# The magical killing box **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885 "2011-11-04T19:04:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@Jbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jbone)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/1 "2011-11-04T19:04:59Z")
Suppose someone gave you a magical box with a button on the top, and said that if you push the button, the person you are thinking of at the time will somehow die. The harder you push down on the button, the more gruesome/painful the death will be. There is no reward involved for you other than their death. How would you use it? Could you kill someone without having any information on that person other than something you read about online? Do you think about their families or people who may depend on them to survive? What did they do that crossed a line for you? Or do you wait until after the trail and see the verdict before you pass judgement? I think about this every time I see or hear a terrible story on the news. Especially stories involving the grievous harm or death of a child (I have three kids under the age of four). Like that video of the van who ran over that two year old in China. Runs her over, stops, then drives off running her over again. Yup, dead, no question, I would not bat an eyelash. I would push the button down hard so he dies by being hit by a car, dragged hundreds of meters while his skin and soft tissue would be peeled off by the pavement. The infant death where the parent left the infant in the car with it running and her passed out drunk somewhere else? Dead, a quick death for him/her. The robber who killed the teenage girl who happened to come home while he was in the process? Another hard press - hopefully some flesh-eating bacteria slowly devours him. Stories like this Texas judge beating his handicapped child? I’m not sure, I don’t think he deserves to be killed, and maybe the punishment of the video surfacing is enough, I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/2 "2011-11-04T19:15:49Z")
I’d toss it into the sea. I have no place dealing out death at a whim. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/3 "2011-11-04T19:35:41Z")
I’d encase it in a lead block first, charter a boat that goes off the continental shelf, and _then_ toss it into the sea. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/4 "2011-11-04T19:36:28Z")
I’d make sure it was well and truly destroyed before tossing it in the sea. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/5 "2011-11-04T19:37:42Z")
True, we don’t want it to end up in the hands of a spiteful seal. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/6 "2011-11-04T19:38:02Z")
Sounds like you’d be a [supporter of Kira and his death note](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Note). Me – no way. I can’t help thinking of all the times that we’ve seen a news story and gotten all worked up and then it turns out we haven’t gotten the whole story. I don’t think it’s a good idea to kill someone based on feelings of outrage or sympathy for an alleged victim. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/7 "2011-11-04T19:43:07Z")
I’d offer my services to the government, with the caveats that any killing I took part in would require some form of closed-door judicial review beforehand, and that any attempt to wrest control of the box from me would result in a very hard press indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/8 "2011-11-04T19:51:06Z")
I’d destroy it as quickly as I could. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/9 "2011-11-04T19:55:02Z")
Or at least take the batteries out. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/10 "2011-11-04T19:55:08Z")
Do I have to know the specific person? Or can I think of “whoever killed that little girl” and press the button? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/11 "2011-11-04T20:08:15Z")
How is this box any different from a gun, unless it can pinpoint people without me needing to be there or know them. I assume the police would eventually catch on the the fact that I can kill this way, what with all the people who offend me dropping right and left. So I have to take everyone out in one shot. I’m thinking of all the people in the world who would ever press the button, then I lightly press the button. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/12 "2011-11-04T20:09:01Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I’d toss it into the sea. I have no place dealing out death at a whim. Too right. Just let me hold it for a minute. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/13 "2011-11-04T20:09:50Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Do I have to know the specific person? Or can I think of “whoever killed that little girl” and press the button? Careful. What if it turns out to have been an act of God? I think I’d wait for the 2nd generation box, which will be available a few months from now and which supports voice activation and multiple simultaneous killings. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/14 "2011-11-04T20:16:43Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > So I have to take everyone out in one shot. I’m thinking of all the people in the world who would ever press the button, then I lightly press the button. It was nice knowing you. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/15 "2011-11-04T20:23:14Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Careful. What if it turns out to have been an act of God? What difference does it make? He’d just come back to life again in three days. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/16 "2011-11-04T20:24:16Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I’d toss it into the sea. I have no place dealing out death at a whim. I admit, I would use it exactly twice before I did this, but then again my wife’s father and stepmother abused her to the point of hospitalization and still harass her mother and grandparents. Given that it kills with pain proportional to the force you push the button with, I’d still likely use a feather. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/17 "2011-11-04T20:31:12Z")
Up until July 22 this year I would have said no, keep your box, I don’t want to kill anyone. Then a certain nutball carried out a much-publicized bombing / shooting spree in the city where I live. Now I’m not so sure. (But I think you should probably keep that box well away from me, just in case.) I think I’ll wait until the anger fades a bit before I give a proper answer. That is, if it ever does. And let’s just say the thoughts I’ve been having about what I want to do to that asshole… have been scaring even me. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/18 "2011-11-04T20:33:33Z")
I’d probably wear my finger out. ---
**Author:** ![Jbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@Jbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jbone)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/19 "2011-11-04T20:52:27Z")
Some related articles. Stuff like this makes me shake with rage. [http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202\_162-20124434/china-2-arrested-over-hit-and-run-toddler/](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-20124434/china-2-arrested-over-hit-and-run-toddler/) (video not included - look it up at your own risk) [http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Infant-Left-in-Car-Overnight-Dies.html](http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Infant-Left-in-Car-Overnight-Dies.html) [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-indian-head-park-1104-20111104,0,1023113.story](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-indian-head-park-1104-20111104,0,1023113.story) ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885/20 "2011-11-04T21:07:34Z")
Can I use it on deer and quail? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magical-killing-box/601885.md?page=2)