Moral Problem

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yesit'sloaded

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Ok here is the deal. I know a guy has a gun in his truck in our dorm parking lot. I found out because he came back from hunting when I was leaving for breakfast and well...talked to him about the deer without even thinking about guns, aw the case in the back of the truck. I don't want to be a Judas, but I just get so angry when I can't have my stuff because I follow the law and other people just break it. I know he isn't going to do anything with it, but it just burns me up that some people just break the law rather than try to change it. I don't want to turn him in, but is that the "right" thing to do.
 
Please...don't even think of it...that would be a huge wrong. Warn him he's running on thin ice and although you don't care if anyone else knew it they could turn him in.

Don't do it
 
Turn him in? Are you serious?

I understand your anger that he's breaking a law that you're following, but we all make our own choices. If he hasn't hurt anyone, then it's his business what laws he follows until Law Enforcement makes it their business. I guess you'll have to make your own choice on this, just like he did with his guns. I'll say this, though: I wouldn't inform on somebody unless people's lives were at stake. I couldn't, and still look at myself in the mirror in the morning.
 
The real "moral" question here is: Is it moral to do the right thing for the wrong reason?

It appears to me the real reason you want to turn him in is not because of concern of his breaking some law, but because you're feeling some jealousy or anger over the fact that you can't/don't have your gun or won't break the law.

Take the high ground, tell him that if anyone else sees it, he'll probably get in a lot of trouble. But no, don't turn him.

Besides it's a BS law so while I never recommend breaking the law on purpose (well probably almost never) I don't think you should help enforce it - especially against someone you know isn't a threat.
 
Wow. A potential brown shirt in the making.

His ownership and posession of that gun have done no harm to you. What possible benefit would you gain by turning him in and probably getting him kicked out of school? (other than some perverse sense of satisfaction)

The poor guy's only mistake was talking with you.

If you want guns at school, do it discreetly and shut up about it. I violated my schools weapons policy thoughout undergrad and graduate school and I am not sorry about it in the least. I am glad I kept my mouth shut around potential backstabbers.

-T
 
OK....

First things first. Did you see the gun or just the case? If you saw just the case, then that's all that you saw, a gun case. Problem solved.

In any case, I would tell him that he is breaking the rules and taking a big risk and that if you saw it then others might as well and might not be as understanding. But the last thing that I would do is rat him out. Not only will that not help your cause, but it may also tighten the noose.
 
First things first. Did you see the gun or just the case? If you saw just the case, then that's all that you saw, a gun case. Problem solved.

In any case, I would tell him that he is breaking the rules and taking a big risk and that if you saw it then others might as well and might not be as understanding. But the last thing that I would do is rat him out. Not only will that not help your cause, but it may also tighten the noose.
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I wouldn't even tell him he was breaking any rules. I'm sure he knows it anyhow. Let's say you told him he was breaking a rule. Later, he gets nabbed because he disregarded the warning. Now, he will assume you're a snitch. That's just the way people can be.
 
Just 'cause it's legal, don't make it right. Just 'cause it's illegal, don't make it wrong.
Mind your own bidness, keep yourself to yourself and let other people sort their own stuff out.

Biker
 
there is nothing moral in ratting out someone who is not actively harming someone.

you might want to point out to him that most cops will take the safe and easy gun bust for the brownie points they will get and think nothing of it, while it could ruin his life.
 
Good point

I wouldn't even tell him he was breaking any rules. I'm sure he knows it anyhow. Let's say you told him he was breaking a rule. Later, he gets nabbed because he disregarded the warning. Now, he will assume you're a snitch. That's just the way people can be.
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But I meant a friendly warning like "hey man, you better watch your 6" not a "you know thats not allowed... "

Point well taken. I guess the common sense rule applies here.
 
For some reason I think my social conditioning from public school reared its ugly head for a moment. I know guns don't kill people, I know he is harmless, and yet I freaked. Have I been slightly brainwashed by society? I don't think I would have turned him in anyway, but the fact that I considered it is scaring me.
 
Is he breaking the law or just some school "policy".
Are you actually concerned that he's going to go "Cho" on you?

Use your own moral compass (but try to leave jealousy out of it).
 
If you lived in Germany 65 years ago and you knew that a neighbor was hiding a Jewish family in his attic, would you do the "right" thing and report them to the authorities?

Don't confuse local laws and regulations with right and wrong. The "right" thing varies from place to place.

OS
 
yesit'sloaded said:

For some reason I think my social conditioning from public school reared its ugly head for a moment. I know guns don't kill people, I know he is harmless, and yet I freaked. Have I been slightly brainwashed by society? I don't think I would have turned him in anyway, but the fact that I considered it is scaring me.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you aren't the kind of person who informs on folks as a matter of course. We all have stupid thoughts in moments of anger, you had the misfortune of sharing yours with total strangers who happen to be inherently hostile to the idea. My advice to you now is to ask the mods to delete this thread, or else edit your post to indicate that you're not actually considering informing. I say this because the longer this thread exists as it is, the more incredulous posters are going to form a very poor opinion of you and express it as Tyris did with that bit about brownshirts. Keep in mind, for future consideration, that this is a forum full of staunch, "rugged individualists", a breed of folks that don't take kindly to informers.
 
Glad to hear you aren't the kind of person who informs on folks as a matter of course. We all have stupid thoughts in moments of anger, you had the misfortune of sharing yours with total strangers who happen to be inherently hostile to the idea. My advice to you now is to ask the mods to delete this thread, or else edit your post to indicate that you're not actually considering informing. I say this because the longer this thread exists as it is, the more incredulous posters are going to form a very poor opinion of you and express it as Tyris did with that bit about brownshirts. Keep in mind, for future consideration, that this is a forum full of staunch, "rugged individualists", a breed of folks that don't take kindly to informers.
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+1
I'm already working *really* hard to place this thread in the "we all have stupid moments, don't hold it against him" file.
 
I'm going to chalk this up as a fluke that will never happen again, considering the people that I have seen with guns on campus before and never even thought about turning in. It just doesn't make sense that I would think like that. The good thing is that it disturbed me so much that I would think like that that I had to post it just to double check that I was wrong.
 
if our rule of law society was based on malum in se(wrong because it is)insted of malum prohibitum(wrong because its illegal)this thread wouldnt exist because the campus hoplophobia wouldnt generate stupid laws.

anyone who helps enforce something that is wrong deserves what they have coming to them;the very evil they perpetuated causeing them grief and heartache.

which is why i would never become a leo,,,,
 
Four nine fox trot said it best. I think most people who have been around have read enough of your post to know this isn't a representative of who you are, but even I have been guilty of posting without even reading the whole thread much less trying to find out who I'm talking to/with.
 
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