Diver fights off 12-foot shark

[Hank49]

oops sorry for the double post...

 

[Hank49]

It's not even close though. Are you saying you'd drop your speargun and not shoot the shark...because you've accepted the risk that you might get eaten just by being in the sea? And you have no right to kill the shark? I don't buy it. We're survivors by nature.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I like his analogy when looked at in a simplified means. We face threats every day but don't go off killing to avoid them

His analogy is inappropriate and irrelevant, but it does show us that he feels the need to generate a lot of noise. These guys dive with sharks ALL THE TIME, just like people choose to face dangerous traffic every day. They shot a shark ONCE.

 

[TGreene]

His analogy is inappropriate and irrelevant, but it does show us that he feels the need to generate a lot of noise. These guys dive with sharks ALL THE TIME, just like people choose to face dangerous traffic every day. They shot a shark ONCE.

It's really neither inappropriate nor irrelevant if you were able to comprehend what I was trying to say...

Let's get back to the part I wrote about people that very closely TAILGATE motorcycles. They purposely put us in grave danger, and often make a game of it. If you ride, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

I've yet to ever have to shoot a driver, but I will admit to drawing and leveling a pistol on one occasion!

-Tim

 

[Spencermm]

Just a lurker on this thread, but I do have a question.
(I don't want to get into the whole guys with the Tiger thing. I don't know what that was all about, not really, except that it was very unfortunate and suspicious.)
I was thinking about some of the comparisons made in the thread.
Is it illegal to shoot at a shark if you feel it is threatening your life?

 

[ScubaSarus]

I belive tiger sharks are only protected in certain areas of the world so these divers were probably in their legal right.

This discussion is mainly a debate with those thare are fond of sharks and don't want to see them killed and those that are hunters.We all know about shark finnning and how sharks get a bad rap and are killed in large numbers. The sharks (and marine life in general) have taken it on the nose so they do get my sympathies

Then we add the media attention and a debate werther they were in danger and was the killing needed. Did they eat the shark so it wasn't a senseless killing ? And all that stuff.

I'm against shark killing and thats me, I like to dive and observe and the mental karma that comes with respecting marine life and most life for that matter.

I think they did somethin legal that I'm simply against due to my beliefs.

 

[HateCheese]

It's really neither inappropriate nor irrelevant if you were able to comprehend what I was trying to say...

Let's get back to the part I wrote about people that very closely TAILGATE motorcycles. They purposely put us in grave danger, and often make a game of it. If you ride, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

I've yet to ever have to shoot a driver, but I will admit to drawing and leveling a pistol on one occasion!

-Tim

Kind of a tangent, but I'll play along. To make your analogy remotely close, you need to add it the capability of you as the cyclist to harm/kill/damage the vehicle.....

So, pretend you had a James Bond bike w/ rocket launchers. Now when riding you have someone driving aggressively behind you. At the past 2 stoplights you can hear the ABS kick in, and the stop just short of you. It is clear that they are dangerous. Now an animal pops out ahead of you and you need to JAM on the breaks, but you know that the driver in the SUV behind you will drive right over you. Would you use the rocket launchers to save yourself from the actions of the SUV?

Yep, ridiculous as h@%*, but it was addressing your thinly applicable analogy. Bet you'd try to save yourself given 1) appearance that you could meet your maker 2) possibility to avoid that for today.

How about these:
If I am hiking and a grizzly charges me, would I kill it? Yep
If a bee stings me, will I swat it? Yep
If a water moccasin starts chasing me, will I shoot it? Yep
When I go running, if a dog hops the fence and chases me will I kick it? Yep
If a burglar enters my house, will I defend myself? Damn straight.

I've never killed a bear, have probably swatted bees, never killed a snake, haven't kicked a dog, and never shot an intruder. I believe I have EVERY right to hike in Yosemite, work in the garden, walk by my pond, jog in my neighborhood, or be in my house.

I've heard people express something like this 'you were in the wild, except the dangers'.... Yeah.... What, cause it wasn't 'natural' then I should accept all of the dangers and discount my ability to adapt? If you really believe that, please make sure to not buy a car with an airbag or antilock brakes, accept that your plane will crash, wear glasses, use modern medicine, ride a train ..... Part of being human is adapting to your environment. My environment is simply NOT a cubicle, expanses of concrete, or a condo.

The simple fact that you can't completely defend youself when on your bike has absolutely no bearing on what I can and cant do.

I simply won't go thru life with the believe that I can not and should not defend myself.

 

[HateCheese]

This discussion is mainly a debate with those thare are fond of sharks and don't want to see them killed and those that are hunters.

I am fond of sharks and don't want to see them killed. And I am a hunter. You are completely missing the point. This debate is not based on those who like sharks thinking this was wrong, and those who hunt defending the divers.

Did they eat the shark so it wasn't a senseless killing ?

If I kill ANYTHING in defense of myself, I do not need to eat it so that I can claim it wasn't a senseless killing.

Would you need to eat the burglar you shot in your home to justify it to yourself???

 

[ONESPEED]

Is it illegal to shoot at a shark if you feel it is threatening your life?

I seriously doubt the legality of the situation would enter my mind as I was squeezing the trigger.

 

[ScubaSarus]

QUOTE by HateCheese - "This debate is not based on those who like sharks thinking this was wrong, and those who hunt defending the divers. "

The concensus by some of us is that this was not a self defense killing.

QUOTE by HateCheese
"Would you need to eat the burglar you shot in your home to justify it to yourself???"

Kinda goes back to the buffalo theme to me were the Indians killed buffalo and used most all the carcass and the white men killed the buffalo for fun and to show thier manhood. You Know sorta like Sensless or Meaningless Killing. The meaning may have only been present due to ignorance of shark behavior.