Would you rat out a friend who killed a bad guy?

[Umbran]

So, in all honesty, if someone walked down my winding gravel driveway, made it past my outdoor dogs (not likely) and got into my house without setting off the alarm (not likely). I would automatically assume they were a threat to my 7 kids and attempt to incapacitate the intruder with a blow to the head - before they could explain themselves.

Which would be a fair bit kinder that what might happen if my father-in-law woke up first. He'd begin deliberations with his shotgun.

I will hazard a guess that most of us differentiate between "person in my house for unknown reason that may present a danger to people in the house" and "thieves, in general" and that might be tripping us up here.

 

[Kzach]

I will hazard a guess that most of us differentiate between "person in my house for unknown reason that may present a danger to people in the house" and "thieves, in general" and that might be tripping us up here.

Yeah, breaking into someone's house is a whole different kettle of fish to me. I did petty thefts like change from people's gloveboxes, shoplifting (either food stuffs or goods to sell to other kids at school), and basically whatever minor things I could get away with in addition to walking around with our lawn mower and mowing people's lawns, washing windows at big intersections (a bigger money-maker than you may think), helping people at shopping centres with their trolleys for the trolley return money (here we have trolleys that cost a dollar or two to use and you get it back when you return it... although when I did it, it was 20c), etc.

But breaking into someone's house? Nah, go ahead and shoot.

 

[Aeolius]

But breaking into someone's house? Nah, go ahead and shoot.

So knocking them unconscious, dragging into the dungeon, and experimenting on them before feeding them to the bobcats would be overkill, then?

Kzach - All things considered I'm glad your life has turned around, I'm glad to have you as a fellow EN World enthusiast, and I'm glad I never conked you on the noggin.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Hunger is not a valid reason for thievery when there are food banks.

Even if you're about to die of starvation and you're hundreds of miles from a food bank? Suppose you're lost in the Alaskan wilderness about to die of starvation. You come upon a LOCKED cabin. Heck, there's even a sign saying "Trespassers will be SHOT and then prosecuted." You have no LEGAL right to the food in that cabin. You break in, STEAL the food you need and survive to find civilization again.

Tell me again how the existence of a food bank somewhere on the planet invalidates hunger as an excuse for thievery?

This is like asking "If my PC does x, what alignment is he?" The beliefs of an individual, the crimes and circumstances of the crimes committed, the motivations of the vigilante, the access to "justice" by more socially acceptible means, and on and on - all these things affect the answer as to whether I (or anybody) would turn in a friend for an eggregious crime.

I suppose I can conceive of circumstances in which I would exact my own lethal revenge and try to get away with it, but it would have to be a fairly rare and extreme set of curcumstances and my overwhelming, reflexive response would be, "NO, I would not do such a thing."

 

[Aeolius]

Tell me again how the existence of a food bank somewhere on the planet invalidates hunger as an excuse for thievery?

It was not my intent to apply my experience with food banks to a global application. Granted, in some countries you'd loose your hand for stealing a loaf of bread.

Suppose you're lost in the Alaskan wilderness about to die of starvation. You come upon a LOCKED cabin.

And now I feel the urge to look at Abandoned Antarctic Outposts

 

[Janx]

Les mis is one of my favorites. Xp for umb if i had some...

On shooting intruders, in texas that is mostly legal. it is pretty safe for me to wake, hear a noise, verify my wife is right there, and then shoot anybody else in the house. Once you have kids or guests that strategy is risky.

I'm surprised nobody's guessed the show i was watching. I dont think the reporter is a main character, but the Allstate guy is.

What struck me was the probability that a "friend" would dig up dirt. It seemed a weak premise. Or that this journalist wasnt that good a friend.

But then, the other story involving a bad guy who kidnaps some girls so he can leverage the Fed agent who will be assigned to stopping his main plot to killthe Allstate man AND sneak in a fake concerned father of the other girl just seems like way too much perfect complex planning.

Basically, i've become too doubting of the house of cards problems that have been set for our protagonists.

Anyway, time to watch more netflix and see what happens next.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Depending on state laws, shooting an intruder may well be okay in the eyes of the law.

IF you report it. Not reporting it and hiding the body in the backyard? I do believe that's the legal definition of "not cool."

Brad

 

[Fast Learner]

And again, ok in the eyes of the law doesn't necessarily mean appropriate or moral.

 

[Jhaelen]

His son killed the guy who raped his daughter and lied about it.

Would you dig deeper into this?

My main problem with this scenario is this:
Did the guy who got killed actually commit the rape? How can you be sure of it?

It could just as well have been the daughter who was lying.

Walking around shooting guys 'you just know' deserve it, is illegal for a reason.

 

[jimmifett]

A real friend doesn't help you bury bodies.

A real friend leaves out an article explaining how to mix thermite and doesn't ask questions.