Living The System

The people are a reflection of the system they are in. I was thinking about crime. Take for example the chance that a gang of hooligans decides to assault a lone person. Intuitively, one should be justified in using any means necessary in order to stop the attack and thereby defend oneself. An extension of this self defense is the possibility of justifiable homicide.

I was discussing the matter with some friends, regarding how they would defend themselves in a life threatening situation. Indeed, the ideal solutions would be to avoid the conflict in the first place or perhaps to flee. Yet, sometimes I do wonder whether flight is always the best possible option to aid one's survival. If flight is not an option in a situation, the logical thing to do next is to stand and make a last stand.

Realistically, one cannot possibly expect to defend oneself against a large group of assailants. However, it may be possible to take one down in a sufficiently intimidating way such that it discourages the rest from continuing the assault. One such method is a messy kill. It was pointed out that if I did exercise that option, I would be slapped with a lawsuit even in the unlikely event that I should succeed.

That got me thinking. If the use of deadly force is never justified in self defense, the system weighs fairly soundly in favor of criminals (or assailants). They have already committed a crime by acting as aggressors, yet one cannot respond with deadly force to avoid becoming a victim of aggression. Such a mindset may also explain the reluctance of bystanders to intervene in an assault, not just from the prospect of being harmed, but also from fear of legal repercussions from trying to aid another person. Whether the legal system does indeed rule in this manner seems to be less relevant than the public perception of how such rulings go, with respect to how a responsible citizen would or could respond in these situations. Indeed, the perception of the system is sufficient to shape the behaviors of those living within it.