Quote Originally Posted by Burney View Post
But you haven't 'killed a kid'. A kid has died as the culmination of a set of decisions and random circumstances - none of which was taken with the intention of killing a kid. However, they might just as easily have not culminated in any such outcome. That to me seems highly significant from the perspective of moral guilt.

Of course you're right. The law is also there to make examples of people who break it with dire - albeit unintended - consequences. It is also there to be seen to be done. Those things are important from a societal point of view, of course, but they have nothing whatsoever to do with ethics.
Right. So the ethical aspect should be determined solely by actions (driving pissed). However, the legal aspect will also punish the outcome.

In other words, you are just as big a **** whether the kid dies or not but if he does you are a **** in prison.