ARE WE NO LONGER OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER?

[nctarheel]

Thesis:

My brother is the head of a large organization of which I am also a member.

His life was recently threatened when our organization was threatened.

I, along with others in the organization, chose to not press charges for the threat against my brother's life.

Was I right or wrong?

[ciptra38]

Was your brother's life personally threatened, or just the organization itself?  An 'organization' can't be murdered, although it can be harmed in other ways.  In my opinion, if your brother was threatened also, charges should absolutely be pressed - it's a crime.  

[fffred]

I'll bite.

GailL has presented some really good points. But I will assume (or my "thesis" is this) that some real credible threat was made against said organization and its leader, and that this real, credible threat is indeed a chargeable offense. In this situation I think it is incumbent on the responsible members of the organization to present this incident to the appropriate authority for appropriate action.

In the real, non-thesis, world the appropriate action may vary considerably. For example, the FBI and/or Secret Service will indeed come around if someone has been making credible threats of harm against the POTUS or other high profile government officials.

But if the situation is such that no action would be taken in the normal course of events by the "authorities" unless reported by citizenry, then I think it's incumbent on the citizenry to report this. Because, if not, then what happens when the threat is made good on? Or what if a credible threat is made but not acted upon at that time by the threat-er, nor is action taken by jurisdictions, but then subsequently the "line in the sand" is moved further out by someone else making even graver threats...because they have seen that no action is taken, that they can make threats without consequences?

edit:  for example, say some students in a school are aware of others' plan to bring guns to the school for a massacre. Should they report this? Or do they mind their own business? What if they don't report it and nothing happens; but then another couple students are inspired by this and realize there were no repercussions on the previous students. So they do the same thing and even go farther, bringing the guns and even proceed to wave them around threateningly. Do those students who could have reported the previous instance bear any responsibility for this second event? I suspect that are actually more opinions on this than there are people.

[GailL1]

Since we are speaking Thesis - I'll give 2 cents.

IMO, determining whether or not the decision was right or wrong, would depend on other factors which are unknown in your statement.  Filing actionable charges unless it is a Protective Order without proof seems somewhat useless.

• was their proof of the threat
• did it appear to be a real threat
• was the threat made under some form of duress

Proof of the Threat

Was this a verbal threat - who else heard it and were they uninvolved witnesses?

Was the treat written in some form and can be linked top the person that made it.

Real Threat / Conditions of Duress

Sometimes people make threats in the heat of the moment, sometimes threats come from people that aren't mentally stable so context would have to be determined as well as the situation surrounding the threat and perhaps the mental condition of the person making it.

Was there a weapon involved during the threat.

It is kind of hard to answer not knowing more surrounding details.  I am gonna assume that you were talking criminal charges - protective orders or restraining orders might have been in order depending upon the circumstances - but I think they are more civil in nature, at least until the offender breaks the order.

[Anonymous]

@nctarheel I am so GLAD you guys are okay.

[nctarheel]

Thanks for the well wishes; however, it was a theoretical situation for which I was asking..............."Was MY actions of not pursuing legal ramifications for those that threatened my brother's life right or wrong." That's why I prefaced the situation with "THESIS".

[Rhymesometimes]

@nctarheel  Why are you posing this theoretical question?   ---  Christine

[nctarheel]

---

@Rhymesometimes wrote:

@nctarheel  Why are you posing this theoretical question?   ---  Christine

---

@Rhymesometimes,

Because my experience tells me that different families approach this theoretical question in widely disparate manners.

I thought it to be an interesting thought experiment.

[DeahWA]

I never get the point of asking others if their actions are right or wrong. If wrong or even just thought so, others will swiftly point it out. If right, the inner knowing of that is all that's needed. So I'm asking the same theoretical question about the theoretical question here as you are, @Rhymesometimes .

[LaurajW510385]

What do you believe your "Actions" to the same are: right or wrong? It is you who made the judgement call/the decision & it is you who has to live with those decisions &/or consequences should things get worse.

Should you use the "Thesis" as GODS Word for your actions then you also have something to think about "your brothers' keeper" in HOW GOD uses it in HIS Word (Hebrew & Greek) (Cain & Abel, etc etc).

Stay Healthy!!!

[Anonymous]

Lol @nctarheel sorry 🤣😂 Hmmm, I will let the Community Debaters answer. Retired, old and chilling 😉