Hypothetical Theoretical Situation

TruthBringer · Post by **TruthBringer** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 12:27 pm

Alright here it is. This is going to be an interesting thread for me because it gives me a chance to see how different people would react to the same situation.

Ok, so here's the situation:

Someone has just kidnapped you and 2 other members of your family. In this case, it's you, and 2 other people that you are very close to. Now here you find yourself in a situation where there are at least 10 of your kidnappers around you and all of them have guns pointed at you. The 2 relatives that you are close to are on their knees side by side with one other person who you don't know, with all 3 of their backs turned to you.

The kidnappers give you a choice, they tell you that you either shoot the 3rd person that you don't know and that you have no ties with in the back of the head, or they will shoot both of your family members in the back of the head instead, and then they will let you and the third person go free.

The kidnappers leave you no other choice but the scenario that they have layed out in front of you, and in return for choosing one or the other you will also be released and free to leave along with the people you choose to keep alive.

Ok, let's say just for pretend sake, that you are in this situation. What would you do? How would you react?

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 12:44 pm

People who threaten to kill unarmed and captive people will probably lie as well. I would not believe that the kidnappers would release me if I killed anybody for them. So I would not do it.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 1:53 pm

TruthBringer;1270109 wrote: Alright here it is. This is going to be an interesting thread for me because it gives me a chance to see how different people would react to the same situation.

Ok, so here's the situation:

Someone has just kidnapped you and 2 other members of your family. In this case, it's you, and 2 other people that you are very close to. Now here you find yourself in a situation where there are at least 10 of your kidnappers around you and all of them have guns pointed at you. The 2 relatives that you are close to are on their knees side by side with one other person who you don't know, with all 3 of their backs turned to you.

The kidnappers give you a choice, they tell you that you either shoot the 3rd person that you don't know and that you have no ties with in the back of the head, or they will shoot both of your family members in the back of the head instead, and then they will let you and the third person go free.

The kidnappers leave you no other choice but the scenario that they have layed out in front of you, and in return for choosing one or the other you will also be released and free to leave along with the people you choose to keep alive.

Ok, let's say just for pretend sake, that you are in this situation. What would you do? How would you react?You my friend are an interesting dude. Did you take that test I asked you about yesterday?

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 2:09 pm

Sounds like a no-win scenario to me. (you didn't hear that, Cap't Kirk!)

I would not trust a word they said, know a trigger is going to be pulled, and not by me. I would take down at least two of them with some swift TKD kicks before I got shot, giving the 3 hostages time to run or do something.

Hey, I might get lucky, and get 3 of them! But I doubt it at my age........

TruthBringer · Post by **TruthBringer** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 2:52 pm

Ahso!;1270143 wrote: You my friend are an interesting dude. Did you take that test I asked you about yesterday?

Not yet. What's it about?

TruthBringer · Post by **TruthBringer** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 2:53 pm

along-for-the-ride;1270119 wrote: People who threaten to kill unarmed and captive people will probably lie as well. I would not believe that the kidnappers would release me if I killed anybody for them. So I would not do it.

I admire your courage. I would do the same. I would offer myself in the other people's place, even if it meant that we all died as a result.

FUBAR · Post by **FUBAR** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 2:53 pm

How about if I get to chose what gun I use and ask the kidnappers to stand in a line just behind the person I don't know as I shoot him (or her)......

TruthBringer · Post by **TruthBringer** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 2:53 pm

chonsigirl;1270155 wrote: Sounds like a no-win scenario to me. (you didn't hear that, Cap't Kirk!)

I would not trust a word they said, know a trigger is going to be pulled, and not by me. I would take down at least two of them with some swift TKD kicks before I got shot, giving the 3 hostages time to run or do something.

Hey, I might get lucky, and get 3 of them! But I doubt it at my age........

I admire you as well. You are an amazing person to think that way. I'm not sure I would be able to attack any of them though, because I know that it would mean that I would surely have to try and kill them. Which I am not sure if I would be able to, because I don't know if I have the ability to kill in me. To actually kill someone for real to me is something I'm not sure I could do. I mean if it was just one or maybe even two kidnappers I might be able to overpower them and subdue them in some way, but not 10 of them.

On the other hand, I am also strategically minded, and I would know that the odds were extremely against me. And I would have already factored out the different possibilites in my head. And I would have considered the possibility that if I failed it might only anger them even more, which might lead to them killing us all slowly or torturing us in some way instead of shooting us all which would have been alot less painful and alot quicker.

So I would most likely just refuse and let them kill all of us. As sad as it would be.

Even though they said they would let me and the third person go anyways, I would not be able to bare the thought that I walked away with my Life in tact while my two loves ones were killed in front of me.

You know what's funny though, is that the third person would most likely just walk away at the end, greatful to have still been alive, even after we had all sacrificed our lives for him/her. That's the irony of life.

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 3:44 pm

If they are stupid enough to give me a gun I will do my best to take as many of them out and hope we can make a run for it. At least we will all go out in a blaze of bullets. I thought about offering myself up instead of the 3 other people but once they kill me the other 3 will be killed as well. So I'm going for trying to kill them first.

Post by **spot** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 4:18 pm

Regardless of whether they lie or tell the truth, you've a moral obligation to refuse to participate in any way, whatever the consequences - the exact same moral obligation that you never pay ransom demands.

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 4:45 pm

I suppose your right they make back down or kill everyone regardless.

[QUOTE]Regardless of whether they lie or tell the truth, you've a moral obligation to refuse to participate in any way, whatever the consequences - the exact same moral obligation that you never pay ransom demands.[/QUOTE]

ZAP · Post by **ZAP** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 5:00 pm

I couldn't shoot the unknown person but. out of self defense & to protect my family I Could shoot the person giving the orders and try to shoot as many of the kidnappers as I could. Hopefully the other 3 on the ground could grab a gun and pick off one or two. We might all have a chance that way.

(This thing sounds like some bad dreams I've had.)

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:03 pm

FUBAR;1270171 wrote: How about if I get to chose what gun I use and ask the kidnappers to stand in a line just behind the person I don't know as I shoot him (or her)......

And if they complied what would you do then?

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:05 pm

Zapata;1270207 wrote: I couldn't shoot the unknown person but. out of self defense & to protect my family I Could shoot the person giving the orders and try to shoot as many of the kidnappers as I could. Hopefully the other 3 on the ground could grab a gun and pick off one or two. We might all have a chance that way.

(This thing sounds like some bad dreams I've had.)

I sincerely don't suggest trying that...

You'd manage to get one round off followed by a series of clicks and an extremely pi

ed off warband of terrorists

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:06 pm

This

is goofier than

I'd blow my own stinking brains out just after I wished everyone luck!

FUBAR · Post by **FUBAR** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 1:52 am

K.Snyder;1270234 wrote: And if they complied what would you do then?

Well, if I can get them to stand in a line then I figure they would be dumb enough to put their heads in a row as well and give me a Barret with one armour piercing. I would think that even only one .50 would go through ten heads pretty quick.....:sneaky:

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 7:24 am

FUBAR;1270289 wrote: Well, if I can get them to stand in a line then I figure they would be dumb enough to put their heads in a row as well and give me a Barret with one armour piercing. I would think that even only one .50 would go through ten heads pretty quick.....:sneaky:

And you feel these, let's call them terrorists, would be so blissfully uncaring of their own lives to hand you a fully loaded weapon when they're ultimatum was to simply kill one person in the back of the head from which, with any gun bigger than a .38, would achieve such a sickening result?

Jazzy · Post by **Jazzy** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 7:55 am

I would kneel down with the others and wait for the inevitable to happen.

Elvira · Post by **Elvira** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:23 pm

I'd refuse but use Neuro Linguistic Programming to create a reverse Stockholm syndrome. THen we'd all eat cakes. :sneaky:

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:45 pm

I wasn't going to say this because I'm obviously not as nice a person as I thought I was, but in all honesty, if I were in a situation where the choice was my childs life or someone else's life, then I would choose my childs life every time. I would give my life for my children. It wouldn't matter if the terrorist was lying when he said my children could go free if I killed that third person. If there's a chance my children could survive then I would take that chance.

I'm not saying I wouldn't regret it. I know I would pay for it for the rest of my life. But if there was a chance to save them, I would risk all to take that chance.

However, if my kids weren't involved in the equation, then no, I'd take the cowards way out, I'd just kneel down and let them shoot me in the head rather than risk upsetting them or making the situation worse.

I remember hearing years ago of a boat that sank. All survivors were in one lifeboat and were at sea for many days without food and water. It was decided that one would have to die so that the others could eat him, in order for the others to survive. The young cabin boy was chosen as he was the only survivor without a wife and children. The crew had to eat him to survive. But once they were rescued they found his young sister, his only relative, and they paid for her to go to school and they supported her in every way they could in an effort to repay his great sacrifice.

If I had to shoot that 3rd person I would do everything in my power to compensate their family and I would have to live with the memory of what I had done, for the rest of my life. Yet still, I would kill someone else in order to save my children.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:55 pm

TruthBringer;1270109 wrote: Alright here it is. This is going to be an interesting thread for me because it gives me a chance to see how different people would react to the same situation.

Ok, so here's the situation:

Someone has just kidnapped you and 2 other members of your family. In this case, it's you, and 2 other people that you are very close to. Now here you find yourself in a situation where there are at least 10 of your kidnappers around you and all of them have guns pointed at you. The 2 relatives that you are close to are on their knees side by side with one other person who you don't know, with all 3 of their backs turned to you.

The kidnappers give you a choice, they tell you that you either shoot the 3rd person that you don't know and that you have no ties with in the back of the head, or they will shoot both of your family members in the back of the head instead, and then they will let you and the third person go free.

The kidnappers leave you no other choice but the scenario that they have layed out in front of you, and in return for choosing one or the other you will also be released and free to leave along with the people you choose to keep alive.

Ok, let's say just for pretend sake, that you are in this situation. What would you do? How would you react?

Not having read any other post in this thread.

I do know that there is no way I could possibly agree to my nearest and dearest (or anyone else for that matter) being shot so that I could go free - third party or no.

I do not know, and cannot know without being in that situation, whether I could agree to a stranger being killed so that my family and I could live a little longer but likely die anyway further down the line.

I suspect, but again do not know, that I could agree to a stranger being killed if it guaranteed that my family would go free - I also suspect that I would not want to live with myself afterwards.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 4:01 pm

Bryn Mawr;1270512 wrote: Not having read any other post in this thread.

I do know that there is no way I could possibly agree to my nearest and dearest (or anyone else for that matter) being shot so that I could go free - third party or no.

I do not know, and cannot know without being in that situation, whether I could agree to a stranger being killed so that my family and I could live a little longer but likely die anyway further down the line.

I suspect, but again do not know, that I could agree to a stranger being killed if it guaranteed that my family would go free - I also suspect that I would not want to live with myself afterwards.

Oops - completely missed that it was me to do the shooting - could I kill an innocent person - no way. Would I try to shoot the kidnappers - every bloody time.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 5:29 pm

TruthBringer;1270109 wrote: Alright here it is. This is going to be an interesting thread for me because it gives me a chance to see how different people would react to the same situation.

Ok, so here's the situation:

Someone has just kidnapped you and 2 other members of your family. In this case, it's you, and 2 other people that you are very close to. Now here you find yourself in a situation where there are at least 10 of your kidnappers around you and all of them have guns pointed at you. The 2 relatives that you are close to are on their knees side by side with one other person who you don't know, with all 3 of their backs turned to you.

The kidnappers give you a choice, they tell you that you either shoot the 3rd person that you don't know and that you have no ties with in the back of the head, or they will shoot both of your family members in the back of the head instead, and then they will let you and the third person go free.

The kidnappers leave you no other choice but the scenario that they have layed out in front of you, and in return for choosing one or the other you will also be released and free to leave along with the people you choose to keep alive.

Ok, let's say just for pretend sake, that you are in this situation. What would you do? How would you react?Well let's take the post at face value and pick it apart.

Firstly, if I were to divinely know the outcome then I can begin to answer the question.

If it is true that my two kin would die, speaking in divination, then by choosing to not kill the stranger would be in the exact same sense be choosing to kill my two kin(Keep in mind it's equally divine to not know the outcome so let's reserve our judgments shall we?)

Therefore, because two lives are better than one choosing to not kill the stranger would be the most corrupt and immoral decision anyone could possibly make. But because it's divinely impossible to know the outcome regardless of any testimony, being an ultimatum coming from people hell bent on watching innocent people die mind you, anyone choosing to not offer themselves in place of the stranger would be the most immoral and corrupt decision anyone could possibly make.

However, if one of my kin were a murdering immoral piece of garbage I'd offer my place of my other kin and allow my moral kin and the, what would have to also be defined as the stranger also being a moral person go free.

Obviously, if the stranger was a murdering immoral piece of garbage like the, let's call them terrorists, and my kin being morally sound peoples I would then blow the strangers brains out and go home and eat popcorn

or sompeden lika dat! but not without taking every step I could in seeing that these terrorists do not see the light of a free day again whatever the means of achieving that result could possibly be.

Simple