# Would you shoot child and kill your child in this situation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 2, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759 "2004-12-02T20:57:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/41 "2004-12-03T00:19:24Z")
Using mainly spoons, I would send smoke signals to sumnmon the giant squid lords of the great deep, then I would threaten them with the gun until they put out the fire with their laser-guided jet propulsion machines. Or maybe I would just use the fire extinguisher. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/42 "2004-12-03T00:21:25Z")
Your car stalls on the railroad tracks. In the car is just you and your young child strapped in the car seat in the back seat. You try and try to start your car not noticing the train bearing down on you. Suddenly you do see it. But it’s to late to get your child out the car seat and save both of you. But you can get out and save yourself. What do you do? ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/43 "2004-12-03T00:25:29Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Here’s an alternate hypothetical for you: A crashed bus teeters precariously on an overpass, partly blocking the commuter rail line. You can push the bus to the east, and it will fall off the overpass to crush an minority orphanage, or you can push the bus to the west, where it will fall and destroy a home for the cheerful mentally disabled, or you can leave it, in which case a train full of concerned environmentalists and civil rights activists will be derailed and careen into a series of refinery storage tanks, creating a huge fire. Above it all, an anal-retentive angel with a penchant for symmetry waits, eager to rebalance the equation any time you come up with a justification for a choice. Don’t like orphans? The orphanage is now an animal shelter. Don’t care about the disabled? It’s now a veteran’s home for Medal of Honor winners. Don’t like environmentalists and activists? The train is now full of AIDS researchers and Nobel Peace-prize winners. > > So what do you do, hotshot? _What do you do?!_ And this time shooting the hostage is not an option! Depends – Is the angel female? Is she hot? If so, I might ask her out. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/44 "2004-12-03T00:28:51Z")
> [@Kel Varnsen - Latex Division](#): > > You can’t get your child out. The accident also caused a fire…Would you shoot your child when your child starts to burn? Or would you watch your child burn to death? [Woody Allen] I wouldn’t be able to get over the trauma brought on by the fact I was packing heat, but forgot to pack marshmallows. [/Woody Allen] ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/45 "2004-12-03T00:32:16Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > Your car stalls on the railroad tracks. In the car is just you and your young child strapped in the car seat in the back seat. > > You try and try to start your car not noticing the train bearing down on you. > > Suddenly you do see it. But it’s to late to get your child out the car seat and save both of you. > > But you can get out and save yourself. > > What do you do? Are there environmentalists on the train? ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/46 "2004-12-03T00:34:23Z")
I shoot you first, then get the child out. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/47 "2004-12-03T00:36:57Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Are there environmentalists on the train? Better. At this point in the thread, **Gaudere** is on the train. As the engineer. And if you squint, you can see her shoveling a little more coal into the boiler. She’s gonna knock this thread to MPSIMS. The only question is whether Dr. Kimble can get out of the train first. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/48 "2004-12-03T00:42:32Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Okay, wiseguys, the angel magically transports your entire family onto the train. > > Then again, judging from some of the pit threads, I expect a number of dopers would be cheering the outcome. Considering that my sister gave away her checking account and credit card information to a complete stranger over a cell phone, and I’m now Santa Claus as far as her kids are concerned, I’m not really seeing a downside to this. ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/49 "2004-12-03T00:51:25Z")
Can we stop the hijacking and get back to the OP? ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/50 "2004-12-03T00:55:53Z")
Sorry, no, we’re in the middle of hijacking a derailed train, with an Moderator as hostage to boot. ---
**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:** [December 3, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/51 "2004-12-03T01:07:50Z")
For the OP. I expect I’d keep bashing at the car dashboard and frame, try to shoot out the bolts holding the seat in place and finally if that fails be forced to move away from the butn reckage my hands and body burnt almost to the bone. I would then if I survived the servere burns, live out the rest of my life in a mental assylum. ---
**Author:** ![todd33rpm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@todd33rpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/todd33rpm)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/52 "2004-12-03T01:54:06Z")
Holy cow. My dad was faced with a dilemma nearly like this one, except that the victim wasn’t a child, but an Army military officer (don’t remember what rank) who was trapped in a burning vehicle. What a nightmare. He still dreams about it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/53 "2004-12-03T02:11:38Z")
> [@Kel Varnsen - Latex Division](#): > > Can we stop the hijacking and get back to the OP? The OP was really silly. Did you really expect a serious debate? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/54 "2004-12-03T02:13:21Z")
Hysterical strength is your friend. I would Hulk out and wrench the kid free no matter what it did to my back. (Hey, if you can load the hypothetical I can load the solution). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/55 "2004-12-03T02:42:17Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Hysterical strength is your friend. I would Hulk out and wrench the kid free no matter what it did to my back. > > (Hey, if you can load the hypothetical I can load the solution). Ah, but it’s not a tree you crashed into, but a glue truck! Any attempt to pull the child free will fail. What now, hotshot? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/56 "2004-12-03T03:12:31Z")
Use the glue to put out the fire. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/57 "2004-12-03T03:15:47Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Use the glue to put out the fire. The glue is flammable. Yes, it’s flaming glue! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/58 "2004-12-03T03:27:13Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > The glue is flammable. Yes, it’s flaming glue! That’s even better. If it’s transporting hazardous flammable material, the truck is required by law to have a Class B fire extinguisher on board. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/59 "2004-12-03T03:32:48Z")
The glue is a special concentrated acid glue. If you put the fire out, the kid will dissolve before your eyes? Should the kid burn or melt? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/60 "2004-12-03T03:37:01Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > That’s even better. If it’s transporting hazardous flammable material, the truck is required by law to have a Class B fire extinguisher on board. 😃 Yes, but this particular glue company has a record of rule violations. Etiher that or the truck driver’s clothing caught on fire and he panicked, emptying the extinguisher on himself. Now he’s lying in a ditch, hypothermic and thus of no use to you in this current crisis. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759.md?page=4)