… be able to kill a total stranger? Someone will provide a weapon, the target is immobile, male, adult. Other than that, no knowledge of who or what he is.
It is stipulated that you would get away scot free on this one…
Could you, would you?
Yes. But only if I get to pick the weapon.
Nope.
No.
No. I would like to think I could say yes, but cold-blooded killer I am not. I would start to think about what if he has a wife? Kids? Family? What if he’s the only guy who years from now will donate a kidney or bone marrow to my sister? So I don’t think I could do it. The only circumstances under which I think I would be capable of murder are defense of my home, my loved ones, or myself, war, psychotic episode, or revenge.
I think that about sums it up. All that money just isn’t enough for the risks involved.
I hope.
No way
Yes, absolutely…oh, wait. I mean no.
No.
The taking of a human life for money is not something I think I could or would do.
I could not play the John Cusak role in the movie Grosse Point Blank.
A million bucks? No way. But can we negotiate? 
To be fair, he knew the background on these people. Like he said (paraphrased):
“If I show up at your door you probably did something to bring me there.” Of course, you may have pissed off some “bad” people. But good and bad are subjective and arbitrary.
I could do that. But to kill someone out and out for no reason besides a million? Nope.
No.
Well, if it were, say, Joseph Mengela. Sure. But even some other “bad” people…and certainly if I didn’t know anything about the person at all.
A million dollars doesn’t go very far if you have to spend it all on intoxicants to distract you from your terrible self-loathing.
I should know, and I have’t even killed anybody yet.
Could I just maim someone for half a million?
I don’t think I could even hurt a stranger’s feelings for a million bucks.
Hmmmmmmm, I guess if someone yelled, “HE’S COMING RIGHT FOR US!” I’d have to, I’d be obligated by law . . . right?
Would I fellate a goat for a million bucks? You bet I would!
What’s that?
Oh. Yeah, I’d also kill a goat for a million.
[sub]As long as I didn’t have to kill the guy by hand, I’d probably be able to rationalize and repress what I did. So yep, I’d do it.[/sub]
I’m with AudreyK on this one. I couldn’t even hurt his feelings…
This is the scary part: I honestly don’t know.
I do not believe in heaven or hell so I don’t believe there would be any eternal punishments for doing it.
I do not believe in the sanctity of life. I only believe in the sanctity of MY life. This forces me to respect other peoples lives in the hopes that they will respect mine.
However, you have stipulated that there will be no reprisals if I do it.
I probably wouldn’t do it, because in reality you can’t guarantee no punishment and because in reality my feelings about life do not 100% conform to my intellectuals reasonings.
But this does sound like a good short story.
Man offers total stranger the deal outlined in the OP, $1,000,000 and no problem with the law. After much anguish the stranger says yes and kills the victim.
Cut to man approaching next stranger. New stranger is offered the deal outlined in the OP. After much anguish he says yes and goes to kill the victim. Story ends with the reader learning that the new victim is the first guy who said yes.
Maybe it would have been a good Twilight Zone episode.
Well, tell me the dude is a drug dealer, or a gangbanger or other scum, and I could muster up the moral justification for it. But, otherwise- no.
No I couldn’t kill for any amount of money. Now, ask me if I’d poke out my eye for 10 million, or have my leg amputated at the knee for 5 million. That, I’d do.
Does that say something about me?
Obfus…I think that was a Twilight Zone episode. It was a mysterious man with a magic box or something. You could wish for anything, but it would somehow affect the previous user of the box.
Nope… not for any amount of money and not for any reason.