Assassinations ‘13Assassinations ‘13Intro Unit

I) Assassination 101A) Difference from Murder

Murder—Differing types First-degree murder--

committed with malice aforethought, characterized by deliberation or premeditation Second-degree murder--occurring during the commission of another serious crime, as robbery or arson, but without deliberation or premeditation

Assassination — murder of a publicfigure by surprise attack

II) Why occur in US?A) Typical Answers

1) Culturala) Americans Hardwired to Kill

1) Contrast w/ Sweden& Israel

1)Contrast w/ Sweden & Israel(cont)a) Sweden

1) Founded— 500 AD Modern Sweden-1523 AD

2) Assassination—PM Olof Palme—1986a) by Christer Pettersson—lone

nut (?) or was it a politically motivated conspiracy(?)

b) Palme & his wife just left the movies and were

walking down the street (often no security in Sweden)

1) Contrast w/ Sweden & Israel (cont)a) Sweden

Time Lapse: 463 yearsNote: FM Anna Lindh stabbed to death in 2003 in

dept store while shopping

1)Contrast w/ Sweden & Israel (cont)b) Israel

1) Founded—19482) 1 Assassination—PM Rabin—

1995a) by Yigal Amir a radical

right-wing Orthodox Jew who opposed the Oslo Peace Accords & killed him to save the country

b) Rabin had just left a rallyfor accords

Time Lapse: 50 years before 1st & Only Assassination

c) USA1) Founded 17872) 16 Major Assassinations attempts

of prominent Political/Cultural/Social Leaders

3) 1st attempt—18354) Time Lapse —48 years & on-going

II) Why occur? (cont)A) Typical Answers

2) Availability of guns= more assassinationsa) 225 million guns owned in USb) Affection for guns part of US

heritage3) Acceptability of Violence for

entertainment=degrading of lifea) Social/Cultural—movies/TV ect..

4) Acceptability of Violence in daily life = more assassinations

II) Why occur? (cont)A) Typical Answers

5) Mentally Disturbed—lone nut theory

a) derangedb) hero worship gone awryc) jealousyd) historical 15 minutes of fame

II) Why occur? (cont)B) Typical Answers lacking context

1) Need to analyze the cultural, political & social context at the time of the attempt to understand the assassin and the assassination

a) Zeitgeist—‘spirit of the times’

Sec 2I) Author Clarke has 4 categories (pg 14)

a) Type 11) Assassin—Sacrifice self for

political ideal2) Personal Motives—secondary3) Capture fine/Death acceptable risk

b) Type 21) Use a political act (assassination)

to resolve a personal dilemma NOT to further a cause

2) the assassin is frustrated/angry by a perceived slight by someone close to them

3) thus, they strike out at a public official that is a real or surrogate for their ‘real’ problem

4) gets attention to their problem(s)

c) Type 31) The assassin lives are meaningless/useless and thus, they need to destroy the society they find themselves in2) Attack a person who symbolizes the majority3) No significant others in their lives4) No political motive

Note: This type could become an assassin, suicide, or mass murder

d) Type 41) Unable to understand their actions

a) Mentally Ill vs Mentally Insane

Mentally Ill- suffering from some mental disease but one that does not impair judgment of acts

Mentally Insane--Unable to understand right from wrong due to a mental defect

d) Type 4 (cont)2) Unable to apply political motivations to actions

3) Unable to understand others views on their actions

II) How toA) Analyze1) Who Assassin is2) Who (tried to) Assassinate3) Apply the text’s motivation (i.e. type)4) Apply the text’s explanation5) Apply the zeitgeist

a) Historical Facts & Motivationb) Historical Outcome

II) How toA) Analyze—Israel's PM assassination1) Who Assassin is

Yigal Amir2) Who (tried to) Assassinate

Yitzhak Rabin3) Apply the text’s motivation (i.e. type)

Type 14) Apply the text’s explanation

Self Sacrifice for political ideal-all other motives secondary-no attempt to escapeNever expressed regret for his actions.

5) Apply the zeitgeista) Historical Facts & Motivation Oslo Peace Accords— 1) Agreement/Acknowledgment of co-

existence btw Palestine & Israel 2) Pal. would have self govt in Gaza &

West Bank3) Kill Rabin=kill Accords=save Israel

-he felt having Israel give away God’s land was tantamount to a sin-

a) Told Rabin is dead— he said hewas “satisfied”

b) Historical Outcome1) Jailed assassin2) Peace accord in tatters

a) Intifadas (uprisings)b) Bombingsc) Political posturing on both

sides