[Beauseaccerce]

Assassination is the murder of a public figure.[1] An added distinction between assassination and other forms of killing is that the assassin has an ideological or political motivation, though many assassins (especially those not part of an organization) also demonstrate insanity; other motivations are money (contract killing), revenge, or a military operation.

The assassination euphemism targeted killing (extrajudicial execution) also is used for government-sanctioned killing of opponents.[2] 'Assassination' itself, along with terms such as 'terrorist' and 'freedom fighter', may in this context be considered a loaded term, as it implies an act where the proponents of such killings may consider them justified or even necessary.[2] Wiki to the wescue.

[KixdricyArrip]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
Oh wikipedia, what don't you know? Wow...no kidding

[zatronanec]

So, being assassinated is kind of a compliment?

Spec.

[FredderiK]

Assassination is the murder of a public figure.[ I don't agree with this definition.

For example, John Lennon wasn't assassinated. He was murdered.

If Hillary would have shot Bill because of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, that wouldn't have been an assassination. [Insert appropriate joke here.]

I'd say an assassination is the purposeful neutralization of a government official or political leader by killing him or her.

[haittiweerved]

Evidently, you boys are wrong. It isn't defined as strictly political. BUZZZZZZ! Next!

[johnsonjunior]

Ooooh. One of those. I see.

[objennasweene]

According to The New Oxford American Dictionary, 2nd ed (hardcopy):

assassinate: murder (an important person) in a surprise attack for political or religious reasons. See note at kill. (p. 94)

Murder implies a malicious and premeditated killing of one person by another ..., while assassinate implies that a politically important person has been murdered, often by someone hired to do the job.... (p. 929)

[jyhugikuhih]

So, it sounds like it's not who you kill, but why you kill. Therefore, the killing of an abortion doctor by a religious nutjob is an assassination? It sounds to me like it would be.

[Alex Photographer]

Governments assassinate rather then murder.

JM

[zdoppiklonikaa]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
So why do people talk about the assassination of Tupac Shakur?

(NOTE: I will accept "because they're idiots" as an answer.) Because they're idiots works for me.

[compiit]

Originally posted by Xorbon
So, it sounds like it's not who you kill, but why you kill. Therefore, the killing of an abortion doctor by a religious nutjob is an assassination? It sounds to me like it would be. I would say it isn't. Simple political motivations don't make someone an assassin, or else deadly voter intimidation would be an assasination. An interesting metric we could work with is if the killer was seeking a specific person rather then a representative of a group where one member would be as good as any other (ie. "it doesn't matter which abortion doctor is dead so long as a I kill one").

But I'm not sure if the political reasons are neccearily important. John Hinckley is generally said to have attempted to assassinate Reagan, but that clearly wasn't for political reasons.

Offhand, I'd say an assassination is the killing of a prominant political figure in a suprising manner (ambush poisoning or the like instead of military action or execution) because of thier political position.