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Comment by meowface | Hacker News Reader

I agree with you that lethal force is the only reasonable option in that situation, but a human doesn't become "garbage" simply because they fall victim to addiction to a substance which causes them such suffering during withdrawal that they feel like they have no other choice but to try to steal to end the withdrawal. If you were in that same situation after some friends got you hooked, you might steal something to stop the pain, too.

In my opinion, providing legal drugs and rehabilitation to addicts, free of charge, would significantly reduce these kinds of thefts and break-ins, in addition to a lot of other huge societal benefits. The system works by only allowing the addict to consume the drug under supervision; they can't take anything outside of the clinic. It seems to work very well in some European countries.

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Sorry, but I'm going to fall on the side of the law abiding citizen here.

If you can't know the intent (and you can't), then you must assume the worst intent and act accordingly. Anything else is naive.

Because I promise you one thing, I look up and see a stranger in my house, I'm attacking them immediately with no thought towards anything except protecting myself and everyone in the house. There will be no questions until it's over with.

If they were just looking to steal something for drugs, that can be sorted out once I've subdued them.

As stated in my first sentence, I agree with you. I think lethal force is the only reasonable option here.

I was just saying drug addicts aren't necessarily garbage. They face lethal force because they've broken into one's home; not because "they're garbage".

Yes it would be wrong to hurt people unless it was to protect oneself or others.

If you provide free drugs what's stopping the person from just using drugs until they eventually die? I don't think most such programs actually provide the drugs can you provide an example?

Sorry buddy, but there around millions of people around the world that go through very painful withdraws and don't break into people houses. The withdraws don't make them bad people, the criminal neglect for others does.

Sure, but many of them feel they have to resort to stealing something, whether or not it's from a break-in. Of course break-ins and theft are extremely unethical; I'm just saying that the full circumstances should be considered, and they're not necessarily irredeemable human beings just because they're committing this crime.

A spree shooter killing innocent people in cold blood is garbage, and a terrorist blowing up a building is garbage, but a drug addict in awful pain due to terrible decisions acting purely on impulse to stymie the pain isn't garbage. They take their life in their hands if they break into someone's home, because that's how any break-in has to be treated, but that doesn't make them subhuman.

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