Question of the Day | 09/15/2009 5:00 am

Putting aside matters of law, criminality and ethics, what three people would you nominate to be offed?

The director John Huston ‘liked to advance the theory that everybody should be allowed three murders,’ according to his daughter Allegra. Join the conversation with Sheila Nevins, Judith Martin, Joan Juliet Buck, Liz Smith and Joan Ganz Cooney.

Liz Smith | 09/15/2009 12:00 am

Who Would Liz Smith Like to See 'Offed'?

I am allowed three murders? Can I take out "groups" the world over? Well, then No. 1, all the torturers of children. Two, all the torturers of animals. And three, all the idiots talking on cell phones on buses, in the streets, in doctors’ waiting rooms, in taxis and generally in public where I have to listen to them whether I want to or not.

6 Comments

Joan Ganz Cooney | 09/15/2009 12:00 am

Joan Ganz Cooney Would Take Out the Taliban and More

I’m with Liz — I’d take out all those who harm children or animals. Then I’d turn to terrorists the world over who like to kill lots of innocent people and take them out, and then I’d turn to the Taliban and all those clowns out there who so mistreat women.

3 Comments

Sheila Nevins | 09/15/2009 1:00 am

Sheila Nevins on Metaphors and Murder

No one should kill anyone. You should examine your motives for murder and work on changing those who deserve it. An eye for an eye never gets anything done and stops progress in its tracks. Kill a Bin Ladin and you breed 1000 more Bin Ladins with appropriate motives. Sorry Mr. Huston – you probably meant it metaphorically anyway.

9 Comments

Judith Martin | 09/15/2009 1:00 am

Judith Martin and Murderous Landscapes

At the risk of sounding like a wimp among all you social reformers, it’s not just the law that stops me from killing people. I really don’t think murder is a nice idea. But I am grateful for the law, because the corpses littering the landscape would not be those of molesters and terrorists but your neighbors who speak too loudly on their cell phones and your relatives who drive too slowly in the left-hand lane.

7 Comments

Joan Juliet Buck | 09/15/2009 1:00 am

Joan Juliet Buck: Let Fate Do the Dirty Work

I know this is lazy and squeamish, but I prefer to let life, fate and justice do the dirty work for me.

6 Comments

Read more about: Allegra Huston, crime, John Huston, Murder

134 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Try it - it would be a great exercise to explore how intensely you dislike, or think you dislike, someone alongside a weighing of what you believe your values to be.

It’s far too easy (and rather spineless) to just dismiss the question out of hand.

By Karen R on 09/15/2009 1:10 pm

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Spineless? Hmmm…. you and I must think quite differently.

I am exercising my right to dismiss the question as I attempt to focus on the positive in my day and in my little corner of the world rather than to dwell on the negative. Negatives are pushed our way everyday and in too many ways - my choice to stay positive is self-preservation, not an easy out.

As a victim of violent crime, I think I’ve gone down this road in my life as far as I wish to, thank you.

By KatyDid Wells on 09/15/2009 1:25 pm

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Ya know, while thinking about this question the guy who pulled a gun on me years ago never even entered my mind. It’s the former supervisor who was verbally abusive and emotionally invalidating who’s front and center as the only possibility I’ve come up with so far.

By Karen R on 09/15/2009 1:33 pm

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Yeh… I used to love this site.

I keep checking in, hoping to find the sort of bright, witty conversation that got this wonderful concept off the ground, but lately it seems it’s just one silly cat fight after another on every thread. (Yes, I said cat fight.)

I don’t necessarily blame the moderators for the lack of grace on the part of some of this site’s visitors, but this topic?? Who would we kill?? Really??

So sad to see another fine idea jumping the shark.

By Cynthia Ceilan on 09/15/2009 1:37 pm

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Jumping the shark! That’s a great phrase—I haven’t heard it in a while. Yep, this topic definitely does that. But look at how many outraged "hits" they got. I know that is their bottom line. And this topic did it better than some other dud questions of the week. I think if we want better questions, we should send them to the site ourselves; they used to encourage that.

By kermie b on 09/15/2009 4:53 pm

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I read wOw’s question several times before I realized that the word "offed" was not a typo. My question, like many of my fellow posters, is: "What Happened To The wOw Site?" Though I log-on to the site, several times a week, I do so with less enthusiasm and with a great deal of disappointment. The only thing that may be in danger of being "offed" (to use wOw’s terminology), is the wOw site, unless some changes are put in place to keep its current posters and attract new posters.

By Patricia Sprofera on 09/15/2009 2:50 pm

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If everyone were allowed three murders would any of us be left standing? I disagree with even suggesting the idea. I lived in Germany in the 50’s and remember hearing stories of people sold out to the secret police. The whole idea makes me ill.

By Chris Glass` on 09/15/2009 2:56 pm

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I have a sense of trepidation about this question. I know it was meant to be light hearted but with all the incivility’s and stories about people praying for people to get brain cancer and hoping that someone kills them - I feel a little squeamish and uneasy.

We have such a lack of civility and polarization now. WE need to lighten up.

By starry Nite on 09/15/2009 3:01 pm

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I am ashamed and alarmed that this question was even considered for posting. I am concerned that so many people condone and think about murdering someone else.

By S A on 09/15/2009 3:54 pm

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I am still in shock that this was offered as a valid topic! Please, please, think before doing something like this again. A chill goes through my body realizing that people actually are naming names.

By J Holmes on 09/15/2009 4:25 pm

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My mother told me once a long time ago that some people are alive simply because it’s illegal to kill them, that said….

I would LOVE to hunt down and kill the man who raped my best friend (he’s still out there today.)

Can we PLEASE just take out people who hurt children, animals, elders and anyone who could be considered "helpless"?

I don’t really have a third so let’s just throw in whoever (whomever?) it was who came up with the idea that small children should have incredibly loud toys!

By Natasha Dutton on 09/15/2009 5:07 pm

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To me, this topic was meant as a farce to ponder, that’s all. After all, murder is a crime and a mortal sin and I’m not going to prison or hell for anyone. I also know for a fact that John Huston had very dark humor, "Prizzi’s Honor" being the best example. Therefore, as I ponder in this dark humor effort of wowowow, I nominate my third husband who went after me with an ax after he first cut all the wires to the house.

By Laura Ward on 09/15/2009 5:14 pm

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Laura—Holy crap! Your answer shocked me in its honesty. I cannot imagine how you coped with that. Maybe the topic should have been, "what is your best survival story," because you phrased your answer so well and succinctly. Sincerely.

By kermie b on 09/16/2009 8:05 am

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Guess what? We’d only been married two months and it was our first and last fight. I think marriage licenses should have expiration dates when they don’t last six months.

By Laura Ward on 09/16/2009 10:44 pm