A Murdering Hero...

[J.J. Maxx]

You work for a train company. You work at a river crossing. The trains come to the crossing and you lower the brindge to let the trains across the river. You also raise the bridge to let the boats go under.

Its take your kid to work day. Your son is very interested in what your doing. He keeps asking questions and asks if he can go out side and watch the sailboats go by. You say yes.

Next thing you know you hear screaming coming from out side and look out the window to see your son has fallen off the upper part of the bridge into the machinery of the bridge. Just as you are about to rush out to save him you hear it. The train whistles two times to signal you to lower the bridge. The train is less than a mile away. It takes a mile and a half to stop the train.

Your son screams for you to help him. It will take you 5 minutes just to get down to your son. The train, full of passengers, will be at the bridge in less than 5 minutes and the bridge is up.

What do you do? Rush down and save your son dooming all the passengers on that train to die? Or push the button that lowers the bridge and crushes your son to death before your eyes?

Whats it gonna be?

I could put a poll here but I don't think I will. I want to hear why you kill who you killed. Your a murderer and a hero either way.

[Hermit]

I don't think this would be classified as murder. Murder would include an evil side, whether it be intentions or state of mind.

This would just be a choice between 1 death and many deaths. I would try to do both, as I'm sure anyone would.

Hop in there and push the button to start lowering the bridge and rush down to save my son as fast as possible. Bridges like that move rather slowly so I probably have some time to get my son out :)

If not, then that's just something I'd have to bare for the rest of my days.

[Glenn the Great]

I've heard this story before. I'd save the kid and let all the passengers die.

[MetaStaiford]

i'd simply lower the machinery to let the train cross.

i mean SERIOUSLY, when the hell did i have a son?! did i get raped in my sleep or enslaved by someone pregnant of something?

better to put the brat out of its misery.

[Beldaran]

I look at it this way:

It is not the passenger's fault that my son got himself stuck under the bridge. It is my responsibility to lower the bridge to save the train and I would do so. I would have to live with the consequences of my sons actions in the form of unbearable grief, but life often times does not spare us that. It would have been no different than if he'd ran out in the middle of the street and got hit by a car.

So after thinking this I would run and save my son without lowering the bridge because I love him more than I do the train passengers. I would probably be a social outcast forever, but you cannot betray your heart and my son will be more dear to me than all the train passengers in the world. I know its wrong but at least I know my faults.

[theplustwo]

I'd let the bridge down, if the kid can't climb out when it gets close, he doesn't deserve to live.

[Some1elsE]

The kid's already in the machinery, he's screaming. He's probably already dead. Save the passengers, say the kid was dead already. You're a hero!

[Cronic]

Originally posted by JJMaxx
Your a murderer and a hero either way.

I would more than likely allow both sets to simply perrish. Thus I would be neither a hero nor a murderer. If put in a position to save someones life you are not nessacarily a "murderer". By interfering with the events I would only be haulting the progess of the species. Death is not a bad thing people. It happens every day.

[Beldaran]

Originally posted by Darth Cronic


Death is not a bad thing people. .


Yes it is. I want to have more sex and play more guitar. I'm not ready for my final destiny....unless I end up going to an afterlife filled with sex and guitar...then I'd be ok with the whole deal.:D

[MetaStaiford]

You know, DC *IS* right in many ways...

death is a many-sided situation.

my opinions are thus; death isn't a bad thing, PREMATURE death usually is. Plus, there are some people that deserve to die prematurely (aka. professional polluters, propagandists, etc.)

couple that with the face that when you've left your body for good, its kinda hard to return and blurt out to people what happens when you die (as in the case of reincarnation, where people 'cross over' or forget almost everything from the past life. i've heard many exceptions to this, but none regarding death)

[CH@O$]

i'd freeze and lose all ability to do anything

[goKi]

Originally posted by Some1elsE
He's probably already dead

i agree, i would save the passengers.

[Amber]

I would save the train and live with the guilt with the rest of my life no matter which happens.

I've seen stuff like this before. I probably just killed someone important.:)

[MottZilla]

If the kid was stupid enough to end up there it's his own fault. And you must have been pretty stupid to have a kid there anyway. Ya so anyways... I wouldn't give a damn about the passengers either, however if I worked for them I'd lower the bridge. Wouldn't be my fault the kid died, however it would be if I didn't do my job, even though given the circumstances you probably wouldn't likely get in legal trouble. Ya so anyways, too bad for the kid.

[Hermit]

Hell I'd just say fuck it all and take a lunch break without doing anything and go down to the flower shop and fuck my woman right there on the countertop ;)

[Captain Awesome]

Is that a real answer? Engh, anyway, I'd lower the bridge and jump in with the kid to try and free him before you're both crushed, or, if you fail, at least there's no unbearable misery you end up killing yourself over anyway, 'cause your dead!:D

[Drunken Tiger]

If you lower the birdge and the child drops wouldnt he drop into the river???

I would save the child..... I would only lose my job and maybe jailed but that would be worth it..

STOP GIVING ME WEIRD LOOKS!!! He IS my son!!!!! :laughing:

[Jemsee]

I too have heard this before, a variation anyway.
In the story I heard to get the bridge all the way down and save the train you had to stay at the controals the whole time. There was no lowering, then trying to save.
I think most of you are missing the point.
Who do you sacrifice, is the question.
Sacrifice your son and the people live...
Sacrifice the people to save your son...
Keep in mind if you choose the first the people on the train will never know what you did, never know that there lives were in your hands that day. You will kill all you hold dear because it is your responsibilty.
If you choose the second then yes you may be considered to be a murderer. You would have turned your back on your responsibilty and many deaths would be on your hands, you would have to live with that the rest of your life.

Now consider this:
God is the RR worker.
JC the son.
The train the world.
Does God have feelings?
Did the sacrifice of his son bring him remorse?
Can you hurt God's feelings, or make him happpy?
Can you, a lowly human, have any effect on The Almighty?

Also I don't know what I (as a selfish human) would do.
I have two sons. I would give my own life for them.
I would have to be in the situation and make a snap decision at that time. I'd like to think I would do the noble thing and save the train. But who knows unless forced by the situation.

[Captain Awesome]

Seems to me God can do whatever He wants. I mean he's s'posed to be omnipotent, ain't he? Furthermore, being all-knowing, all-powerful, and everpresent, isn't he at least partially responsible if lots of people die anyway? It's not like he couldn't stop it because he's omnipotent; and it's not like he wasn't there because he's omnipresent; and it's not like he didn't know what's going on because he's omniscient. So he must have just let it take it's natural course. Thus, I think God wouldn't do anything. JC fends for himself, and the same for the people on the train. God loves those who help themselves. :D
Also, if I can't save both, then I'd save my kid and pretend I didn't know 'bout the rest. :mischief: