Imagine a big mean person standing behind you with a gun...?

Question

“Imagine a big mean looking person standing behind you with a gun…and he tells you that he is going to kill you unless you commit a horrific act…so, you go to your next door neighbors’ house, he hands you a machete and tells you to go kill them with it. What would you do?” He is not going to leave and come back, so you will not have but a minute or two to make up your mind, and there is nowhere to run or hide.

I got this question from the documentary "Shake Hands with the Devil,” regarding the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. I would greatly appreciate your (serious) answers. It will help me to resolve some feelings I am having after watching that documentary and pondering with that question.

Thank you in advance, and forgive me if this isn't appropriate for this catagory. There are only so many catagories and I had trouble deciding which one.

http://www.whitepinepictures.com/dallairesite/

I think some of you didn't understand fully. I'm not making this up: it did happen if you go to that website and read, or if you watched "Hotel Rwanda." It wasn't "my" imagination or question, it was him retelling what happened, and now I'm asking you, using his question. What I am asking, is for you to put yourself in their shoes and tell me what you think you would do. You need to know the story behind this before you answer.

Answer 1

There is a saying in New Hampshire: "Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils." The implication is that freedom is worth dieing for.

I suppose the best solution is to recruit Innocent Neighbor's help and try to ambush Big Mean when he comes in to get me. Teamwork and ingenuity can always overcome evil, and it is better to die doing the right thing than live doing the wrong thing.

Or at least this is how I would react to a psycho abridging my (and someone else's) freedoms in intolerable and unreasonable ways. I shouldn't judge the Rwandans for not being as nuts as I am. Still, I think the world needs more people who are crazy like me.

Answer 2

I wouldn't need a man with a gun to make me want to kill my next door neighbors. They are slobs of truly mythic stature, and they fill up the creek that crosses their property before crossing mine with garbage, notably old cat food cans, which I have to clean up on my side of the fence, and when I go over there to gripe about it they are always so stoned and shitfaced that they forget what I said five minutes after I leave.

So I'd just go over there with the machete and tell them that I'm gonna have to kill them if they don't rush this bozo and take away his gun, and mention that they have nothing to lose and are too drunk to feel the pain even if they get plugged. Then I'd pick up a moldy, maggotty, half-eaten can of Lil' Friskies Extra Fancy Carp Guts Feast and throw it in the gunman's face to give them a little window of opportunity, then slink off under the cover of the ensuing chaos, go into the next room and watch their old roller derby tapes until it was all over.

Answer 3

There are many horrific acts that have been committed on this tortured planet, and the more media sources you tune into, the more you will hear. There is no easy answer to your question.

The REAL challenge for us is finding the joy in life, and seeking out your inner peace. Learn who you are on the inside, and revel in the beauty of your freedom.

We never know when all of this will be taken from us, so enjoy it, and don't waste it contemplating all of the horrible scenarios people have gone through in other places and other times. It will really mess with your mind and depress you - and what is the point in that when your forefathers fought for your freedom?

Don't squander it by losing sight of what you have.

All the best!

Answer 4

I think unless you're in the situation it is very hard to predict how you would act. Survival instinct is a very strong thing. I guess I would like to hope that I would rather be killed than to kill innocent people. But until I'm put in that situation I can't know for sure. Two things I do know for sure is that it is a lose/lose situation. and that I hope to god that I never find myself in that position.

Answer 5

I would act like i was going to and then i would turn around and start hacking him...getting a chance to be shot or not. I would not go against my morals and beliefs to save my own self! Like the poeple did on the 3 rd plane ... they attacked the terroriest

Answer 6

I would take the machete and attack the guy.
I might lose, but hes gonna bleed bad.
Its fighting for your freedom, and the lives and freedom of your neighbors also. You may die, but what ya gonna do next? He says "now swallow my &*&*" ya gonna do that too? If you'll kill your neighbors, what would you NOT do? Where's it gonna end?
Many have died for freedom, and whats right.

Answer 7

I can imagine that but I guess it's your life against theirs but guring the proccess you might be able to go free and actually killing the big guy instead and claim self defence.

Answer 8

I'd kill them, or swing around and chop the guy wiht the gun if I was brave enough.

Answer 9

I shake hands with the devil too.... here in the Philippines... many rebels are around out farm in the moutains far down south..... everytime we visit out farm.... the rebel head would "visit" us too..... i shake hands with the devil all the time...... so this is really happening but it depends on the situation we are facing...... wanna shake hands with him? just say so......

Answer 10

I just couldnt do it ,i dont think i could anyway.I would let him shoot me i guess. We all say we would know what we would do in any situation ,but unless you have been in it ,your not really sure how you would react.