Hypothetical: in combat, you're being shot at by a 10 year old...

[amadeus]

NOTICE: before you reply with without a yes or no answer, read this post first.

There's a firefight between you and your comrades and the enemy. Among the enemy are children no older than 10 or 11 years old, but they are manning machine guns and firing at you just as the adult soldiers are.

In this situation, do you shoot the kids? Why or why not? Please disregard any sorts of legal considerations that come up -- you shoot, they're dead. Nothing else happens, no consequences.

 

[Earthling]

"They took my clarinet... I took their lives"

 

[emzie]

Yes, I shoot back and I shoot to kill. If they weren't actively firing at me I would take a lot more risks to not kill them, yes.

 

[dirtyparrot]

Well, if it's kill or be killed (presumably that's what you're implying by them manning machineguns), then of course I would shoot. That being said, I've never fired a gun, so I have a feeling it wouldn't go well for me.

 

[BuckeyeJim]

I'd drop them in a heartbeat with my .270 rifle or whatever deadly implements I had at my disposal.

 

[amadeus]

It might be my imagination, but I thought there was long ago a thread similar to this where more people expressed moral apprehension to the idea of shooting a child, even if they were shooting at you. Again, it might have just been my imagination.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

I think we did this a couple of times many years ago.

 

[onedreamer]

NOTICE: before you reply with without a yes or no answer, read this post first.

There's a firefight between you and your comrades and the enemy. Among the enemy are children no older than 10 or 11 years old, but they are manning machine guns and firing at you just as the adult soldiers are.

In this situation, do you shoot the kids? Why or why not? Please disregard any sorts of legal considerations that come up -- you shoot, they're dead. Nothing else happens, no consequences.

I wouldn't open fire, be them kids or not. Unless in your hypothetical situation I couldn't even take cover and retreat. In that case it would be more ridiculous than hypothetical, anyways yeah, in that case I would open fire, not because I'd want to but because our strongest instinct is survival and in these dire moments where decisions must be taken in fractions of seconds instincts are obviously ruling above reason. So, I would open fire. I doubt I would shoot them dead. I mean, they are firing machine guns against me, and I'm not a TV superhero the likes of one-shot-dead. At least not in my projection of your hypothetical situation.
In any of my hypothetical situations, if a war ever breaks out near me, I'll be sure to head the opposite way...

 

[BuckeyeJim]

It might be my imagination, but I thought there was long ago a thread similar to this where more people expressed moral apprehension to the idea of shooting a child, even if they were shooting at you. Again, it might have just been my imagination.

What's morally reprehensible about self-preservation?

 

[Hygro]

It might be my imagination, but I thought there was long ago a thread similar to this where more people expressed moral apprehension to the idea of shooting a child, even if they were shooting at you. Again, it might have just been my imagination.

This is true. But theoretically I would shoot given the premises I was willing to shoot for whatever cause in the first place.

 

[amadeus]

What's morally reprehensible about self-preservation?

In this case, from my perspective? Nothing.

 

[onedreamer]

What's morally reprehensible about self-preservation?

morally, anything can be reprehensible. Also, in case you missed it, the Christian moral reprehends practically all instincts.

 

[Perfection]

Nah, I'd use grenades on the kids because they're smaller targets and harder to shoot.

 

[BuckeyeJim]

morally, anything can be reprehensible. Also, in case you missed it, the Christian moral reprehends practically all instincts.

You better be careful, talking about cultural and moral relativism will end up in some pretty pointed words being thrown in your general direction.

 

[JollyRoger]

Find another server.

 

[onedreamer]

You better be careful, talking about cultural and moral relativism will end up in some pretty pointed words being thrown in your general direction.

I'd take cover in this case as well, unless they are from 10 years old kids. These could still be "saved", and not by the religious moral...

 

[Zack]

Of course not, do you think I'm some sort of amoral caveman?
















I'd use a lightsaber, not some primitive firearm.

 

[amadeus]

Find another server.

You're letting the terrorists win.

I'd take cover in this case as well, unless they are from 10 years old kids. These could still be "saved", and not by the religious moral...

Is that above your immediate need for survival, though?

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I studied enough at school to make sure my comrades would be sitting in an office smoking cigars, drinking whisky while brainstorming how to defeat the enemy.

 

[Defiant47]

I would do whatever is necessary to protect my (future) platoon.