I don't often min max (I guess my answer is a combination of #1 and #3), but I do want a character I play to be effective, else either the character would not be in a group long (thrown out), or they would die along the way.
As for killing off the character, I probably wouldn't do that (I hate doing so to begin with). I knew what I was getting into when the DM said "3d6, keep what you roll", so I'll make the best of it. It's surpising how enterprising you can be with small resources.
That being said... it's a case of just how bad the rolls were. If they were extremely low (say, all well sub-10) I'd have second thoughts about gaming with that GM if appeals failed.