Destinyone's "What would you lay down your life for?" thread

I would lay down my life for any other human being. Simple

I used to get paid for doing it as a LEO but money is not what influences my choice.

Not much more to say really, I would just do it without question.

reply to post by studio500

Dear studio500,

I was always grateful that I wasn't on the streets, I wasn't sure that I could handle it. It takes a special person to do that job well, Saludo!

But, Ok, I understand saving people. Would you give your life to expose corruption in the force? (If there was any.) Would you give your life to prevent a murder from escaping? A rapist? A child abuser? (assuming this was your only shot at catching them.) Would you die to get revenge for a slain fellow officer?

Some on this thread have said they would die to protect a person, but not a principle. Is that you? Does it matter if that principle was your religion?

I'll let you in on a (very) little secret. I worry about a world that holds no value higher than a human life. Can we write off honor, honesty, courage, beauty, faith, truth, and freedom, as things we are for unless we have to pay a high price for them?

With respect,
Charles1952

Originally posted by charles1952
reply to post by Bone75

 

Dear Bone75,

Actually, I think it's better for you if you deal with general principles, and not worry about the specifics as much. Here's one for you from the recent news reports, though. A pregnant woman has cancer, her only hope of survival is chemotherapy. She is told the chemotherapy will certainly kill the child (or foetus, or unborn baby, or whatever). There's a fair amount of time to thimk about it. She said, basically, "Blast the chemo, my kid is going to be born." Result: live child, dead mother.

Would you do the same? (Pretend you're female, if you're not). Was she wrong?

With respect,
Charles1952

I would refuse the chemo before I would kill my child. Nothing to think about there.

Originally posted by charles1952
Even an "unimportant" child you don't know, which would deprive your children of you?

There are no "unimportant" children.

And, yes, I would do this for any child because I have had a chance to live.

Children have not yet had a chance to live as they want to.

Would you for a close friend who is ten years older than you and is the sole support of three kids?

No, because I am the sole support for three kids also. However, I would do what I could do without death as a certain option. If I failed, I would then take in said friend's kids and raise them.

Are morals fixed and absolute, then? Are they the same for everyone?

There are certain things you just know in your soul. These are morals. There is no question about them. They are fixed and absolute.

Ideals, on the other hand, can be molded and twisted and abandoned. (Theft, for example, is an ideal - one would not steal in perfect times, but one would definitely steal when starving.)

Morals are a very personal thing. No two people will have the same set of morals. I may not agree with other people's morals. But, why would I have to? If I live by my own, I am free. I know, in my soul, that it is wrong not to intervene to save children. I have to.

Even if it means depriving your children of your life?

Yes, because in this instance, that rapist or serial murderer or abuser is a threat to my children AND everyone else. I would not hesitate to do this. Again, it is against my nature to allow these people to pass by me. In every single instance throughout my life (and there have been many, because I grew up in a very abusive household) where I've been confronted with a similar situation, I will always step up. It is just something that needs to be done, so I do it.

Thank you for posting this thread, Charles1952, it is thought provoking and important.

I would and have laid down my Life for Love, Light and an occasional pink unicorn.

reply to post by ottobot


I love your post...it *feels* true in every sense. Thank You.....for letting me get to know you, even if only a little bit. It's more than I know some people who've been in my life for years.

Des

Originally posted by Destinyone
reply to post by ottobot

 

I love your post...it *feels* true in every sense. Thank You.....for letting me get to know you, even if only a little bit. It's more than I know some people who've been in my life for years.

Des

BLUSH

May The Orbs fall among you as the have lived in me.

reply to post by charles1952


i of course was in the military also, so fighting for our country was really not a problem. i would protect family and most friends,lol. and i would like to think i would take action if someone was in dire need, ie assulted, harmed. tho i have never been in that situation yet. as far as being like the secret service,,, i don't think so. i know it would be a job, but what if i didn;t vote for the guy/ lady in office, i might have to scratch my head for a few mins. this is definately a very hard question, and i really don't want to sound like a couch commander lol, so i guess i really can't say for sure just how far i would go, until it happened. great post, and happy independence day!!

reply to post by thunder2u

Dear thunder2u,

(Before I say anything else, I've got to ask, how was Obama's "corpse-man" speech taken? Simple slip or . . .?)

I have a lot of respect for you. The military is not the easy path to take. I'm glad you were willing to, thanks.

Many of the answers to this question have dealt with spur of the moment protection for others, but you may want to ask yourself questions like: "What would I do if the government ordered everyone beheaded who refused to pray to Allah? Or, "Would I turn over documents proving corruption in the (White House, Banking Industry, Church, or whatever) if I knew it would mean my death?"

I guess I'm asking you to explore your values to see which ones are more valuable than life itself. I'm not saying there have to be any, some people think individual survival is the most importnt thing in the world, but if you have any, thinking about it before hand will help make the decision easier if the time ever comes.

Happy Independence Day to you as well, enjoy yourself.

With respect,
Charles1952

I admit I clicked on the thread because Destinyone's name was in it and she's pretty cool.

I guess if I were going to lay down my life, it would be for my family or to protect a group of children.

I'd have to feel very strongly about something to do that and those are the two groups that I know immediately that I would have such strong feelings for.

there may be other situations but I would have to determine that if the situation presented itself.

reply to post by PurpleChiten

Dear PurpleChiten,

I'm sorry if you're disappointed, but the thread was inspired by her and she posted in it, so I don't feel too bad. (Who would have looked if I had put my name on it? I'm no idiot.)

As I mentioned to thunder2u, just above your post, it's a little more challenging to think about situations where you have the time to think about what you value more, your life or some principle. Anyway, I'm glad to see you stop by, you're one of the ATS Rock Stars.

With respect,
Charles1952

Originally posted by charles1952
reply to post by PurpleChiten

 

Dear PurpleChiten,

I'm sorry if you're disappointed, but the thread was inspired by her and she posted in it, so I don't feel too bad. (Who would have looked if I had put my name on it? I'm no idiot.)

As I mentioned to thunder2u, just above your post, it's a little more challenging to think about situations where you have the time to think about what you value more, your life or some principle. Anyway, I'm glad to see you stop by, you're one of the ATS Rock Stars.

With respect,
Charles1952

Not disappointed at all, a very good thread and a very good question!
Glad you used her name to draw attention to it, she's a fabulous lady

I'm a Rock Star??!!! WOOOOHOOOO!! I give autographs and everything....for FREE!!!

Originally posted by charles1952
reply to post by studio500

 

Dear studio500,

I was always grateful that I wasn't on the streets, I wasn't sure that I could handle it. It takes a special person to do that job well, Saludo!

But, Ok, I understand saving people. Would you give your life to expose corruption in the force? (If there was any.) Would you give your life to prevent a murder from escaping? A rapist? A child abuser? (assuming this was your only shot at catching them.) Would you die to get revenge for a slain fellow officer?

Some on this thread have said they would die to protect a person, but not a principle. Is that you? Does it matter if that principle was your religion?

I'll let you in on a (very) little secret. I worry about a world that holds no value higher than a human life. Can we write off honor, honesty, courage, beauty, faith, truth, and freedom, as things we are for unless we have to pay a high price for them?

With respect,
Charles1952

That's an excellent question Charles.

I would risk and have in the past risked my career to expose corruption within the force at great risk to my career and my family and I did indeed pay a high price. There is far more corruption in the Force that than what most people would imagine or possibly expect but I digress from the topic.

Would I give my life to prevent a murderer or rapist from escaping, the answer WAS yes. I say and emphasise was because yes I would have when I was an officer.
Would I do the same now....the answer is no. Even I question myself why my answer would change and perhaps it is due to my expectation that the Police should be able to aprehend the offender swiftly and possibly have the same morals as I once had in that role.

I just posed a question to my wife.

If you saw a little girl playing in the road and a fast car was coming towards her and you had the chance to push her out of the way at the risk of being hit yourself.....Would you do it? She replied yes.

I posed the exact same questionagain, only this time the possible victim was a heroin addict known to be abusive and violent to others. Would you save him at the risk of your own life? Her reply was NO.

Perhaps many people have different limits as to when they would be prepared to offer their own life.
Perhaps also there is a hidden criteria that needs to be met. A kind of pass or fail self questioning?

My answer btw was that I would save both.

Would I be prepared to die for anything other than a life....Again that depends on the criteria....at that can only ever be decided at the most critical point of making the descision.

I hope that makes sense. :0)

reply to post by studio500

Dear studio500,

I think I understand what you're saying. I'm touched by some of the answers I've seen and the serious way in which people are thinking about this question. Thank you for participating, it's helping me clarify my thinking s well.

I'd tell you more, but I don't want anyone to be tempted by pride.

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by thunder2u

Funny but I have thought about the same thing you have brought up here as far as being in the Secret Service. I serve and continue to do so but I am not Military I am "CIVILIAN" and work with some of the Best of the Military. I would give my life to save a Team Member...I would GLADLY do so for my Family Members as well and ESPECIALLY...My Girl.

I have to admit that I am NOT A FOLLOWER and I am Wired in a way that would prevent myself from just Charging a Hill or Storming a Beach...although...this is not really done anymore as to ask a U.S. Soldier to WASTE THEIR LIFE when an Aircraft can first wipe out a Hill Top Target and unlike the Day's of Old...HYPERBARIC WEAPONS could easily kill any enemy entrenched in Hill Top Tunnel Systems....before our Soldiers could then Mop Up the area.

I had a Cousin who Died in Nam and as much Napalm as we dropped....simple tunnel systems could protect entire Regiments of NVC or Regulars. And the thought of what must have been going through the mind of Normandy Landing Craft Beach Storming Troops especially with Landing Craft that had the exit in the FRONT FACING THE NAZI DEFENSES....the designer of THOSE craft should have been DRAWN AND QUARTERED...is something I cannot begin to FATHOM and I have talked to at one time LIVING FAMILY MEMBERS who made it through WWII...and they could not talk about it much.

So although I do work that is Life Threateningly Dangerous...and would give my life to save another...I do not think I could FOLLOW IDIOCY...as it is not in my nature. Split Infinity

We all die for love in the end. We are programmed to let the young take over. We do this so that we will never really die. We just change shells.

reply to post by earthdude

Dear earthdude, I'm sorry, but I'm not quite clear. Are you saying that you (and the rest of us) will die to save children because it's programmed into us and we don't have much choice?

Is there any thing else you would die for? Say, to protect the Mona Lisa, or to avoid dishonor, or to maintain your religious belief, or to save an adult neighbor you don't really know, or . . . .

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by Destinyone


No problem, I am just answering honestly. I've been working on saying what I need to say, whether or not it is "good". It has brought me much peace.

Do not think that I am advocating evil behaviors or that I'm saying you should worship Satan. I believe that karma will kick you in the head if you are mean or hateful towards others. I believe that the boomerang always comes back and you get whatever you dished out. I'm simply advocating the exploration and appreciation of the darkness. Remember that the stars sit in a black night sky.

There is so much more darkness up there then there is light. Remember laying out under those stars on a warm summer night and contemplating humanity's place in the universe. Beautiful amazing inner reflection happens in the dark. Find balance between the two and learn to be whole within both. Do not assume that you know enough to judge any one color or shade as superior or inferior to another. It is the same with the colors of energy as it is with the souls of men.

Love them all for they are all pieces of yourself.