Do you consider it murder to watch someone die and do nothing?

Do what we can in all cases. Who could expect more?

No it isn’t murder, but I think that it is illegal in some states to standby and do nothing.

Just going off the question in the title, no, because then I would consider myself a murderer.

Having the opportunity to save someone while risking your own life in the process is not an easy choice to make. I don’t think someone should be charged with murder if they witness the crime, but if they are aware of a plan that is going to be executed, I think that constitues some form of ‘conspiracy to commit a crime.’

There isn’t always something that can be done. If someone has a gun and you are unarmed, what exactly would you be able to do?

Personally, when I saw an assault/murder in progress, I called 911. That was the extent of what could be done. Unfortunately, I did watch that man die, but I find myself in no way responsible.

…...if I’m helpless to really do anything…........ absolutely NOT. [..helpless could mean ’ unskilled’ to really do anything ]

…...Would it haunt me forever… ?... absolutely YES

I would have to know what the circumstances are. Is it someone who is terminally ill and wants to overdose on pain meds? Is it someone suicidal and really wants to end it all? How I answer that would really depend upon the circumstances of the situation.

I couldn’t imagine something more subjective. What’s “do something”? How do you determine if the person was even able to do something? How do you determine what the appropriate action would’ve been? What if doing something would’ve gotten the other person killed? What if a person sees their wife about to get hit by a car and quickly yells “watch out” instead of shoving her out of the way and she doesn’t react fast enough and gets hit and dies? You could’ve ended up with two deaths if he had decided to jump in there and do you really think a husband who just lost his wife deserves to be imprisoned for watching her get hit by a car?

So my answers is no. Mainly, you can’t even prove that the person could’ve done something. Who’s going to see you not doing something? Who would turn you in? How can they prove that you wouldn’t have died as well? Again, who determines the appropriate action? It’s just ridiculous in all aspects.

I think it depends on the situation. I mean I won’t try to stop a person with a gun, but a person with a knife, I would. I just don’t think that I can watch a person die, and know that I did what I could, or I couldn’t do anything at all.

@DominicX
I am living in the hypothetical world here. I guess I didn’t really make that clear though.

If we knew for sure someone could have saved another person, with no possible harm to themselves and they didn’t.

What if someone is having a heart attack and you don’t call an ambulance? No knives or guns, just letting nature take its course without interfering. A former colleague of mine said that’s what her mother had done. As far as she was concerned, her mother killed her father.

@jackm

Well, it’s difficult to say. Personally I think a person should do all they realistically can to save another person. Meaning that they should do what they are sure will save the person and will not potentially cause more death. If they are sure they will not be harmed, then they should go ahead and do it. I’m just not so sure that punishing people for not doing something is the best idea. They probably already feel horrible about it. Murder is about intent. We have no idea that they wanted to see the person die; this could potentially ruin their life. There’s no reason to ruin it further by imprisoning them.

On an episode of Cold Case, a man was in the care of a mentally challenged person his age and the mentally challenged person was standing in front of a train and the other guy could’ve prevented an accident, but the mentally challenged person was such a burden that he wanted him gone and so he did nothing and watched as the other guy was hit by a train and killed. He wanted the person dead. It’s different in that case. Murder is about intent.

It’s just not easy to prove that someone wanted the person dead.

If there’s no (or minimal) risk to me, and I do nothing, yeah, I’d say that’s tantamount to murder.

But we already distinguish between degrees of murder. There’s a big difference between a pre-meditated first-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. I would consider this a lesser moral offense than involuntary manslaughter…but barely.

and this is why I get so pissed off at people who don’t donate organs.

@DominicX
Murder is not about intent in the eyes of the law. If I steal a stop sign because I think it would be cool to hang on my wall and someone dies from a crash the sign would have prevented, I can be charged.

@jackm

“In the U.S., special statutory definitions include murder committed with malice aforethought, characterized by deliberation or premeditation or occurring during the commission of another serious crime, as robbery or arson (first-degree murder), and murder by intent but without deliberation or premeditation (second-degree murder).”

I don’t think it’s considered “murder” in that case. I really do think murder is about intent. “Murder” is a form of killing. “Kill” is a vague word. What is “kill”? Does it have to be direct? What if I tell someone something that sets off a chain of events that leads to a person’s killing? Would I be charged with murder? I think the reason the stop sign is different is because it’s a safety measure and you’re deliberately removing a safety measure. You would not be charged with murder, though.

As others have replied:
No it wouldn’t be murder, because that’s not what murder is.

I consider it wrong, but in some cases it could be considered 2nd or 3rd degree murder I think.

In many parts of the world “Failure to render aid” is a crime. It is here. You have to be able to offer aid without risk to yourself for there to be any possibility of a charge.

See

I think that’s a very dangerous legal road to walk down in either case.

Morally = yes

Legally = No, and you can not be charged, unless you did something to cause the death.
Your lack of action is not a crime

German laws consider this to be ‘non-assistance of a person in danger’. You can be fined or even go to jail. See also

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Samaritan_law

@DrBill Legally = No, and you can not be charged, unless you did something to cause the death. Your lack of action is not a crime

This is wrong. In many places it is already a crime – as in most States here in Australia. In many others it is in the process of being drafted or passed as legislation. New York for instance. It has been a part of Maritime law for centuries.

“Failure to render aid” and “manslaughter” are both chargeable offenses. If nothing else, pick up a phone and call 911.

If I did something like that personally, I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt. My conscience comes down on me hard for even little things like stealing sugar from my flatmates. Something that big I wouldn’t be able to handle. I would indeed feel like a murderer running through the scenario in my head over and over for the rest of my life.