The Man You're Going to Shoot

The man you're going to shoot
Would be alive for another forty-three years
If it were not for the fact
That you are going to shoot him

He has a wife, who is lovely
Who has no intention of leaving him

He has two children

A son, who is currently at soccer practice
And a daughter, who is currently competing
In a school-wide spelling bee
Which she will win

His parents are both alive
And both are very kind people

These are the people
Who matter to the man
You are going to shoot

This is not taking friends, co-workers
Or other acquaintances into consideration

Who's to say how many other lives
This man could touch
If not for the fact
That he is going to die today

I want to be clear
About the following things

One - He has done nothing wrong
Two - He does not deserve to die
Three - His death will affect many other lives in a negative way

Are you clear about that?

You're going to shoot him
Because he's in the wrong place
At the wrong time

Simple as that

I'm telling you all this
Because it's been my experience
That any one of these sorts of things
Could pop into a person's head
In the moment before they shoot the person
They need to shoot

And some of them decide not to

Let me be straight-forward about this

I need you to shoot this man

You will shoot this man

So consider everything I've just told you
Think about it
Go over it
Reflect on it

Because all of it is true
And none of it is going to change
In the next five minutes

This will not be the first person you shoot
And everyone you will shoot
Over the next however-many years
Will have mothers and fathers and wives and husbands
And children and generally happy lives
That you will interrupt

Because it is your job
It is what you do

And it is something you must do
Effectively

And the only way for that to happen
Is for you to acknowledge it
And then move on

So I'll give you a minute
To take it all in

And then I want you
To get out of this car
Walk up to that man
And shoot him
Right in back of the head

One, two, three

Do you understand me?

Excellent

Then let me know
When you're ready