For what reasons could you kill somebody without regret?

[loinburger]

Several years ago I was punched in the face by somebody who was aggressive and intoxicated. I was initially going to retaliate, but then I realized that I'd almost certainly regret any retaliatory action and so I didn't take any; the next morning when this person sobered up he apologized for punching me and thanked me for not beating the **** out of him. And that's the end of the story, but perhaps you can empathize with how much it baffles me when somebody has revenge fantasies that involve killing somebody else, e.g. "I need a gun to protect my property" or "I sure hope that no black people look menacingly at me because then I'd have no choice but to kill them" or whatever - I would have regretted punching somebody who had just punched me in the face for no good reason, and so I'd certainly regret killing somebody for as flimsy as an excuse as "they were going to rob me" or "they looked at me funny" or whatever. The only situation in which I could imagine that I could kill somebody is if the regret for not killing them would unquestionably outweigh the regret for killing them, e.g. Saddam Hussein is about to nuke New York City and the only way I can stop him is to punch a hole in his head or whatever.

So, there's the premise for the question in the thread title - no poll, I don't know what options I'd include.

[Kidlicious]

So you would kill a Muslim but not an African-American?

[The Mad Monk]

At this point I think I could kill Kid's posting privileges without regret.

[rah]

Kid's inability to understand anything but the most simplistic concepts is truly sad.

[Dinner]

At this point I think I could kill Kid's posting privileges without regret.

[C0ckney]

someone hit me for no reason about 10 years ago; i proceeded to beat him up and didn't feel bad about it. equally when two guys tried to rob me, i was quite happy to give them a good hiding and didn't feel bad about it afterwards. if one is attacked, then there's nothing wrong with defending oneself in a proportionate way.

i'm not sure i could kill someone in cold blood, no matter what they'd done; and even if i could i'd certainly regret it afterwards.

in the heat of the moment though, say if it's me (or my family, etc.) or them, then that's a different situation. i'm not sure how i'd feel about it afterwards; i suppose a lot would depend on how immediate, in the cold light of day, the danger had been.

[Kidlicious]

Kid's inability to understand anything but the most simplistic concepts is truly sad.

Only thing that's sad is you thinking I was serious.

[rah]

I find that it's always safest to think someone is serious when they're talking about killing.

I wish all your posts weren't serious. But sadly most are.

[Kidlicious]

I find that it's always safest to think someone is serious when they're talking about killing.

More mushy mouth non-sense.

[loinburger]

So you would kill a Muslim but not an African-American?

Please don't post in this thread

[Kidlicious]

Can't take a joke?

[loinburger]

Please don't post in this thread

[Kidlicious]

I'll make you a deal. Don't post in my threads and I won't post in yours. Of course you violated our last pact.

[loinburger]

Deal, let's add some teeth to it and ask that Aeson enforce this with, say, a 2 month ban for whoever posts in a Forbidden Thread. Sound good?

[Aeson]

If regret is for something that has been done, and there is no afterlife, technically you could kill anyone or any group of people without regret so long as you die simultaneously or earlier than the first kill. Like setting off a 1 megaton nuclear device you are sitting on. However if you detonate the nuclear device wirelessly from a few hundred meters away you may have a very short period of regret for killing everyone closer to the device than you.