of those I love? So for all cases IN THIS DISCUSSION, I will always retreat in perfect safety, rather than escalate the situation. Escape in safety poses no risk to my family. Confrontation and conflict poses many risks: 1) Gunfire goes somewhere, and while I am perfect and would never miss, the incompetent (Please God, let him/her be incompetent!) criminal attacking me will probably miss, and those bullets go somewhere. 2) I have no greater duty than the duty to my family. Nothing else supersedes this. Escalating a situation could bring harm to my loved ones. There is no way to accept this risk. My death or injury (very possible) will slightly impede my ability to care, provide for and protect my family. The situation obviously changes when the ground rules of this situation give way to reality. When in my home, perfectly safe retreat becomes very problematic. -Is there someone outside? -Can my entire family exit the house and get to "safety"? -How do we complete our escape? Because of these uncertainties I would probably retreat to one room where I have the best chance of keeping my loved ones safe. Even if that means being forced to fight. But in keeping with the ground rules of this discussion, I find myself answering that I would ALWAYS retreat. I'm somewhat surprised by this. But the ground rules constrain the situation. VR Matt |
June 11, 2009, 02:50 PM | #37 |
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My #1 goal is to get home to my family, so running away screaming like a little Austrian girl from the ' Sound of Music' is definitely in my tactical training plans.
Protecting an innocent person would be the only thing that would cause me to stay in a dangerous situation.
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June 11, 2009, 02:53 PM | #38 |
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It may be a fact that morals as well as legalities vary from culture to culture and country to country but that is irrelevant because you only live in one country and one culture, at least at any given point in time. But the rub is in actually making the decision and quickly.
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June 11, 2009, 02:56 PM | #39 | |
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June 11, 2009, 03:03 PM | #40 |
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Perhaps everyone discussing the OP should bear in mind that 'Retreat' in this context does not necessarily mean 'turn your tail and run screaming like a eunuch'.
Consider the scenario that sparked this thread. "Retreat" for the pharmacist could have been taking cover, while keeping the wounded suspect on the ground covered. The question here is: Would your conscience allow you to escalate a situation that you could possibly walk away from without firing a shot? Remember, escalating the situation, as I am posing the question, means 'using deadly force'. And 'possibly walk away from' means "the threat that you are reacting to is diminishing".
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June 11, 2009, 03:07 PM | #41 | |
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June 11, 2009, 03:08 PM | #42 |
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There are those that deep down want someone to break into their house so they can shoot them and can hardly wiat for it. Some that have their gun so tricked out that they long for the day that they can actually use it.
However most on here do not and fear the day that they will actually be confronted with the decision of what to do. I think that morally everyone has to take into account all of the surrounding facts and make that decision of whether to retreat in about one second. Home or street doesn't matter and thankfully in most states it is recognized that few people can analyze all the factors in one second. In the end I don't think that it is any difference for most people whether it is legal or moral, just thayt they are defending themselves. If someone breaking into my home or sticking a gun into my face on the street, I am not going to be thinking is this legal or moral, I am going to be thinking "I don't want to die". Unless you are a very rare person the taking of another person's life no matter how thuggish is going to change yours forever. |
June 11, 2009, 03:10 PM | #43 |
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Another aspect to consider regarding retreat is "does your retreat leave others in immediate danger with no defense?"
If I see, from a safe distance down the hall, an armed man burst into a schoolroom and I can easily and safely retreat should I still do so? |
June 11, 2009, 03:14 PM | #44 | |
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June 11, 2009, 03:14 PM | #45 | ||
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June 11, 2009, 03:17 PM | #46 |
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I think Matt covered it pretty well in post #38.
I might add that what one might assume to be legally justified just might not be seen quite the same way by others after the fact. Even with a stand-your ground law-there may be risk. For me the gun is a last resort in all cases. Let me rephrase that: firing a gun is a last resort in all cases. I have presented a weapon without firing in what might well have ended rater badly had I not been armed. |
June 11, 2009, 03:29 PM | #47 |
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At this time I'd have to say if everyone can be safe by retreating (including my family, myself, all bystanders that the BG could reasonably harm) I would choose retreat. But that's an awful lot of ifs.
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June 11, 2009, 03:29 PM | #48 |
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Vote and discuss.
Dance monkeys, DANCE !!! I will not vote, nor offer an opinion as the poll questions are too broad.
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June 11, 2009, 03:30 PM | #49 | |
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June 11, 2009, 03:32 PM | #50 | |
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