# Would you shoot a woman with her four-day-old child next to her? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 23, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952 "2016-04-23T22:01:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/1 "2016-04-23T22:01:47Z")
[Somebody did.](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/04/23/ohio-shooting/83426918/) Eight members of the same family were murdered in four different locations in Pike County, Ohio yesterday. Three children, all under three years old, were not killed. I don’t get this shit. I really don’t. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/2 "2016-04-23T22:51:23Z")
Another shooting yesterday. [Six Are Dead After Shootings in Georgia Community](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/23/us/gunman-sought-in-killing-of-5-people-in-a-georgia-community.html?partner=rss&emc=rss) ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/3 "2016-04-23T23:08:27Z")
And the anti-death penalty crowd will cry about cruel and unusual punishment when the day comes to execute these murdering cretins. I’ll read of their demise thinking justice has been served. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/4 "2016-04-23T23:19:52Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > And the anti-death penalty crowd will cry about cruel and unusual punishment when the day comes to execute these murdering cretins. The death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/5 "2016-04-24T00:13:32Z")
No, children have an extremely poor ballistic profile and lousy sectional density… ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/6 "2016-04-24T00:15:37Z")
perhaps we should you know, get GUNS out of our communities? No guns, no one shoots anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/7 "2016-04-24T00:21:26Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > No, children have an extremely poor ballistic profile and lousy sectional density… Too soon maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/8 "2016-04-24T00:22:51Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > perhaps we should you know, get GUNS out of our communities? No guns, no one shoots anyone. Or we could keep the guns and not shoot anyone. No one shoots anyone, no one shoots anyone. One is about as achievable as the other. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/9 "2016-04-24T00:29:19Z")
Police shoot women holding babies. Why would anyone be surprised at anything a murderer would do? Sometimes people won’t kill kids; that’s some line they can’t cross. I guess at least that might (?) prevent them from claiming they are unable to know right from wrong. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/10 "2016-04-24T00:33:56Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > And the anti-death penalty crowd will cry about cruel and unusual punishment when the day comes to execute these murdering cretins. I’ll read of their demise thinking justice has been served. There are many reasons to oppose the death penalty. That is just one (very legit one, IMHO) reason. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/11 "2016-04-24T00:34:33Z")
Most countries have managed to get rid of the guns and oddly they don’t suffer from bizarre mass shootings. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/12 "2016-04-24T09:30:16Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > Most countries have managed to get rid of the guns and oddly they don’t suffer from bizarre mass shootings. Sadly, recent events have proved that statement false. And dollars to doughnuts, there’s nothing bizarre about this case. With one specific family being targeted, likely someone has a grudge. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/13 "2016-04-24T12:52:32Z")
I wouldn’t shoot anyone, period. The presence of kids doesn’t enter into the equation. I mean, would I really be a better person if I shot her after her kids were out of sight? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/14 "2016-04-24T18:56:16Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Sadly, recent events have proved that statement false. > . Sadly, anecdotal events do not prove false any statement applying to most circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/15 "2016-04-24T19:07:25Z")
If I had reason to shot the woman (i.e., self-defense) the presence of her or anybody else’s child would not affect my decision. Also, a four-day old child is not going to remember the shooting anyway. ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2016, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/16 "2016-04-25T13:40:45Z")
Drug lords spend more time in prison than killers, except for Charlie Manson that is- ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2016, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/17 "2016-04-25T13:51:44Z")
From the reports I’m seeing/hearing at least three of the four Ohio locations had grow operations going. You mix illegal drugs, illegal guns, and possible large amounts of money and on some levels I’m surprised things like this don’t happen more often. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/18 "2016-04-25T14:34:29Z")
It probably does happen more often than we hear about it, but a bunch of white folks in the suburbs getting executed due to drugs and illegality is more newsworthy than some poor colored folks in the middle of a big city getting gunned down for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/19 "2016-04-25T14:40:24Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > From the reports I’m seeing/hearing at least three of the four Ohio locations had grow operations going. Would you grow and sell drugs with a four-day-old in the house? I don’t get this shit. Bringing up kids in a criminal environment. And the pro pot crowd will cry about how weed is a non-violent drug, and if everyone smoked we’d all be happier. and mellow. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952/20 "2016-04-25T14:52:02Z")
If growing pot was legal and criminals weren’t involved in it’s production, manufacture, and distribution it would be a “non-violent drug”. Just like caffeine and alcohol. Sure, those two can cause damage but no one is gunning down coffee distributors or distillers/brewers. But yeah, raising kids in a criminal environment, breaking the law in your own home, and so forth does considerably increase the risk of both you and your kids dying by violence. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-a-woman-with-her-four-day-old-child-next-to-her/752952.md?page=2)