# What, other than your loved ones' survival, would you be willing to die for? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-than-your-loved-ones-survival-would-you-be-willing-to-die-for/374274 "2006-09-26T22:11:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-than-your-loved-ones-survival-would-you-be-willing-to-die-for/374274/21 "2006-09-28T02:51:35Z")
[QUOTE=kelly5078] There are certainly some things I’d die to avoid, but aside from my family, there is nothing I would knowingly die for. [/QUOTE] I’d like to think I’d die to save the life of a child, if it were necessary, whether or not I knew him or her. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-than-your-loved-ones-survival-would-you-be-willing-to-die-for/374274/22 "2006-09-28T03:12:34Z")
> [@Skald the Rhymer](#): > > I’d like to think I’d die to save the life of a child, if it were necessary, whether or not I knew him or her. Well, if a car were about to run a kid over, I doubt I’d sit around and watch. Also, I might do all kinds of potentially disastrous (to me) stuff in unforeseen circumstances, say a 9/11. But I’m thinking more in terms of what there might that, from an armchair perspective, I’d be ready to die for. My wife and children are all that come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-than-your-loved-ones-survival-would-you-be-willing-to-die-for/374274/23 "2006-09-28T05:11:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Would you join the military to defend your country from the grave threat of conquest (again, leaving aside your desire to defend your loved ones)? Yes, or equivalent (impromptu civilian militia, etc). > [@](#): > > Would you join a rebellion against a corrupt and dictatorial government, in order to bring about freedom in your country? You bet your ass. > [@](#): > > Would you stand up to gangsters taking over your city or neighborhood to keep it a decent place to live? If I could figure out how to make a stand, yes. Definitely if approached with coercive intentions, less obviously if they aren’t directly fucking with me but are messing up the social environment. > [@](#): > > Would you donate a kidney to a stranger, even though you might need it yourself later? I dunno. I wouldn’t rule it out, but tell me more about this stranger. It’s not like I could do it twice. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-than-your-loved-ones-survival-would-you-be-willing-to-die-for/374274/24 "2006-09-28T05:23:37Z")
At this point in my life, I’m not sure I am willing to die for anything, even my loved ones. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-than-your-loved-ones-survival-would-you-be-willing-to-die-for/374274/25 "2006-09-28T05:25:57Z")
[QUOTE=pool] I think there are few things for which I’d willingly sacrifice my life. If there were some type of draft or something maybe I would if I was feeling especially suicidal but not for any altruisitc reasons. Skald if you don’t mind me asking, How did your son die? [/QUOTE] He had a congenital heart defect. [QUOTE=Sunrazor] You just got me right through the heart. Virtual hug coming your way (in a manly way, of course.) [/QUOTE] Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-than-your-loved-ones-survival-would-you-be-willing-to-die-for/374274/26 "2006-09-28T05:29:47Z")
[QUOTE=kelly5078] Well, if a car were about to run a kid over, I doubt I’d sit around and watch. Also, I might do all kinds of potentially disastrous (to me) stuff in unforeseen circumstances, say a 9/11. But I’m thinking more in terms of what there might that, from an armchair perspective, I’d be ready to die for. My wife and children are all that come to mind. [/QUOTE] I probably identify too much with the kids’ parents. It’s very hard for me to think about my son’s death and there really isn’t anything I can imagine that would be worse and I don’t like tothink of anybody else ever going through that. Also I was a shitty father for the first few years of his life and sometimes I think that I kind of owe it to him. I know that doesn’t make sesne. sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-than-your-loved-ones-survival-would-you-be-willing-to-die-for/374274/27 "2006-09-28T18:06:53Z")
[QUOTE=Roderick Femm] Would you join the military to defend your country from the grave threat of conquest (again, leaving aside your desire to defend your loved ones)? [/QUOTE] I served 3 years in the Army during the 80’s. Height of the Cold War against Ronnie Raygun’s Evil Empire. I even guarded nukes! I was and still am willing to fight, kill and even die to preserve my country and the beliefs it stands for. In the song, America the Beautiful is the verse: > [@](#): > > O beautiful for heroes proved > In liberating strife. > Who more than self the country loved > And mercy more than life! I love that sentiment. But I prefer what Patton said: > [@](#): > > Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country. [QUOTE=Roderick Femm] Would you join a rebellion against a corrupt and dictatorial government, in order to bring about freedom in your country? [/QUOTE] Before my country got that way, I’d be doing everything I could to prevent it. If it didn’t work and I was facing stormtroopers marching down Michigan Avenue, you would see me in standing in front of a tank, like that man in Tiananmen Square. I will not stand by while innocent people are persecuted. [QUOTE=Roderick Femm] Would you stand up to gangsters taking over your city or neighborhood to keep it a decent place to live? [/QUOTE] I have volunteered with neighborhood watches and Take Back the Night programs to stop gangs and drug dealers. We’ve been harassed and threatened but refuse to give up. Why should I feel comfortable and safe in my home when others are in danger. [QUOTE=Roderick Femm] Would you donate a kidney to a stranger, even though you might need it yourself later? [/QUOTE] My friend’s father-in-law had Hepititis C that had ravaged his liver. His only hope was a liver transplant. Even though I did not know the man well (only met him a couple times), I had myself tested to see if I would be a stuitable donor for a partial liver transplant (they would take about half of my liver for him). I wasn’t a match but a member of his church was. The operation was a success but he had a reaction to the anti-rejection drugs and died. I have a rarer blood type so I am listed on the bone marrow registry. If they take my marrow, I understand it is a painful procedure and there are risks of infection, but I don’t care. I have also signed my organ donors card. I love my life and I love my family. I would do anything to protect them and not die. But I am not going to stand idly by while others suffer or hurt. I won’t be the person who bitches and moans about how lousy things are and doesn’t get off their ass to make a difference. I won’t give a speech about how insensitive people are and then not be willing to lend a hand. I won’t talk about how awful it is someplace and not be willing to get dirty in order to clean it up. I will fight to preserve my family, my friends and my country. And if that means that I will most likely die in the struggle, then that is the price that I will pay. I’ve seen too many people on this board who gripe about how awful America is and how we don’t care for others. They want America to change. Hey, guess what? You are America! Push yourself away from the keyboard and do something! Sacrifice for a greater good, to save or preserve something greater than yourself, to care more for others than you do for yourself are noble attributes to aspire to. I’m not perfect and I can be petty at times. But I will put my money where my mouth is. I will put my ass on the front line. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-than-your-loved-ones-survival-would-you-be-willing-to-die-for/374274.md?page=1)