Oh, that's very simple, 4thtime...
When talking about it (like in this thread), a criminal is an abstract concept: not a human, but a thing, a sub-human. This creature can be shot without regret or remorse, because it's not human, after all. Of course, in reality, the criminal is a human too...
I sometimes think about what I'd do when someone breaks into my home, and the result is usually me sticking a very large knife in the burglar's body, and calling the cops afterwards (which would get me imprisoned, by the way). I have no idea how I'd react in real life, but I imagine I'd be terrified, and hardly able to act. Even if I could act, could I actually *kill* someone?
Let's just hope I never need to test my resolve...
