--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have killed no men, that, in the first…" description: "\"I have killed no men, that, in the first place, didn't deserve killing\" — Mickey Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/mickey-cohen-46819_deserve_i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-p_1557896.png" --- # I have killed no men, that, in the first place, didn't… ![“I have killed no men, that, in the first place, didn't deserve killing” quote by Mickey Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/mickey-cohen-46819_deserve_i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-p_1557896.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/mickey-cohen-46819_deserve_i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-p_1557896.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/mickey-cohen-46819_deserve_i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-p_1557896.png) > “I have killed no men, that, in the first place, didn't deserve killing” [Mickey Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A moral justification for killing is that the victim deserved it, reflecting a personal code of justice. **In simple terms:** Killing justified if the victim deserved it. Key Takeaway Question personal ethics before action. Themes morality justice violence Mood grim serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - conflict - self‑defense - crime - legal systems Key Concepts retributive justice personal code Questions to Reflect On - Is this justification valid? - What are alternatives to violence? A Different Perspective Subjective morality can be dangerous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mobster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mobster/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't kill anyone that didn't deserve killing in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-didn-t-kill-anyone-that-didn-t-deserve-killing-in-the-first-place/) [Mickey Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-cohen/) > [There are people who said he killed over a hundred men. Historical fact doesn't corroborate one hundred men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-carradine/there-are-people-who-said-he-killed-over-a-hundred-men-historical/) [Keith Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-carradine/) > [“He killed more men than the cholera.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/he-killed-more-men-than-the-cholera/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Revenge is best left to fantasy,” Munroe said. “It feels better there. In real life you can eventually learn to deal with the pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-stevens/revenge-is-best-left-to-fantasy-munroe-said-it-feels-better-there-in/) [Taylor Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-stevens/) > [It feels better there. In real life you can eventually learn to deal with the pain and trauma, learn to cope on some level,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-stevens/it-feels-better-there-in-real-life-you-can-eventually-learn-to-deal/) [Taylor Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-stevens/) > [I never killed a guy who didn't deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-never-killed-a-guy-who-didn-t-deserve-it/) [Mickey Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-cohen/) > [“In Minneapolis, tires were slashed and windows smashed. A high school student getting off a bus was hit in the face and told to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fadiman/in-minneapolis-tires-were-slashed-and-windows-smashed-a-high-school/) [Anne Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fadiman/) > [A flapping tongue has killed more men than sudden storms ever did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/a-flapping-tongue-has-killed-more-men-than-sudden-storms-ever-did/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“I’ve killed men against whom I had no grievance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lee-burke/i-ve-killed-men-against-whom-i-had-no-grievance/) [James Lee Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lee-burke/) > [“Dad...you did it? (Shocked but keeping voice down) You did it to the others? 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The people of Amity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/the-fish-was-an-enemy-it-had-come-upon-the-community-and-killed-two/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [“Hello. (Serenity) I’ve killed over a hundred men. Half of them I kill for simply saying hello. (Ushakii)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinley-macgregor/hello-serenity-i-ve-killed-over-a-hundred-men-half-of-them-i-kill-for/) [Kinley MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinley-macgregor/) > [Well, the tyranny of masculinity and the tyranny of patriarchy I think has been much more deadly to men than it has to women.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/well-the-tyranny-of-masculinity-and-the-tyranny-of-patriarchy-i-think/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) ## More by Mickey Cohen > [I didn't kill anyone that didn't deserve killing in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-didn-t-kill-anyone-that-didn-t-deserve-killing-in-the-first-place/) [Mickey Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-cohen/) > [I'm not an educated man, but I've read some history. Every kingdom comes up bloody. Every castle is built on a pile of bones.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-m-not-an-educated-man-but-i-ve-read-some-history-every-kingdom/) [Mickey Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-cohen/) > [I started rooting - you know, sticking up joints - with some older guys. By now I had gotten a taste of what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-started-rooting-you-know-sticking-up-joints-with-some-older-guys-by/) [Mickey Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-cohen/) > [I never killed a guy who didn't deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-never-killed-a-guy-who-didn-t-deserve-it/) [Mickey Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-cohen/) > [All good things must one day be burnt to the ground for the insurance money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/all-good-things-must-one-day-be-burnt-to-the-ground-for-the-insurance/) [Mickey Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-cohen/) > [I got a kick out of having a big bankroll in my pocket. 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Sometimes they don't deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rylan-clark-neal/i-am-constantly-nice-to-people-sometimes-they-don-t-deserve-it/) [Rylan Clark-Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rylan-clark-neal/) Browse all 4,764 Deserve quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have killed no men, that, in the first place, didn't deserve killing", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mickey Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-place-didn-t-deserve-killing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deserve" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-place-didn-t-deserve-killing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/mickey-cohen-46819_deserve_i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-p_1557896.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/mickey-cohen-46819_deserve_i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-p_1557896.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/mickey-cohen-46819_deserve_i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-p_1557896.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have killed no men, that, in the first place, didn't deserve killing” — Mickey Cohen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mickey Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have killed no men, that,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-place-didn-t-deserve-killing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-cohen/i-have-killed-no-men-that-in-the-first-place-didn-t-deserve-killing/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```