Many years ago, at a big national event, I was astonished to see two Confederates come out into the field after the battle and pretend to slit the throats of wounded Yankees. I found it quite troubling, but since I was a peanut gallery member rather than a big bug, I did nothing except listen to the grumbling of a great many people at this unrepresentative and provocative act.
I'm not going to sit still for that kind of nonsense for this cycle. I'd still rather be in the peanut gallery, but if that kind of stupid nonsense takes place again I'm going to go find an officer from the same army and insist he stop the men, "put them under arrest," and remove them from the field. If it's one of those events where I have to portray an officer, I'm going to stay in first person and do what an officer of the time would have done, clamor for intervention by the officer cadre of the opposing force to protect "my" men.
I hope others do the same for any of the fantasy Civil War acts we've had to experience over the years, including one-man charges against a battalion, etc. (In that case refusing to shoot appears to work pretty well in guaranteeing that the fellow looks as stupid as he is when he finally reaches the enemy line.)
Anyone else care to contribute some actions they'd like to see removed from our reenacting toolbox? (Yeah, I'll put it all in a book pretty soon. The list of contributors is going to be enormous. But putting it in a book occurred to me after I just woke up today p'd off at the memory of that event and my own lack of action and decided posting it might take away a 10-year-old bad taste in my mouth.)