# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/141 "2004-12-07T02:14:16Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > I’m dying here. Dying. Seriously. I’d love to help out, but I don’t have a gun. ☹ Anybody know how many angels can dance on the hood of a flaming car? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/142 "2004-12-07T04:16:28Z")
> [@Tenar](#): > > I’d love to help out, but I don’t have a gun. ☹ > > Anybody know how many angels can dance on the hood of a flaming car? A DUCK! or is it 42…? ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/143 "2004-12-07T04:24:57Z")
But **Shagnasty** , by throwing the car into the lake you caused an ecological unbalance, killing an emergent species of fish that secreted an oil that would have cured a rare type of tongue cancer that has developed in over twenty-eight individuals in the past decade! You monster. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/144 "2004-12-07T04:50:53Z")
So, if Hitler was 27 years old today (due to alien time travellers or something), then he would be safe from the illness? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/145 "2004-12-07T05:20:08Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > But **Shagnasty** , by throwing the car into the lake you caused an ecological unbalance, killing an emergent species of fish that secreted an oil that would have cured a rare type of tongue cancer that has developed in over twenty-eight individuals in the past decade! > > You monster. I know. I am one of those people suffering from that rare form of tongue cancer. The doctors say I only have 1 - 2 years left to live without treatment. I suppose I just sacrificed my life for that of my child but a heroic act by another may save me and the cycle will continue. Have faith. Have faith. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/146 "2004-12-07T06:59:56Z")
But what if that child you saved was the one who ended up in the horrible flaming-car-of-death scenario? What then!?!? (I love you guys. All of you. :D) ---
**Author:** ![aurelian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@aurelian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurelian)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/147 "2004-12-07T08:48:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **gum** > If we’re talking seriously silly hypothetical situations how about this: You’re driving down the road when you have a blowout on you left rear tire. Your car leaves the road, striking a tree. > You think it’s a fine opportunity to grab the sexy woman sitting next to you. > Then, you think you might make yourself a son in the process. > \ > Do you kill the sexy woman now and save your future son from much suffering, or do you let her live? Don’t you oppress women, **gum** , with your patriarchal gaze™! How dare you impose your lusts upon this innocent young woman, thus forcing her to bring suffering into the world! It’s unconscionable! You should take responsibility for your own oppressive actions and desires. Thus, the only answer is to castrate yourself, thus liberating you both from the white-male-defined exxentialist gender roles. \ ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/148 "2004-12-07T08:52:34Z")
She’ll need to get herself a pair of balls first. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/149 "2004-12-07T13:12:30Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > She’ll need to get herself a pair of balls first. There is plenty of glue… and a Dutch hospital… ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/150 "2004-12-07T16:28:28Z")
I could tell you what I thought I would do in this situation but what good would that do? Odds are that I would _actually_ do something quite different. I rarely know that I’m doing from one moment to the next anyhow. Is that bad? ---
**Author:** ![Pez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5e9695/32.png) [@Pez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pez)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/151 "2004-12-07T21:57:16Z")
You know, when you shoot at open fires with the original 20’s style death ray gun the rays interfer with the fire and put it out and at the same time dissolve 60’s sting rays dashboards into warm (but not hot) goo which makes for a nice bed for the sexy naughties lady that convinced Manson and the Hitlet to turn themselves in. Easy solution 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/152 "2004-12-08T01:53:53Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > There is plenty of glue… and a Dutch hospital… Sorry, wasn’t thinking. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/153 "2004-12-08T02:28:20Z")
I’d shoot the kid. ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/154 "2004-12-08T03:02:47Z")
> [@PetW](#): > > I’d shoot the kid. I don’t mean to Great Debate with you, but your decision has absolutely squat to do with acid glue, Hitlets or human cannonballs. Also, cite? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/155 "2004-12-08T03:04:30Z")
> [@Standup Karmic](#): > > I don’t mean to Great Debate with you, but your decision has absolutely squat to do with acid glue, Hitlets or human cannonballs. > > Also, cite? Was his choice even one of the options? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/156 "2007-11-06T16:24:01Z")
So what we learned is that the majority of the SDMB would let their kid burn to death because they’d be screaming at the sky, “This is stupid! Baking Soda, Hitler, Blarrgh!” I’d tell him to close his eyes and shoot him in the skull, if I was sure that there was no chance at all to save him. Also, if contact with an Acid or Glue Hitler causes tough-to-remove marks on fabric or leather, just apply a little Final Solution™ directly to the stain. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/157 "2007-11-06T16:25:48Z")
Mmmmmm Brains! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/158 "2007-11-06T17:35:11Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] Wow, so your kid is trapped in a burning car, he turns to you for help/comfort/something, only to see his father blow his own brains out. Talk about making a really bad day worse. [/QUOTE] Yeah, the kid’ll be scarred for life. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759/159 "2007-11-06T17:40:50Z")
I’d close the kid. Which is not to say that I won’t enjoy rereading this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-shoot-child-and-kill-your-child-in-this-situation/277759.md?page=7)