# Save a life by maiming someone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 24, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245 "2010-08-24T03:35:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/1 "2010-08-24T03:35:08Z")
This question is inspired by [a thread about a Saudi court decision](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12834652&posted=1#post12834652) to have a defendant paralyzed rather than executed, and the subsequent attempt to find a hospital or medical personality to carry out the sentence. A man comes into your home with a hostage, a gun and a hammer. He hands you the hammer, and says, “This is a bad guy. I want you to break every bone in his body with that hammer. You don’t have to hit his head – I want him to be alive, but crippled for life. If you won’t do this, I will put a bullet in his head and kill him outright. But either way, I won’t hurt you. You can walk away. The only way I’ll hurt you is if you try to stop me from shooting him.” What do you do ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/2 "2010-08-24T03:36:37Z")
Do I get to ask the hostage which he’d prefer? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/3 "2010-08-24T03:42:29Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Do I get to ask the hostage which he’d prefer? How did you respond before I even finished the post? I mean, we’re friends and all, but still… No – the hostage is gagged. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/4 "2010-08-24T03:57:21Z")
Oh, and just to make things more interesting – you know both the hostage and the captor through sensational press coverage of a trial. Make up any details you want, but the bottom line is that you believe the captor when he says the hostage is a really bad evil guy. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/5 "2010-08-24T04:11:12Z")
I prefer to humor crazy men with guns (unless I can escape). Do I have any particular reason to believe that he’s an officer of the law or, otherwise, reasonably trustworthy? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/6 "2010-08-24T04:30:11Z")
Bad evil guy as I define it? Go ahead…shoot him. ---
**Author:** ![Caveat\_lector\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/7 "2010-08-24T05:14:39Z")
I most assuredly wouldn’t hit him with the hammer and it is possible I’d try to save him entirely (though as I’ve never been in such a situation I can’t say. I might chicken out). If he kills him that is his evil act and it is on his head, but if I hurt the man it would be on mine. The fact that the victim was evil has no barring as I only believe in violence for the purpose of defense and the victim would not be a threat. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/8 "2010-08-24T05:20:57Z")
> [@Caveat\_lector\_1](#): > > If he kills him that is his evil act and it is on his head, but if I hurt the man it would be on mine. If you maim the man, that’s also you saving his life. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/9 "2010-08-24T05:23:34Z")
I see maiming as a win situation all around: The evil man gets what he wants; the victim gets to live; and I get to have a bit of fun. Everyone’s happy! ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/10 "2010-08-24T05:24:16Z")
Can’t I just pull out my own gun and shoot and kill them both because I am pissed off they put me in the situation when I was just home, minding my own business? ---
**Author:** ![Kilmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kilmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilmore)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/11 "2010-08-24T07:15:40Z")
The guy with the hostage loses by coming into my home with a gun uninvited. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/12 "2010-08-24T11:18:07Z")
I choose not to decide. ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/13 "2010-08-24T11:32:14Z")
… and when I’m let go, do I happen to see people tied to railroad tracks on my way home? And possibly a fat guy standing on a bridge? ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/14 "2010-08-24T11:37:23Z")
Considering I’m convinced of the bad guys evil nature, he can go ahead and shoot him. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/15 "2010-08-24T12:48:50Z")
He’s giving me the hammer. Hopefully, I can come up with some ploy to get within striking distance of the captor. I have no reason to believe he won’t shoot me after the deed anyway, so I’m going ballistic at my best opportunity. I must admit, such impulsivity has resulted in my personal injury before. But always remember, you can expect to get injured in any fight and don’t hold back. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/16 "2010-08-24T13:27:34Z")
> [@evilbeth](#): > > Can’t I just pull out my own gun and shoot and kill them both because I am pissed off they put me in the situation when I was just home, minding my own business? You have no idea how much this post pleases me. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/17 "2010-08-24T13:30:36Z")
> [@evilbeth](#): > > Can’t I just pull out my own gun and shoot and kill them both because I am pissed off they put me in the situation when I was just home, minding my own business? Nope, sorry, the guy has the drop on you. Well, you can try, but odds of your surviving are very poor. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/18 "2010-08-24T13:30:41Z")
> [@Kilmore](#): > > The guy with the hostage loses by coming into my home with a gun uninvited. People brandishing guns do not need invitations to enter private homes. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/19 "2010-08-24T13:41:16Z")
Come to think of it, the guy will probably die from all the hammer hitting anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245/20 "2010-08-24T13:51:09Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > Come to think of it, the guy will probably die from all the hammer hitting anyway. [EvilSkald] What’s your point? [/evilskald] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/save-a-life-by-maiming-someone/551245.md?page=2)