Choice or murder?

[Shay-Pari'e]

What is the name of your state? ------ Virginia

I have a very strange question. It's just something that popped into my head. Suppose someone's life depends on your help, and you choose not to help them. Say they had a heart attack in the middle of nowhere and you were the only one that could've done anything. But for whatever reason, whether personal vendetta or a spur-of-the-moment decision, you decide to jsut leave them there and not tell anyone, knowing full well they will die.

Again, you had nothing to do with the danger or peril they were facing, but you choose not to help them and they die as a result. Can you be accused of anything?

Well, that certainly caught my eye.

 

[ThePTB]

Thanks for all of the interesting responses, friends.

But I do have to add... as earlier mentioned, a special relationship may play a role in whether or not anything happens? Ponder this hypothetical-

A mother and daughter are walking in the woods away from any developed areas. The mother has a heart attack and falls to the ground. The daughter has a personal vendetta against the mother, regardless of relationship... I dunno, maybe the daughter has harsh feelings toward her mother for maybe not fulfilling certain duties as a parent. Does this bind her to an obligaton of helping her mother?

 

[quincy]

It depends.

If the mother is elderly and the daughter is her caretaker, then there is a duty to render aid based on the relationship. If the daughter is 3-years-old, however, there would be no duty to render aid.

Also and again, it depends on the state where this occurs, if the daughter is a trained medical professional or not, etc., etc., etc.

(I noticed that, too, Shay )


Edit to add: A man was caught cheating on his wife (a nurse) and the wife was thinking of filing for divorce. Before she filed, however, her husband had a massive heart attack in their home. Without her assistance, he would most certainly die and she would inherit all of his money (a substantial sum). She saved his life, filed for divorce, and he fought her in court over her rights to property and money. True story.

 

[Shay-Pari'e]

Thanks for all of the interesting responses, friends.

But I do have to add... as earlier mentioned, a special relationship may play a role in whether or not anything happens? Ponder this hypothetical-

A mother and daughter are walking in the woods away from any developed areas. The mother has a heart attack and falls to the ground. The daughter has a personal vendetta against the mother, regardless of relationship... I dunno, maybe the daughter has harsh feelings toward her mother for maybe not fulfilling certain duties as a parent. Does this bind her to an obligaton of helping her mother?

I don't do hypotheticals.

 

[>Charlotte<]

And regardless of any statute, what happens when the obliged party says "It's against my religious philosophy to interfere with the will of God."?

 

[Shay-Pari'e]

It depends.

If the mother is elderly and the daughter is her caretaker, then there is a duty to render aid based on the relationship. If the daughter is 3-years-old, however, there would be no duty to render aid.

Also and again, it depends on the state where this occurs, if the daughter is a trained medical professional or not, etc., etc., etc.

(I noticed that, too, Shay )
Edit to add: A man was caught cheating on his wife (a nurse) and the wife was thinking of filing for divorce. Before she filed, however, her husband had a massive heart attack in their home. Without her assistance, he would most certainly die and she would inherit all of his money (a substantial sum). She saved his life, filed for divorce, and he fought her in court over her rights to property and money. True story.

Yep! Why would anyone put that in a post? Why would anyone be out with someone he had a personal vendetta against? I feel like I'm in the twilight zone.

 

[quincy]

I suggest that no one heads to the woods with ThePTB.

 

[>Charlotte<]

Ah c'mon, let's give him a break. I think he was anticipating being asked "Why in the world would someone not help?" and was just trying to preempt that by giving a couple of scenarios in advance.

But, OP, as the old joke goes: if you and me are out walking in the woods and we come across a bear, I'm going to run!

 

[mommyof4]

But, OP, as the old joke goes: if you and me are out walking in the woods and we come across a bear, I'm going to run!

...and you won't have to be faster than the bear. You will just have to be faster than OP.

 

[Shay-Pari'e]

Ah c'mon, let's give him a break. I think he was anticipating being asked "Why in the world would someone not help?"

Why? This is not a normal advice question. To include being with someone who had a heart attack,(One that you may have a vendetta for), is the freaking twilight zone.

 

[>Charlotte<]

Why? This is not a normal advice question. To include being with someone who had a heart attack,(One that you may have a vendetta for), is the freaking twilight zone.[/I][/B]

Yeah. I know. Maybe reading posts here for so long has just changed my standard for what I consider creepy. You've been here longer, though. How come your Creep-O-Meter's not broken?

 

[Shay-Pari'e]

Yeah. I know. Maybe reading posts here for so long has just changed my standard for what I consider creepy. You've been here longer, though. How come your Creep-O-Meter's not broken?

It's called taking a break from the site. I have not been on much lately due to it being summer now.

Don't worry, you will get there.

 

[ThePTB]

I suggest that no one heads to the woods with ThePTB.

This is probably a good idea. Believe Me.

Yep! Why would anyone put that in a post? Why would anyone be out with someone he had a personal vendetta against? I feel like I'm in the twilight zone.

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer? ****, I dunno. I asked a question and you gave some strange responses. "I don't do hypotheticals". What the hell does that mean?

For your information, I'm a writer, and I like to be as realistic as possible in my writings. This thought hd occured to me to be an interesting, fictitious story to write. I came seeking expert advice and all I got was hypotheticophobia. Eeesh.

 

[>Charlotte<]

hypotheticophobia.

Looked it up. Not a word.

 

[ThePTB]

This is probably a good idea. Believe Me.



Keep your friends close but your enemies closer? ****, I dunno. I asked a question and you gave some strange responses. "I don't do hypotheticals". What the hell does that mean?

For your information, I'm a writer, and I like to be as realistic as possible in my writings. This thought hd occured to me to be an interesting, fictitious story to write. I came seeking expert advice and all I got was hypotheticophobia. Eeesh.

Looked it up. Not a word.

I'm well aware. Let me have my humor, I'll go crazy without it. Lol