1. Assassinations ‘13 Intro Unit

2. I) Assassination 101 A) 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 public figure by surprise attack

3. II) Why occur in US? A) Typical Answers 1) Cultural a) Americans Hardwired to Kill 1) Contrast w/ Sweden & Israel

4. 1)Contrast w/ Sweden & Israel(cont) a) Sweden 1) Founded— 500 AD Modern Sweden-1523 AD 2) Assassination—PM Olof Palme— 1986 a) 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)

5. 1) Contrast w/ Sweden & Israel (cont) a) Sweden Time Lapse: 463 years Note: FM Anna Lindh stabbed to death in 2003 in dept store while shopping

6. 1) Contrast w/ Sweden & Israel (cont) b) Israel 1) Founded—1948 2) 1 Assassination—PM Rabin— 1995 a) 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 rally for accords Time Lapse: 50 years before 1 st & Only Assassination

7. c) USA 1) Founded 1787 2) 16 Major Assassinations attempts of prominent Political/Cultural/Social Leaders 3) 1 st attempt—1835 4) Time Lapse —48 years & on-going

8. II) Why occur? (cont) A) Typical Answers 2) Availability of guns = more assassinations a) 225 million guns owned in US b) Affection for guns part of US heritage 3) Acceptability of Violence for entertainment=degrading of life a) Social/Cultural—movies/TV ect.. 4) Acceptability of Violence in daily life = more assassinations

9. II) Why occur? (cont) A) Typical Answers 5) Mentally Disturbed—lone nut theory a) deranged b) hero worship gone awry c) jealousy d) historical 15 minutes of fame

10. 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’

11. Sec 2 I) Author Clarke has 4 categories (pg 14) a) Type 1 1) Assassin—Sacrifice self for political ideal 2) Personal Motives—secondary 3) Capture fine/Death acceptable risk

12. b) Type 2 1) 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)

13. c) Type 3 1) The assassin lives are meaningless/useless and thus, they need to destroy the society they find themselves in 2) Attack a person who symbolizes the majority 3) No significant others in their lives 4) No political motive Note: This type could become an assassin, suicide, or mass murder

14. d) Type 4 1) 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

15. d) Type 4 (cont) 2) Unable to apply political motivations to actions 3) Unable to understand others views on their actions

16. II) How to A) Analyze 1) Who Assassin is 2) Who (tried to) Assassinate 3) Apply the text’s motivation (i.e. type) 4) Apply the text’s explanation 5) Apply the zeitgeist a) Historical Facts & Motivation b) Historical Outcome

17. II) How to A) Analyze—Israel's PM assassination 1) Who Assassin is Yigal Amir 2) Who (tried to) Assassinate Yitzhak Rabin 3) Apply the text’s motivation (i.e. type) Type 1 4) Apply the text’s explanation Self Sacrifice for political ideal -all other motives secondary -no attempt to escape Never expressed regret for his actions.

18. 5) Apply the zeitgeist a) Historical Facts & Motivation Oslo Peace Accords— 1) Agreement/Acknowledgment of co- existence btw Palestine & Israel 2) Pal. would have self govt in Gaza & West Bank 3) 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 he was “satisfied”

19. b) Historical Outcome 1) Jailed assassin 2) Peace accord in tatters a) Intifadas (uprisings) b) Bombings c) Political posturing on both sides