06 October 2008

Deviance & War


Why is murdering someone illegal and deviant in the real world, but a soldier killing another soldier in war not considered to be a deviant act?

25 comments:

Melissa Florio said...

When a man murders someone it is deviant becuase it has many negative consequences on society and it is going against a major social norm. However when a soldier kills another soldier in the line of duty it is not considered deviant. This is because in our military it is considered a norm to kill other soldiers while at war. It is also a matter of self defence when at war. If that soldier does not kill the other then it is likely the other soldier will kill him. Another reason this is not a deviant act is because that soldier is usually not making a personal decision to kill another. In the US army your trained to take orders from higher officers, if they are told to fire at the other soldiers they have to follow those orders.

Brenda said...

Killing someone in society is deviant because it violates a significant social norm and is recognized by all of society to be a deviant act. However, even more importantly killing someone is a crime, it breaks the law and is therefore automatically deviant.
Killing a soldier during war is not deviant, however. This is because by doing so you are not only protecting yourself but also protecting your country. It is a norm to kill soldiers during war, so in that sense you are not violating any norms. When you kill a soldier during war you are preventing that person from killing one of your own men and also working toward quenching the entire force that is fighting against you. If you do not defeat them then they may be able to invade or attack your country where civilians live. So your killing of the soldier is legitimized by the fact that by committing this act you are defending your country.
Killing a civilian of the opposing force even during war is murder though and against the law and therefore deviant because this person has not willingly opted to fight for their country and is theoretically not a threat to your country if they remain alive.

Stephanie Almeida said...

I feel as though when a person murders another person it is a deviant act because not only does it violate socials norms but it also effects the society you live in. When a person is murdered by another person it could lead to even more murders or harm on other people in a case of revenge. Whereas when a soldier kills another soldier in a line of duty it is not deviant. It is not deviant because as a soldier you are trained for a long period of time to not only defend yourself but defend the country that you put your life up for. You are taught to fight and defend your country and yourself even if that means killing someone else to do so, if not you yourself could be in danger. In your line of duty your expected to fight for your country and self, meaning that killing someone is considered a norm for them, because its something they know they will have to do to keep themselves and our country safe. That is why killing someone in a line of duty is not deviant whereas murdering someone for no actual reason is considered deviant.

theBaraness said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
theBaraness said...

Murder is murder no matter where it is; a war or in the streets, but the way people look at it is quite different. Someone who is in a line of duty or a soldier, has the right to defend themselves by all means, and that means murder. A soldier isn't killing for personal satisfation (which of course there will always be a few exceptions), but a soldier is killing for a common good for the society that they represent. A person who just kills to kill or for revenge, is killing for themselves and not the greater good of society. A murderer (not in the line of any duty) is a deviant because he is killing without "the right to kill someone" or without just reason. A soldier or police officer have the right to kill because they are the "law" and know the boundary (or should know) between murder, self defense, and killing for the greater good. A regular person might not exactly know the difference is in certain situations.

Natalia said...

I think that people have different opinions on murder, such as killing someone when at war, or in the real world. For me murder is the same in every situation, i don't think that soldiers should be innocent when they kill. Although, its considered their line of duty, and for the lack of a better term, its their job to kill, i still think it is a deviant act. I think the way that society looks at it, is that when soldiers are at war they are fighting for the society and trying to improve it, rather than killing because of their personal reasons. So, murdering someone in the real world is considered deviant probably because it if for the person's personal feelings, opinions, and reasons.

A Holzhauer said...

I belive that murdering sombody out of cold blood on the street is much different than killing another soldier on and opposing force. For instance, if I was a soldier and I know that if given the chance, my enemy would try to kill myself and my entire compay in our sleep unless he/she is surpressed, You are not only protecting yourself but potentially saving the lives of your comrads. On the other hand If i were to murder one of my classmates out of cold blood, that would cause wide spread chaos, which inturn would have a negative affect on society. Killing out side of war is diviant, and therfor you are labeld as a devient, but kiling in war is not labeld as deviant, and there for you are not a deviant because it is not against the law, and it does not cause a negative effect.

S.Costa said...

Murdering someone in the real world is deviant because it goes against our norms of following the law and not running around killing people, in war there really is no law other than to kill or be killed.

When a soldier kills someone in war, most of the time its because they have orders from a higher authority or they are getting shot at and they're returning fire.

The difference between the two are that one is out of cold blood and the other is from orders/ self defense.

Dache said...

murder in the real world is consisdered a deviant act because it's against the law and it goes against social norms. killing someone in war is not considered a deviant act because it is protecting our society

Jake O'Donnell said...

Murdering someone, outside of self defense or duty as a member of law enforcement, is deviant. A soldier killing an enemy soldier during war is not deviant. Killing is legally, and usually morally, justified in self defense, as long as equivalent force is applied. If one soldier sees a soldier of the opposing army, it is acceptable, expected, and often wise to kill him, because the other would likely do the same, thus making it equivalent force. Now, killing a civilian, a yielding enemy, a soldier of the same army or alliance, or a defenseless enemy being treated in a red cross camp cannot be justified, but two enemy soldiers attempting to kill each other is the norm in a warzone.

Even when it isn't equivanlent force in self defense (for example, killing an enemy soldier who's walking nearby), it is still the social norm because it is to protect the soldier's society from the opposing army.

In short, it is not a deviant act for a soldier to kill an enemy in self defense or for the well-being of their society. Soldiers don't always kill the right people for the right reasons, but the "soldier vs soldier" scenario is not an instance of deviance.

a. holmes said...

Murdering someone in the real world is considered a deviant act. It is considered a deviant act because it is not something that is not acceptable in society. By committing a crime such a murder, you are breaking the law, which in our society is considered deviant.
On the other hand though, when in war, killing another soldier is not considered a deviant act. One reason why this is not considered a deviant act is because it is a soldier's job to kill in war. They are required to obey their commanding officers. If a soldier decides to leave their company because they do not want to kill the enemy, then they can be considered AWOL. By doing so, these soldiers are thought of as committing treason. So, if these soldiers do in fact decide not to kill the enemy, they are being deviant as well.
Another reason why it is justifiable for soldiers to kill in war is everyone makes the choice to fight in combat. By making this decision, these people know that there is a possibility that they may die. Therefore, a soldier will carry some sort of weapon to protect themselves as well as their fellow soldiers. However, in society the victim of a murder is unaware that they are going to be murdered. And typically, they don't have any sort of weapon and are completely defenseless. So, killing in combat can be justifiable because you are fighting against people who have the same duty to kill you and you are obligated to protect your fellow men.

S.Ali said...

I believe murdering someone in the real world is illegal and deviant because in most cases their really is not a genuine reason for someone killing another person. As shown on the news it usually is a grudge or struggle pointed towards a certain person that another person dislikes. The majority of people think that killing someone is wrong anyways unless you are in the army where it is almost expected. Overall it honestly depends on your own point of view of human life.

To answer the second part of the question, as I said before it is pretty much a normal issue in the military to have a solider kill another solider. In addition it is also to protect our country and freedom and also being in war is a totally different mind setting then and average person would have. In the end it can never really be right to kill another person no matter what circumstance you are in, but in some cases the human mind makes us think differently.

Tom burch was here said...

Murding people is wrong and deviant. This is because ending someone life isnt up to you. Also it is concidered a sin so anyone within a religous society will not do it because they want to go to "heaven". But the funny thing about murder is if you have enought money, power and an awesome lawyer you won't be considered deviant at all for killing someone. For example Ted Kennedy(Chappaquiddick incident) and OJ Simpson know all about that. Now why it is ok to kill someone in war and its ok.I think it is based on your perspective. Social Relativism is the word that comes to my mind when i think of war time murders. Now think of it like this if one of the brave US troops get killed is the person that killed him/her a deviant murderer? or is it ok?
I think that both war and real world killing is wrong. Both acts are deviant because no matter what way you look at your killing someone. But for society it not being seen as a deviant act could be because they are fighting for our freedoms and ideas that we think are important enought to die and kill for.
sneaky puma out 1 <3

nicole scalise said...

Murdering someone is illegal and deviant in the real world because it goes against significant social norms and leads to major negative effects on society. On the other hand, it is the norm for a soldier to kill another soldier in war. Therefore it is not a deviant act. Soldiers are only killing in self defense and if they did not kill, they would be dead instead. They are expected to defend themselves and their country which means it could be necessary to kill other soldiers in the line of duty. This is their job and they are trained to protect their country at all costs, even if that means killing another person.

Courtney Maratta said...

Murdering someone in the real world is a very devient crime because your murdering either for your own selfish pleasures, or for revenge. very rarely is murdering not devient.

Killing in the line of duty isn't a devient, it doesnt go against the social norms. Those men kill to protect their country, they are selfless people who would die to protect the rights of us. Also, the people in war are given the go to kill the people that threaten our society, it's considered self defense in some ways as well. killing in the line of duty is in no way a devient act.

Unknown said...

I have to disagree with Sean, Not to sound rude but please read over what you said becuase you said that it was and order from the president, lets say that your father or family member was on the so called "enemy" side and you had an order to shoot them would you? Also; what if you murder someone but are trying to protect yourself and its not in war? Whats your point of view their. Think about it they are also fighting to protect their homeland or their belifs arn't they?

Killing someone in war or just murdering someone is wrong. no matter who tells you to do it, no matter how you do it.

EZenz said...

In the real world, it is deffinitely deviant for someone to murder another human being. This would be considered deviant because of the negative consequences a muderer will come across after committing this crime. Murder is also against the law and you will be sent to prison for a long time for it. It also goes against social norm, because many people do not go around killing people because it is the normal thing to do, that just doesn't happen.
On the other hand, a soldier killing another soldier in the line of duty is not deviant. This is not considered deviant, first of all because it is considered the norm. If a soldier is coming at you about to kill you, it is your job, as well as the norm, to kill the other person, if needed to do so. Also, killing another soldier that is against you would be considered self-defense. it just wouldnt be right for a soldier not kill the soldier coming at him about to kill him. Those are the biggest reasons why mudering a person in normal, everyday life is deviant, and killing a soldier in battle is not.

sean parent said...

syed...i understand what you are saying. and the one topic you discus is about murdering someone for self defence. but the act is still deviant because it causes attention to be drawn to you and you will get murdered. also im sure you know about the civil war, where brothers had to fight brothers. but when it comes to war the idea of murdering someone doesnt even come up int he deviant conversation unless you comit a deviant act that goes agiant the geniva convention or militarty code. so killing in war no matter how you look at it will be consisdered deviant...

NiA. said...

Okay well I think I'm a little late but I find this topic very interesting so I'm going to comment anyway. And I don't feel like reading all of the previous comments right now, so sorry if I repeat things people have already said before.
Anyway, I am pretty much against the whole idea of war and I personally don't understand why killing someone in war is not considered a deviant act. I actually think it's almost disturbing. How come people think it's so wrong when a person murders someone else, while overseas soldiers are killing others or getting killed every day? It's as if killing people is the norm for soldiers, but I wish that wasn't the case, considering soldiers are still people.
I think the only reason killing someone in war is not considered a deviant act is because "it's their job" and "they have to." Which is true, if they want to live they have to protect themselves. So I guess in the end it's just a big self-defense act.
Soldiers are trained to kill for their country. On the other hand, a murderer kills someone for personal reasons: for money, revenge, etc. That's illegal--and therefore deviant--because you don't just kill someone because you want money or you're angry.
So in the real world, a soldier killing someone in war is not deviant, but for what it's worth, I disagree with that. Like Albert Einstein said: "It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder."
But it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. :)

Anonymous said...

I think that murder in everyday life situations is different than murder during war. The different is that during war it should not be considered illegal and deviant. I'm not trying to say that killing another human during war is okay to do. What I'm really trying to say is that these two settings are different. In a war it's a soldier's duty to go and protect his/her country. This means that there will be acts of murder, but these acts take place for a reason. Now you might say that people on an everyday basis may say that they also have/had a "reason" to kill another person. Though, this is not right and should be punished by law. I think that the only murder that should be justified is the one that takes place at war becasue wars are between differnt nations. To me, giong to war is a job in which the president of a country assigns to a soldier and as a result he must fight for his/her country. Besides, everyone knows and associates war with explosion, shootings, bombs, so murder foming from a war is in a way expected by the people. Of course peeople mourn and are in pain when they loose someone close but people know that going to war can bring about these kinds of results. When murder occurs in a community for example, people are shocked becasue they associate this with wrong and against the law. There is no and should be no excuse/reason for killing someone other than war.

Little Bermudez said...

killing a person during war is not deviant because there killing peolpe for the good of this country. While people killing each other in the streets is only for there benifit

Carl Fleming said...

It is deviant for an individual to murder another person not apart of the military because it is an illegal crime and is considered deviant by society. Killing another person goes gainst social norms set by society.
In war, a soldier killing another soldiet does not go against social norms because it is the norm in war. It is not deviant, killing is what is expected of that person. Killing another soldier is not a deviant act.
Killing in either i do not believe to be right or moral but in war it is a different story than in society.

Melissa Leroux said...

It is deviant and illegal to just go around killing people because it is againt the norm. People don't kill people everyday; it is taking another person's life without their permisson. You also do not kill people because they are not your enemy. But in the army, it is perfectly fine for a soldier to kill another soldier. As long as it's an enemy and they are doing something bad; then it is understandable to take them out so they don't hurt anyone else or society altogether.

Katie Wacht said...

When a person murders another human being it is deviant because it is not only illegal in society but it also has serious and negative consequences. Normally a person will kill another person out of rage or anger which is the not the reason why anyone should be harming others. When you muder someone you are diturbing the social norms. However, when a soldier kills someone during war it is not deviant because they are protectiong themselves along with their country and the rest of the soldiers. A soldier chooses to go to war to serve and protect their country and if that means they have to kill someone else, they will do so. I someone off the streets were to shoot you out of no where for no reason at all that would be considered deviant. If a soldier where to kill someone in the line of duty to protect someone else than it would not be considered as deviant.

Melissa A. said...

I feel that it is ok for a soldier to kill someone while at war because they have a reason which is to protect and serve our country. if someone on the streets murders another person, they do not have a good reason. even if they reason is for revenge, that is not a good enough excuse for taking the life of another human being. also, soldiers in the war kill ofther people becuase they are being ordered to do so. when they sign up for the war, they are devoting themselves to definding our country. If that means they have to kill someone in ourder to protect us, than that is what they will do. soldiers put others before themselves where as people on the streets who murder someone, are just thinking about themself and what will make them happy; hence killing someone.