Some 42 percent of New York Times Magazine online readers said they would use a time machine to go back and kill “baby Hitler.”
Another 30 percent said no, and 28 percent said they were unsure.
We asked @nytmag readers: If you could go back and kill Hitler as a baby, would you do it? (What's your response?) pic.twitter.com/daatm12NZC
— NYT Magazine (@NYTmag) October 23, 2015
The query on Friday came a day after Back to the Future Day in honor of the 1980s movie series in which characters traveled back in time and changed the course of their history.
The poll set off a firestorm on Twitter, where the hashtag #babyHitler trended over the weekend.
Many of those who said they could not kill baby Hitler were worried about bringing about unexpected consequences.
The New York Times Magazine responded to the controversy by tweeting “LOL.”
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.