# If you could participate in a firing squad, would you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 24, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884 "2004-09-24T15:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/1 "2004-09-24T15:39:11Z")
Please note: this is an IMHO thread. I’m only looking for responses on whether or not you would and why. If you take issue with something someone else has said, please take it to GD or the Pit. Here’s the scenario. A man who has been found guilty of first degree murder has selected the firing squad as his method of departure. You have the opportunity to be on it. It will consist of five people. One of the guns will be loaded with blanks, so none of you will ever be entirely sure who it was who fired the fatal shot. He will have his face covered, and you will be firing at a paper target right over his heart. For the sake of this thread, you live in a state which has the death penalty. Do you volunteer? Why or why not? ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/2 "2004-09-24T15:48:21Z")
Man, that’s really one of those things that you can say what you would do, but you have no real idea until actually confronted. If I was in the armed services for example, and it was ordered for me to do, then yeah, I could see it. If the murder the person had committed was related to me personally, there wouldn’t even need to be a squad or blanks. But in a random situation, where I was chosen at random off the street, handed a rifle, and told to line up I don’t know. I’ve been shooting a long while and find it hard to belive I couldn’t tell my shot from others. I’d like to think I’d know if I was the one who did it. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/3 "2004-09-24T15:50:49Z")
In any ordinary situation I wouldn’t, I generally don’t believe in capital punnishment due to the difficulty of any judicial system being perfectly infallable. But maybe if I had witnessed the actual murder by the person of someone I knew I could imagine being angry enough to wish to take part in the firing squad to kill that murderer. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/4 "2004-09-24T15:51:16Z")
Nah. Not because I’m squeamish about eliminating murderers, though. I’m against the death penalty in general because I don’t trust our legal system to make the right decisions about guilt and innocence. Shooting a murderer wouldn’t bother me a bit. Shooting a man later found to be innocent certainly would. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/5 "2004-09-24T15:58:35Z")
I’m morally opposed to the death penalty, and wouldn’t voluntarily participate. If I was in the military and I was ordered to participate in a firing squad, I would. Obviously, not something that can be definitively answered until the chips are down… ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/6 "2004-09-24T16:24:42Z")
Well someone’s gonna kill him/her. I’m in. I’m also wishing I wouldn’t have blanks. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/7 "2004-09-24T16:39:37Z")
If I was chosen off the streets and had the choice, I wouldn’t. I’m not entirely sure where I stand in regards to the death penalty any more, so as of right now I’d say it was against my morals. If the person being shot was someone I cared about I probably would as well. My emotions would probably override my sense of morality. This might sound hypocritical, but I’m being honest and I don’t have a firm grasp on my stance on the death penalty as it is. ---
**Author:** ![QOFM\_Sit\_Down](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c37758/32.png) [@QOFM\_Sit\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QOFM_Sit_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/8 "2004-09-24T17:02:55Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > If the murder the person had committed was related to me personally, there wouldn’t even need to be a squad or blanks. Squad Leader: “Good Job you killed the guy, but you are supposed to use the OTHER end of the gun to kill him” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/9 "2004-09-24T17:41:28Z")
I’m a little unsure about the OP. What do you mean by “volunteer?” I’m not going to call the prison and say “Hey, I hear you’re shooting Joe Horrible today, I’d like to be in on that!” If nothing else I think that would get you put on some sort of watch list. If they’re deputizing people off the street, it would depend. If the guy was really horrible and there was no doubt about his guilt (in my mind) maybe. I really don’t know. If I was a corrections officer, probably. Blowing it off would mean some other officer would have to do it. I’m not trying to be snarky with my question. I’m honestly unsure. ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/10 "2004-09-24T18:07:01Z")
I’ve never shot blanks before, but wouldn’t _know_ if your gun had the blank after you shot? My physics seems a little rusty, but I would think that the gun would kick much harder if there was an actual bullet in the gun. I am basing this solely on holywood movies, however when you see someone fire a revolver with almost no kick at all. If you’ve ever fired a revolver, you know that it kicks a lot more. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/11 "2004-09-24T18:12:43Z")
I shot a good many blanks in the army. There is no confusion for an experienced shooter. A blank doesn’t sound or recoil like a ball round. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/12 "2004-09-24T18:24:23Z")
No. I’m opposed to the death penalty and wouldn’t participate. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/13 "2004-09-24T18:33:33Z")
I’m not opposed to the death penalty. And I like guns. But I wouldn’t want to participate in a firing squad. The taking of a human life – even the life of a convicted murderer – can have psychological effects on you for the rest of your life. The only time I would take the life of a person is when I _had_ to. Like in a self-defense situation. Or war. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/14 "2004-09-24T19:27:44Z")
I would. It’s probably a once in a life time thing. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/15 "2004-09-24T19:28:44Z")
I’m opposed to the death penalty and would decline. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/16 "2004-09-24T19:41:56Z")
Good Lord, no! ---
**Author:** ![Kymodoce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8797f3/32.png) [@Kymodoce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kymodoce)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/17 "2004-09-24T20:29:31Z")
Absolutely not. I live in a country without the death penalty thank God, and I would never agree to participate in a firing squad, in any cirumstances which I can forsee. The taking of life is abhorrent to me. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/18 "2004-09-24T21:10:53Z")
For those who would: Do you offer them a cigarette like in the movies or just blow them away? ---
**Author:** ![Pride\_of\_the\_Peaches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Pride\_of\_the\_Peaches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pride_of_the_Peaches)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/19 "2004-09-24T21:20:42Z")
If I was cruising down the street and was asked, I’d say no. I’m opposed to the death penalty and I don’t get off on killing people. Frankly, anyone who WOULD volunteer would get a bit of a raised eyebrow from me. I don’t think they’d want me anyway since I’ve never fired a real gun. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884/20 "2004-09-25T00:19:58Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > For those who would: Do you offer them a cigarette like in the movies or just blow them away? Well, cigarettes could lead to cancer… Hell, screw the cigarette, let 'em have a vallium! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-participate-in-a-firing-squad-would-you/265884.md?page=2)