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Why the First Cowboy To Draw Always Gets Shot
cremeglace writes "Have you ever noticed that the first cowboy to draw his gun in a Hollywood Western is invariably the one to get shot? Nobel-winning physicist Niels Bohr did, once arranging mock duels to test the validity of this cinematic curiosity. Researchers have now confirmed that people indeed move faster if they are reacting, rather than acting first."
They explained that in Unforgiven
Wrter: "But what if he draws first?"
Sheriff: "Then he'll miss. You see, you can only draw, aim, and shoot so fast. Me, this is about as fast as I can draw my gun and hit anything smaller than a barn. The guy that keeps a cool head, he'll come out standing."
That was from memory and is obviously not word for word, but the gist is there. It makes sense to me.
Free Martian Whores!
Why? Real scientists have already confirmed it. Methinks someone just wants to see Jamie get shot on tv.
"linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)
The guy who draws first is the agressor, we can't let the agressor win.
That's the same reason that the guy on the roof of the saloon, aiming to shoot the someone in the back, always gets shot just as he's taking aim, and falls impressively to the street. Snipers and back-shooters are bad guys.
Quidquid Latine dictum sit, altum videtur (anything said in Latin sounds important)
"It's not the first man to draw who wins. It's the first man to hit his target."
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
God forbid the scientific community should research something a samurai once said.
Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
Nothing wrong with it at all, just ask Brandon Lee.
Why? Real scientists have already confirmed it.
Because the Mythbusters would dress up in cowboy costumes and play "high noon" music.
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Did you ever notice that if a movie shootout occurs between a guy with an Uzi and a guy with a handgun, the guy with the Uzi always loses?
I hate being bipolar; it's awesome!
...but Greedo drew first, so I guess the effect extends to space ruffians too.
More music, fewer hits
The perp has something to lose - he could get shot. The officer has the added concern of accidentally killing someone for trying to pull out their license. Most cops I've heard speak after being involved in a shooting (even a legitimate one) seemed to consider that a lot more important than the paperwork.
The biggest difference is that the officer has to read and react, whereas the bad guy has a much simpler set of actions.
He wasnt so good when he shot first, but he was redeemed through his actions in the series and turned out to be a not-so-bad guy. It could have very easily been finished by him leaving with the cash and Luke getting assraped by his father as he made the shot that killed the Death Star. Guess those guys did well enough in the screen tests to make it to the sequel.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a better example of the real reason - it's the bad guy who gets shot. Lee Marvin (bad guy of course) baits James Stewart (good guy of course) into a gunfight. As Stewart draws his gun, knowing Marvin would win the gunfight, John Wayne (hero of course) shoots Marvin from across the street
So, I guess the subject got shot by the comment, since it drew first?
I think you misread the post. The way I read it, it's the officer who has the gun pointed at the suspect, from a distance. Even taking into account that they already have their weapon drawn and ready to fire. If their suspect makes a move and the officer waits to see what their suspect is pulling out of their pocket to make sure that they really have a weapon before pulling the trigger, the officer is dead meat.
That's the way I read the parent post anyway.
"Cops shoot man 12 times" Of course, when you hear that the 11 shots were made by an officer kneeling down and holding face down a Brazillian electrician, those facts you bring up become a lot less relevant.
Interesting, but [citation needed]