How important does someone have to be...?

So my mom is doing this fun trivia thing for her Christmas party, and I'm looking through her questions and answers (cheating), and I come across a strange question:

"How important does someone have to be to be considered assassinated instead of murdered?"

With no answer. It was the only one without an answer.

My mom has interesting ways of getting answers. I can't wait.

reply to post by Mon1k3r


That is a very interesting question.

I wonder if you would just have to be famous/in the public eye....or.....do you have to work for the government in some capacity?

I mean, you never hear people say that Tupac was assassinated...people generally say he was shot or murdered. Same with other entertainers. Although, I guess that's not the best direction to for the answer, as most of these "famous celebrities" do themselves in most of the time, whether accidental or not.

Maybe it's to do with manner of death? I've also heard the phrase "assassination style," I think...?

I'm sure someone here will be able to tell you

reply to post by Mon1k3r


If the first news report to identify the killer uses the persons first middle and last name, then they have been assassinated. If they just use the first and last name, it was a murder.

reply to post by watchitburn


But that's the answer to a different question...

I'll never have to worry about getting assassinated. Someone may purposely kill me though. They probably won't even classify it as murder, It will probably be dropped to manslaughter since I'm not noteworthy enough.

assassinated = murdered as part of a political conspiracy

murdered = killed without cause

my 2 centavos

Afternoon,

Well let's see...

"Assassination is the murder of a prominent person or political figure by a surprise attack, usually for payment or political reasons.

An assassination may be prompted by religious, ideological, political, or military motives; it is an act that may be done for financial gain, to avenge a grievance, from a desire to acquire fame or notoriety, or because of a military or security services command to carry out the murder."

Murder on the other hand...

"Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human, and generally this premeditated state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide (such as manslaughter). A person who commits murder is called a murderer."

That's what Wiki had to say about it.
So, assassination is apparently only for the important people who get ambushed...the rest of us schlubs just get killed.

-Peace-

Great Question!

If you are assassinated, we normally assume that it must be a person of power. But where is the line between power and victim of murder. Would a police officer's death be a murder? What about a judge? Small city Mayor? Large City Mayor? I guess if you have an occupation to where your decisions highly impact those of others or you were elected into office, then assassination is the proper term because somebody killed because they didn't like somebody's policies etc. What if it's a random mugging of an elected official that leads to death? I guess that would just be a murder right? What do you guys think?

Murder in the first requires premeditation.

I would assume that an assassination would be a means to an end. A cause to effect a particular outcome in the future.

Murder would be the sole intent of the premeditation, to simply kill someone, but then that's it.

So is capital punishment murder or assassination?

I think an assassination attempt has to be made thru a contract, a hired assassin.

Murder is "only" the death of someone, or of a few people, that will "profit" to one person, the killer.

EDIT: The answer to your question would be not that important, then... lol?

Mon1k3r
So my mom is doing this fun trivia thing for her Christmas party, and I'm looking through her questions and answers (cheating), and I come across a strange question:

"How important does someone have to be to be considered assassinated instead of murdered?"

With no answer. It was the only one without an answer.

My mom has interesting ways of getting answers. I can't wait.

edit on 26-11-2013 by Mon1k3r because: My mom is not a noun. She is a human being.

It's the same fine line you can compare with other words that set the common folk away from the elite.

Poor people are "crazy" but rich people are "eccentric".
Poor people are "drunks" but rich people are "wine aficionados".
Poor people go to prison when they have a drug habit but rich people go to posh "retreats".
The list goes on.

I would guess that if you are important enough to be in the column on the right, you'd be important enough to be "assassinated".

"Assassinated" means that, had the person lived, he or she would have changed the world.

Once you are retired, you cannot be assassinated. For example: Saddam Hussein hatched a plot to "murder" George W. Bush's father. But he had local tribal leaders assassinated.

tovenar
"Assassinated" means that, had the person lived, he or she would have changed the world.

Once you are retired, you cannot be assassinated. For example: Saddam Hussein hatched a plot to "murder" George W. Bush's father. But he had local tribal leaders assassinated.

These sound like very good criteria to me. Thanks for that.

Assassinated - Nobility , Politicians , Leaders
Murdered - everyone else
Either way results the same .. dead is dead