Depends.
It is really really hard for me to imagine either of my parents murdering someone…the most I can imagine is involuntary manslaughter (that’s killing someone by accident or negligence right? I only know this phrase from TV).
Really it would never come up, either of my parents would confess right away. Neither of them would ever expect or want me to lie for them.
My husband? I would be sorely tempted…single parenthood does not appeal to me, but I think I would “do the right thing” and trust that “the truth will set you free” and everything would work out.
Partly because of watching TV and movies…lies always come out in TV and movies.
I think it might matter to me whether the crime was likely to occur again in the future (as in the Kacyzinski case).
My mother’s dead; my father and I don’t get along.
But, hell yes, I’d perjure myself to save my wife or baby sister from prison.
Sure, I would and I would expect them to cover for my murders. Isn’t that is what family is for?
It’s probably sexist, but I wouldn’t want my wife or baby sister risking prison for me. I’m not being noble; I’d just feel too guilty.
I’d perjure myself for my folks but I don’t think I’d take a murder rap nor would they let me.
I can justify murder but I couldn’t help someone get away with a sex crime. Basically the same answer I gave in the “help someone on the lam” thread.
I don’t understand how people can think sex crimes are worse than murder…
Most people can imagine a scenario in which a murder can seem at least partially “justified”; say, if the person they murdered hurt or killed someone they loved or otherwise ruined their lives. It’s not the best solution, but it can at least be understandable.
I don’t think it’s that easy to imagine a sympathetic motive for a sex crime.
/edit: To answer the actual OP- it depends entirely on the nature of the crime and whether I thought it was justified.
No, I wouldn’t lie to protect someone from that sort of criminal prosecution.
Political crimes under an oppressive regime, yes (or at least maybe).
My family taught me that you don’t murder people in the first place.
I admire David Kaczynski for turning in his brother, the Unabomber.
The problem is twofold, methinks. Partly it’s because people are using murder as synecdoche for homicide; that leads to confusion, because while all murders are homicide, not all homicides are murder.
So let’s ditch the term murder. Some sex crimes are worse than some homicides, because sometimes killing a human being is justified. If someone is trying to rape me or a third person, I am justified in killing him to prevent it. Contrariwise, I am not justified in killing a person to avenge a rape or even a murder; nor am I justified in killing a person to prevent or avenge an act of larceny or theft. (Note that I did not write robbery.)
Also, some killings–while unjustifiable by morality or law, and thus murder–are, ah, sympathetic, in a way that rape never is (at least by civilized persons). One of my best friends was brutally raped once, and while I don’t think she would kill her assailant if given the chance, and don’t think she has the right to do so, I honestly cannot say I would blame her if she did. (The guy’s in prison for life, so it’s a moot point.)
In sum: I can understand why someone might feel it necessary to kill another human, even if that killing is technically illegal. I refuse to even try to understand why people commit rapes, and my gut says those who do it need a neat lead injection to the forehead.
Now you know I don’t agree with that.
Or that
Problem is, in threads like these, the OP didn’t specify any sort of justification - so the fact that the killing is justified is really just a projection on the part of posters, whereas they are incapable of projecting the justification for rape.
Well, personally, I can see how some rapes may be justifiable to someone (the “not die a virgin when we execute you” justification or the “render you unmarriageable in you culture” justification or the “teach you lesbians to love a man’s loving” justification or even the “I was horny and she was slutty” justification) just as much as some killing has justification for you. But to me, as an outsider to both those moral frameworks, well, sex crimes don’t outrank killing.
I know you don’t. I also know that we’re about to hijack the thread, and as I am not currently wearing an eyepatch I’ll drop out of the conversation here. If you wish to start some other thread, I’ll talk about it there.
If it was someone I cared about (mom or sister) I wouldn’t perjure myself, but I wouldn’t answer any questions. If it were anyone else, I’d either tell the truth (if I thought they deserved to go to jail) or say nothing (if I thought they didn’t).
MrDibble, WRT justification:
I might not agree with my dad for killing my neighbor with a snow shovel but if I could convince myself that he wasn’t going to kill ALL my neighbors w/ snow shovels, I’d probably help him get away with it.
I think David Kaczynski was a hero but I’d have to be convinced my folks were a danger to society before I held up my social responsibility to rat on them. I’m selfish that way.
As for sex crimes, well, I figure my family’s experience with sex crimes has informed my opinion of killing people.
It would seriously depend on the crime, or rather, how the crime was committed. As above, I would never help cover up a sex crime; they are completely unjustifiable. Killing someone… that’s different.
I know my Dad and my spouse well enough that I feel confident saying they would never, ever kill someone without justification (assuming they are sane). So, I would probably cover it up, because I just literally cannot conceive of them killing in cold blood.
I would do the same for my kids, because they are minors (ages 11 and 8). At their age, I would even take the rap, including a death sentence, to save them. But, again, it’s because I know that they would never kill anyone on purpose. As to when they are adults; I can’t say. It is possible that life will change them a great deal, and they will become bad people, and then I would not shield them from the consequences of their actions. So, I can’t really answer that.
And, if you are postulating that somehow one of them did kill in cold blood… I don’t know what to say. In my mind, that person would be so unlike the father, spouse, or children I know, they would actually not be the same person; we’re in an alternate universe. And, again, I can’t answer with so many unknown variables.
TL;DR version: I would cover up for my dad, spouse, or kids, but not out of family loyalty. It would be because I know them well enough to say they are incapable of cold blooded killing.
Of course, now if she murders someone else, she really does have to kill you.
Not your cleverest of moves.
Ths strikes me as being the natural order of things. It’s her job to protect you. It’s not your job to protect her.
I’d die for my child. I’d do almost anything for her, including perjure myself (unless she was quite obviously going to be a menace to herself or others if released) but I don’t expect her to do the same for me.
Eh, I don’t think so. If it was a heat-of-the-moment, not-likely-to-be-repeated scenario, I just wouldn’t talk to the police.
If they were a serial killer or they shot up a school, or something, you bet your ass I’d turn them in.
And if they raped someone, not only would I turn them in, I’d give them a few broken bones first. Which means I’d probably be charged with assault, but whatever.