# 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:** 4
**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, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/61 "2004-12-03T03:38:51Z")
I happen to have some baking soda in my pants. I can put out the fire with the extinguisher and then use the base to neutralize the acid glue. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/62 "2004-12-03T03:49:38Z")
shoot the hostage ---
**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, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/63 "2004-12-03T03:55:44Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I happen to have some baking soda in my pants. I can put out the fire with the extinguisher and then use the base to neutralize the acid glue. Ah, but your child is deathly allergic to baking soda. It causes him to vomit uncontrollaby. It would be more merciful to shoot him. ---
**Author:** ![grayhairedmomma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@grayhairedmomma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grayhairedmomma)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/64 "2004-12-03T04:09:36Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Ah, but your child is deathly allergic to baking soda. It causes him to vomit uncontrollaby. It would be more merciful to shoot him. But knowing of his allergy and knowing I have baking soda in my pants, I’ve also brought my Never Fail Epi-Pen. So I’ll douse him with the baking soda, his vomit will help put out the flames, I’ll use the epi-pen and all will be well. ---
**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, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/65 "2004-12-03T04:09:57Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > It would be more merciful to shoot him. Unfortuneately, the glue has set so hard it is now bulletproof. The kid has survived the vomiting, but now faces a slow death by starvation. Best to shoot yourself. ---
**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, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/66 "2004-12-03T04:15:51Z")
No more jokes. Just let this thread die the death it deserves. ---
**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, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/67 "2004-12-03T04:16:21Z")
Feed him the dead truck driver. ---
**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, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/68 "2004-12-03T04:22:25Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > Just let this thread die the death it deserves. You mean point a gun at its flaming-car-trapped-glue-encrusted-bicarbonate-intolerant body and pull the trigger? You monster. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/69 "2004-12-03T04:31:29Z")
Find a nun. Tell God that if he doesn’t come through with a _deus ex machina_, I off the sister. ---
**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, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/70 "2004-12-03T04:46:44Z")
A little boy was hit by a car. A man runs up to him and kneels beside him… Should I call a preist my son? The boy says… get ready… this link needs a funny joke… here it is… How can you think of sex at a time like this? Ba domp bom. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/71 "2004-12-03T05:22:18Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Why do you have an unsecured gun near your child? Hmph, talk about irresponsible parenting! Perhaps he has a carry permit? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/72 "2004-12-03T05:25:58Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I really can’t see what place this question has in great debates. It’s a grotesque dilemma that borders on emotional pornography. If you’re trying to make a metaphor for assisted suicide I would suggest you try again. Reminds me of an episode of Family guy. Peter Griffin: Oh, okay, here’s another riddle. A woman has two children. Now, a homicidal maniac tells her she can only keep one. Which one does she let 'im kill? Brian Griffin: That’s, that’s not a riddle. That’s, that’s just terrible. Peter Griffin: Wrong!.. the ugly one. ---
**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:** [December 3, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/73 "2004-12-03T05:38:03Z")
**Kel** , I think the problem is that people just don’t see the value in these sort of hypotheticals. For the vast majority of us, this situation just isn’t going to come up. So what’s the point of speculating about it? There are a tiny minority of people who may be faced with these no-win situations–like **todd33rpm’s** dad–but these people are just going to do what they have to do and live with the trauma the rest of their lives. Again there is no point in speculating about it. What possibly could you learn about life, the universe, or anything, by meditating on these extreme situations? Sorry people are piling on you, but the correct response to your dillema is not to take it seriously. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/74 "2004-12-03T05:41:10Z")
Why’s the seven-year-old pinned by the dashboard, anyway? If he was properly seated and secured in a regulation safety car seat, in the _rear row_ of the car, getting him out would be relatively straightforward. And how does a tire blowout cause your car to hit a tree at breakneck speeds, anyway? Having experienced real tire blowouts, I can say they’re nowhere near the “wildly uncontrollable deathtrap disaster” that the OP postulates. In short, since this is all bad-movie-making-melodrama, I guess it’s up to the screenwriter to come up with whatever contrived ending he wants. ---
**Author:** ![ridealong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@ridealong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ridealong)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/75 "2004-12-03T06:21:14Z")
The bottom line in this very unlikely hypothetical is that until your child is actually dead you can’t be completely sure that something won’t happen that could save him. Suppose the next driver stops and pulls a fire extinguisher out of his trunk? Suppose a fire truck comes around the corner? Suppose the fire burns away enough of the dashboard that you can pull him loose if you keep trying? Since it’s purely hypothetical, how 'bout if a tornado whirls up and blows out the fire? He has at least a chance to survive, unless you take it away from him. But as others have asked, why are you asking a question like this? We all make difficult real-life decisions all the time about things like balancing work and family, caring for aging parents, taking risks and building security etc. Why not ask how people deal with real dilemmas? ---
**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, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/76 "2004-12-03T09:19:31Z")
I’m still waiting for an answer to my question. I have a thing for angels, and this could be my one and only big chance. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/77 "2004-12-03T12:52:28Z")
As with all [negative utilitarian](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarian#Negative_Utilitarianism) dilemmas in which we must attempt to minimise suffering, we can _never_ have access to _all_ the relevant information, and must simply make a ‘best guess’. In this case, there will never be a point at which the child’s death is **certain** : it will always be _possible_ that the bullet ended a life which would have continued, albeit with thrid degree burns and extensive surgery. If we hypothetically have super powers comprising the ability to know the future with certainty, then can we not simply have super powers necessary to rescue the kid in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/78 "2004-12-03T13:17:43Z")
SHIT! Doom-Haunted much, **latex**? :smack: :dubious: :eek: :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/79 "2004-12-03T14:26:16Z")
What if the kid grows up to be the next Hitler? Better safe than sorry I always say. ---
**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, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/80 "2004-12-03T14:42:40Z")
Ahhh, but what if the kid grows up to be the only person who can _stop_ the next Hitler, what then? Hmmm? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759.md?page=5)