# Poll: For what crime(s) would you turn in a loved one? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510 "2012-01-24T16:59:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/1 "2012-01-24T16:59:49Z")
> **[Ted Kaczynski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unabomber#Search)** > > Theodore John Kaczynski (/kəˈzɪnski/ kə-ZIN-skee; May 22, 1942 – June 10, 2023), also known as the Unabomber (/ˈjuːnəbɒmər/ YOO-nə-bom-ər), was an American mathematician and domestic terrorist. He was a mathematics prodigy, but abandoned his academic career in 1969 to pursue a primitive lifestyle. Between 1978 and 1995, Kaczynski murdered three individuals and injured 23 others in a nationwide mail bombing campaign against people he believed to be advancing modern technology and the destruc The Unabomber was finally caught when David Kaczynski became convinced that his own brother was the long-sought anonymous killer, and provided crucial information to the FBI. If a loved one of yours kept committing crimes and just wouldn’t stop, despite your most earnest attempts to persuade him or her, for what offense(s) would you finally go to the cops? Explain your answers as you see fit. If your answers would be different depending upon the circumstances or definition of any of the crimes mentioned, please explain. Please also say what country you’re from. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/2 "2012-01-24T17:16:17Z")
No one has the right to directly hurt people, even people I love, material goods are a gray area. US ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/3 "2012-01-24T17:45:51Z")
Just for clarification, what kind of reward are we talking about here? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/4 "2012-01-24T17:47:08Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Just for clarification, what kind of reward are we talking about here? Heh. The quiet satisfaction of (maybe) having done the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![Heckity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Heckity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heckity)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/5 "2012-01-24T17:47:14Z")
> [@](#): > > No one has the right to directly hurt people, even people I love, material goods are a gray area. This. Canada ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/6 "2012-01-24T17:54:31Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Heh. The quiet satisfaction of (maybe) having done the right thing. That doesn’t feed the bulldog. My wife would have to commit murder or some other major badness against a specific human being for me to turn her in. Since everybody else in my life barely registers a “like,” they are toast. I’d narc on them in a heartbeat (and a nickel.) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/7 "2012-01-24T18:02:52Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That doesn’t feed the bulldog. My wife would have to commit murder or some other major badness against a specific human being for me to turn her in. Since everybody else in my life barely registers a “like,” they are toast. I’d narc on them in a heartbeat (and a nickel.) or even a Sackie? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/8 "2012-01-24T18:09:47Z")
I voted. I’m from the U.S. The more serious the crime and the greater the risk of physical harm to others, the more likely I’d be to turn in a lawbreaking loved one. I’m a little surprised that espionage and treason are getting, at least at the moment, relatively few votes. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/9 "2012-01-24T18:11:43Z")
A friend will help you move. A real friend will help you move a body. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/10 "2012-01-24T18:14:02Z")
Rape, kidnapping, domestic violence, and serial murder. I checked murder, too, but now that I think about it, it would depend on who they murdered. If they found out someone was molesting their child and went out and beat them to death with a bat, I’d probably keep my mouth shut. ---
**Author:** ![mikenj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@mikenj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikenj)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/11 "2012-01-24T18:48:37Z")
I’m from the US. I included: domestic violence (all types), rape (all types), major assault, murder & serial murder. There’s probably some grey area in either direction though that would depend heavily on the context. There might be some other crimes I’d turn them in for and some of the listed crimes I might not turn them in for if I felt that there were some exceptional circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/12 "2012-01-24T18:51:06Z")
Snitches get stitches. Just sayin. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/13 "2012-01-24T19:00:11Z")
[Answer: Answer:](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=631711) Rape and murder ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/14 "2012-01-24T19:04:53Z")
If they’re willing to hurt innocent people, I don’t love them. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/15 "2012-01-24T19:59:34Z")
Child molestation, child abuse, domestic violence, rape, and drunk driving. Everything else I take on a case by case basis, otherwise 99% of my family would be in jail. ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/16 "2012-01-24T20:00:34Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I’m a little surprised that espionage and treason are getting, at least at the moment, relatively few votes. Agreed. Maybe it’s because the harm they cause to innocents is far less direct and obvious. I thought for far less time about turning my mother in for espionage than I did about turning her in for murder. But I’ll admit that my national security-related career might make me extra sensitive to that. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/17 "2012-01-25T15:46:03Z")
It’s never happened so don’t know for sure but I’m pretty sure it would be for any felony. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/18 "2012-01-25T16:27:05Z")
USA Violent crimes mostly, HOWEVER my mitigating factor would be “are they going to continue committing that (or another) crime or was it an isolated, extremely-out-of-character incident?” For example if my brother catches his wife fucking the mailman and in a spontaneous fit of rage beats them to death with a boot, I’d say it’s highly unlikely he’s going to become a serial killer and go on an extended killing spree. I’d most likely keep my mouth shut on that one, not to mention he’d probably be caught immediately and there’s a high probability he’d get off anyway in those circumstances. OTOH if he was murdering prostitutes and making hooker skin lampshades in his garage, I feel I’d have a moral obligation to drop that dime. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/19 "2012-01-25T16:54:35Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I’m a little surprised that espionage and treason are getting, at least at the moment, relatively few votes. No joke. I am guessing that if this were a conservative board, those would be much higher. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510/20 "2012-01-25T20:15:43Z")
Well, what does espionage mean, exactly? I took it to mean “spying for our government”, in which case, who the heck am I going to turn him into anyway? Plus I know on some level spies are necessary. I did click treason though, along with all kinds of rapes, serial murder, all kinds of DV, major assault, and kidnapping (I can’t remember what else). Gray areas in some of them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-what-crime-s-would-you-turn-in-a-loved-one/610510.md?page=2)