by Barbara Kasey Smith

Created on: August 12, 2009   Last Updated: August 16, 2009

Is it ethical to turn your brother in for a murder? This question poses another quick question: Can you live with yourself if you know your brother "murdered" someone? Remember: murder is different than an accident.

I would have to say yes, it is ethical to turn a brother in for murder. I would feel so much guilt if I didn't, I would feel like I had a part in it myself. If I knew for definite he had murdered someone, he would be turned in to the authories immediately without me giving it a second thought. We should never protect a guilty person, because we have to live with the consequences.

When you allow someone to get away with murder, you are only freeing them to possibly murdering another and yes: another person. This life is made up with many wrongs, but by hiding someone who is an outright murderer, I believe we are only feeding their anger and outbursts and there will be repeated offenses by them. People do not change their angers and their outbursts without usually seeking medical help, and many of them refuse to seek help. Anger builds from within, and it keeps building until the person explodes and they do not know what they are doing. Don't you think if they got mad enough to kill someone, they could get mad enough and kill you, too?

No, it would not be easy to turn your own flesh and blood into the authorities, but it is the only right thing for all of us to do. If he says he is innocent, hire a good lawyer to defend him and turn him in. Not all people who are accused of murder are murderers, so you had better get the story right from the brother's mouth and allow him to know if he is innocent, you'll support him all the way. Let him know that you are going to turn him into the authorities, because it is best thing to do when they are innocent.

If a brother knows the killing was an accident, he should not even think of running, but facing the accidental death head on. Life can sometimes deal families terrible incidents to face in life, but we cannot protect someone who we know is guilty of murder. When we protect these types of people, we have to live with the lie for the rest of our lives. We cannot erase it from our minds and we can become a cripple for the big secret we are keeping in our lives. Honesty is the right thing to do in all situations. Lies will only come back to slap your face.

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