Many self-defense and combat instructors teach their students that when defending themselves against a personal attack, even a forcible entry or carjacking, the best response is to shoot at center-of-mass. In essence, shoot to kill the attacker. Do not attempt to wound the aggressor, do not attempt to scare the would-be killer or kidnapper or robber with a warning shot. Seek to kill them just as you would a mad dog or a striking rattlesnake.

What do you think, dear reader? As christians, it is a hard thing to do: Jesus teaches us to value life even here on earth. But at the same time, He taught that is not a sin to fight back with deadly force if you or others are attacked, even if your dwelling is broken into at night. It is a justified death, brought on by the felon’s own action in initiating force against you.

This came up in the context of juvenile carjackers in Washington, DC. That blight upon the face of the earth (and humanity, and liberty) is now (we are told) number 173 of 182 American cities for safety. Recent headlines were made when a federal security guard, off duty, shot and killed a person attempting to highjack his car. Why? The kid was only thirteen years old. As it turns out the dead “child” had nine charges of carjacking and robbery just in the past five weeks. A few of more than 750 carjackings in DC in the first ten months of this year, with 65% of those charged being “juveniles.” It is for the children, apparently! In the same week another carjacking ending in a fatal crash in which a 15-year-old girl was killed. She too had a long rap sheet. Carjackings in DC and elsewhere sometimes end in car chases and joyrides and crashes, sometimes ending in injury and death of innocent bystanders. The act of carjacking is sometimes followed immediately by the killing or beating of the driver and passengers.

But in DC and far too many other urban areas, even if the carjacker(s) are arrested and the car recovered, the perpetrators are often out on the street within hours. With court appearances scheduled (and apparently, the papers thrown out as litter) and ignored or delayed. And meanwhile, the would-be felons are back at their profession.

The question then is posed: Is it not just best for your own safety and life (mortal and spiritual) to shoot to kill the person trying to force you out of your car at gun or knifepoint? But for the health and safety of society – of other people, probably strangers – to do so?

It is not a matter of money and monetary costs to you, to other victims, to police and courts, to society and – yes, even government. Or insurance. It is not a matter of convenience. You, the would-be victim, will almost certainly spend more time and money in court if you shoot (even if you do not kill your attacker) than if meekly acquiesce and hand over your keys, your car, your wallet or purse, and whatever of value you might have in your car. Including, sometimes, a child or pet. (And of course, the ‘jackers allow you to live.)

And you run a very good chance of being branded by media and people in the same family, ethnic group, and community as the criminal of being a racist, a child-killer, some kind of supremicist, a Nazi, and probably (even if you hate the guy and vote for Ron Paul daily and twice on weekends) a Trumpista. The media will trace back and find out (even if your parents and grandparents immigrated from Switzerland in 1930) that your mother almost married (well, she dated one) a guy whose great-great-grandfather once bid on a slave in an auction in Charleston in 1760.

So why not just be a victim and take your chances that they will not rip you a new mouth in your neck with that sharpened steak knife they swiped from Sirloin Stockade last week? Or give you a case of lead poisoning

It is a matter of protecting yourself and others. Not only will the dead carjacker never do that to anyone else again. Maybe, just maybe, that fatal outcome will cause another one or two teens to decide not to pursue a career as a criminal. No matter how many incentives local and state and federal governments offer to him or her. But it is the immediate effects that always will govern people making decisions under the stress of a robbery or carjacking attempt. Can I protect my family? My friends? Myself? My property? What way am I most likely to accomplish these vital goals.

For those who have the moral courage to do so – for the moral must precede the physical – the answer is likely, “I must put down the perp before they can harm mine. Even at the cost of my own health and life.”

So if you don’t already have it, or if you need a refresher – go out and get trained. Learn how to protect your loved ones and yourself effectively with a gun or other weapons. And be prepared to kill if necessary.