this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2025
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[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 68 points 4 days ago (4 children)

Furthermore, Kirk was an influencer activist, and not an elected official.

Exactly. Not an assassination. I hate that people keep calling it that.

[–] sudo@lemmy.today 64 points 4 days ago (1 children)

When a Nazi gets killed it's called 'a good job'

[–] primrosepathspeedrun@anarchist.nexus 23 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Well, until they're out of power you should ideally call it nothing at all and deny it ever happened. I walked past the USC campus this morning and saw kirk alive and well. I don't know what all this hubub is about.

[–] Tyrq@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Fascinating. Flip the script for the utter disregard of the truth.

If you see someone stealing bread–no you didn't.

If you see a dead Nazi–no you didn't and in fact you met him in public later that evening.

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 4 points 4 days ago

No no you have to say I'm just saying ....

[–] phx@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I've never heard being elected official as a criteria for the term, the dictionary definition of assassination is

"the premeditated act of killing someone suddenly or secretively, especially a prominent person."

And there have been plenty of non-electoral assassinations, including those by (or of) mob figures, journalists, and many others.

[–] Underwaterbob@sh.itjust.works 0 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Doesn't the act of assassination require that the killer be an assassin? ie someone paid to kill people.

[–] xyzzy@lemmy.today 12 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

The killer in an assassination is by definition an assassin. An assassin is not always some paid mercenary killer (this is rarely the case).

John Wilkes Booth is an easy example. He was an actor.

It's only an assassin when they are from the Hashshashin, otherwise it's just sparkling murder.

[–] Vandals_handle@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

As an actor John Wilkes Booth killed it in his last role.

[–] pennomi@lemmy.world 12 points 4 days ago (2 children)

It’s still an assassination. The definition is broad enough to include the killing of any public figure by surprise attack.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Looked like an assisted suicide to me.

[–] PenguinMage@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

Nah, he tripped and fell into a fast moving object. Absolute tragic happenstance. Could've happened to any asshole really.

[–] OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, I hear people refer to John Lennon's killing as an assassination. He wasn't a politician, just a public figure.

[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

He was more popular than Jesus, so that checks out. I highly doubt Kirk even had a security crew of note. Doesn't have one now, though! 😂 😂 😂

It was a pyrotechnics accident, is all.