Poll of the Day > Can you pull the trigger?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Say, your life was on the line, or someone you loved... and you had a gun on you... would you be able to pull the trigger? There is a huge mental gap you cross to willingly kill somebody else, even in self defense. Even soldiers that killed only "bad guys" still end up with terrible PTSD and things like that.

I've never had to actually squeeze the trigger, thank God, but I always wondered if I could actually pull it when the time comes... and I'm pretty convinced that I could. I have had to brandish a firearm in self defense on more than one occasion (they ran, you cannot shoot if they run, and you SHOULDN'T shoot if they run, because you should only fire to save a life, never to take one), and I went completely numb to all thoughts (almost like the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan when he goes deaf) and my brain became a robotic feedback cycle of "Q. DO I SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER? A. NO I CAN STILL SEE HIS HANDS. Q. DO I SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER? A. NO I CAN STILL SEE HIS HANDS. Q. DO I SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER? A. NO I CAN STILL SEE HIS HANDS." nonstop in half second loops until the guy made a split for it. I had zero emotional hangups on squeezing the trigger in that moment of adrenaline and protection of my (now late) wife, but in a calm setting sitting down and talking to you guys about it is completely different from being in the moment.

I'll tell you what, logically, I'd rather need therapy for taking a life and have the person I'm protecting be alive then vice versa. Also, I don't think you should own or carry a gun if you don't think you are capable of using it. Well, you can own a gun for hunting/target shooting/hobby without being able to fire in self defense, but you should not BRANDISH a weapon in self defense if you can't go through with pulling the trigger. It is not a stale mate or argument winner, it is only there because "if I don't pull the trigger me or someone else is going to die" and nothing else. That's my view, anyways.

Also, I guess this is a verbal poll, because I have no idea how to make one...

I have no idea. I really don't know if I could. My flight instinct is so strong I'd probably grab my loved one's arm and just try to bolt.
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Never had to knock on wood but I know someone who has which makes me wonder if I could it makes me wonder if Ive never had to knock on wood and Im glad I havent yet because Im sure it isnt good

Thats the impression that I get

Easily, I'd shoot them and keep beating them til they bleed out. Bloodlust is a hell of a drug.
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In the heat of the moment, maybe, but short of that i very highly doubt I could.
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i'd like to think so. but its one of those things you never know until put in that situation. now if they had already hurt someone I cared about i'm willing to bet it would be far easier at that point.
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Megatron will kill anybody for no reason.
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I'd be dead by the time I got over the denial that killing is the only way.

EvilMegas posted...

Megatron will kill anybody for no reason.

I was just crying in grief over the loss of my wife 10 minutes ago, and I just laughed my ass off like a lunatic. Thank you for that, an unexpected gem in my day.

Aquamew posted...

I'd be dead by the time I got over the denial that killing is the only way.

Care to elaborate on the last part? Not combative or trying to argue, I'm curious about your mindset and the depth of this thought.

That's what im here for man.
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Theres way too many possible variables to answer this, but Ill try to condense it into three scenarios.

Im armed, assailant is unarmed - Id use the weapon as leverage and try to threaten them to stop. Most reasonable people would back down at the sight of a gun.

Im armed, assailant is armed - Id shoot first, providing I had a clear shot and an innocent person wouldnt get caught in the crossfire.

Im armed, assailant is unarmed and not responding to threats or pressure to stop - Id shoot. Again, providing I had a clear shot.

But really, anything can happen with multiple people involved and adrenaline is pumping. Who knows?
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Thankfully most of us never have to find out the answer
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Far-Queue posted...

Theres way too many possible variables to answer this, but Ill try to condense it into three scenarios.

Im armed, assailant is unarmed - Id use the weapon as leverage and try to threaten them to stop. Most reasonable people would back down at the sight of a gun.

Im armed, assailant is armed - Id shoot first, providing I had a clear shot and an innocent person wouldnt get caught in the crossfire.

Im armed, assailant is unarmed and not responding to threats or pressure to stop - Id shoot. Again, providing I had a clear shot.

But really, anything can happen with multiple people involved and adrenaline is pumping. Who knows?

That all seems fairly rational and reasonable.

Don't have a gun, would never willingly carry one, so I'll never have to find out.

For what it's worth, I have martial arts training and I was put in a situation where I had to use it once - didn't even need to think about it, my body simply acted.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oh4PxSV7OY

Depends on how much prep and thinking comes before it. I imagine that I -- as most people -- could instinctively pull it when confronted by a sudden, immediate threat but thinking about it would make it harder. Granted, you can shoot to wound although it'd be harder

MannerSaurus posted...

Say, your life was on the line, or someone you loved... and you had a gun on you... would you be able to pull the trigger?

The wording confused me at first, since the phrase can also mean have a gun pointed at you.
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Zeus posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oh4PxSV7OY

Depends on how much prep and thinking comes before it. I imagine that I -- as most people -- could instinctively pull it when confronted by a sudden, immediate threat but thinking about it would make it harder. Granted, you can shoot to wound although it'd be harder

MannerSaurus posted...

Say, your life was on the line, or someone you loved... and you had a gun on you... would you be able to pull the trigger?

The wording confused me at first, since the phrase can also mean have a gun pointed at you.

Sorry, I should have worded that a little better. Shooting to wound is legally impossible, not to mention extremely difficult (leg shots can kill someone faster than a lung shot because of major arteries), because 1. Discharging a firearm is considered "lethal force." There is no middle ground, legally, for the discharge of a firearm. 2. If you were shooting at center mass to stop the threat (no intention of kill or not kill, just firing until the threat stopped), trained cops and soldiers still miss over half of their bullets in combat. I can't imagine a regular person, that isn't some kind of SEAL or Green Beret, landing some kind of skilled "maim" shot in a life or death situation. Just my thoughts on it.

I understand your moral point of it, though.

Shoots OP before reading the second line of his post.

Yep.
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wolfy42 posted...

Shoots OP before reading the second line of his post.

Yep.

*Holds bullet wound and falls to knees.*
Good. I'm glad............