You'd probably lose your bet! I'm curious but doubt it since the perp showed up again and did his thing, and its unlikely anyone, including me, would convict her of assault. Unless of course it turns out she makes a habit of finding ways to shoot people, in which case she'd better get a badge and learn the law and ethics.
That's the point. If we devolve into vigilantiism we're into another era, why pay any taxes, might as well give up on the police altogether. I'd be extremely upset if one of my family did that kind of move, and they know it, even tho' they are proficient and probably capable of dealing with that sort of situation.
Re: killing someone, this might irritate you, but I long ago came to the realization that life is so sacred and our ability to comprehend it so limited that the death penalty is not the proper purview of the state since (a)mortality is the enemy of true civilization in the long run, and (b) even if acceptable by most, the state clearly cannot be trusted with that decision. We have politically-motivated crooks and incompetents, as well as political assassins in our own government, no doubt even at the hightest levels.
Government is permanent, unlike individuals. If a high crime were commited against my family I could easily imagine losing all civilizing influence, use combat training to settle the matter, and leave my fate to a jury of my peers. I would hate that, it would be wrong, etc., and I would peacefully attempt to restrain anyone else who tried that. That's preferable to the power of the state deciding to make an irrevocable decision.
What does this have to do with Iraq? (I knew you were asking yourself.)
This: we don't have the moral authority to begin blowing away vigilante-style without obvious and public provocation. |
