NationStates Jolt Archive

ok, while i've been 'playing' on here tonight, the Wife has been watching 48 hours story about SusanWright(sp?). While i havent followed the whole story as i have been engrossed in the massive amounts of intelligent debate on NS as usual ;), it made me wonder...

when is 'self defence' ok? in this case, the woman was being abused repeatedly, physically and menatally by her husband. Myself, I wonder "why not leave? why not just get away?" but of course, i am not a woman, and i was raised to stand up for myself and whatnot, i just could not imagine sticking around to let myself be abused. again, i am not saying i am better, just different and i have a hard time understanding and truelly empathizes(although i totally sympathize) (and this show is still on and man that prosecutor hammered on her :( ). after saying enough is enough, the woman, Susan Wright, finally killed him by stabbing him 150+ times.

what do you all think? if a woman(or man) is being abused like this, do have they have the right to kill the abuser?? her actual life wasn't in danger from what i understand but her life was being slowly destroyed.

or given that she wasn't actually physically entrapped, should she have left him and got help?(again, ive only seen bits so i don't know if she tried that and didnt recieve proper help).

its a tough area to judge, and I dont know what i would do. I know if i knew of anyone in that situation i would try to get them to leave, but I understand some just feel 'trapped'...i also feel bad for this jury. they know the woman killed him, but what kind of punishment does she deserve? hard subject..

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Self-defence

I hope she get's off on temperarly insanity, but I don't believe that it will fall under self defence; because she didn't take all precaustions to help herself. Objectivly I feel that she will either get off on temperary insanity, or manslaughter.

I think all abused women should get off totally

Self defence is killing of anyone that is attacking you or anyone that is in your house. Murder is when you look for the person you want to kill.

I agree that she should get off.

The problem that I have with Temporary Insanity is this: Who takes responsibility for her actions when it's decided that her insanity is over? Her or the pshchiatrist that pronounced her sane again?

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=murder

v. mur·dered, mur·der·ing, mur·ders

To kill (another human) unlawfully.


Premeditated killing and the killing of another person under the pretense of self-defense still result in the same outcome - the death of another human being. While I certainly sympathize with all who have been abused, self defense cannot condone the outright murder of another person.

I must agree with Locke Cole - Temp. Insanity or manslaughter

Self-defense is protecting yourself, your family/friends, or your property from those who are a clear and present danger to it (ie; a man with a large knife running at you while shouting curse words :p )....

Murder is having some degree of deliberation to it. You intend to kill someone. Not everyone who, say, shoots someone in self-defense is intending to kill them. (Though, if a criminal breaks into my house, he's in for some serious pain 'cause he's going to be on the recieving end of a 12 gauge.)

The sickest thing I can think of in regards to this is when criminals sue people who shot them after the criminal broke into their home.....that's just plain flippin' insane...