Granted the killing was politically motivated, but I think the word "assassinated" is usually reserved for government officials, political leaders, and such. Highly or wrongly, I think that's why people shied away from using it in that instance.

But Charlie Kirk was not an elected official either.

Last edited Fri Sep 12, 2025, 10:16 PM - Edit history (1)

To be clear, I think it would have been perfectly reasonable to describe the UHC CEO's killing as an assassination. I was just speculating about why it may not have occurred to some people to do so at the time..

after Melissa Hortman was killed.

They definitely seem to shy away from that language when one of ours is targeted.

This is pretty clearly an assassination. I'm not sure what the problem is.

assassinate /ə-săs′ə-nāt″/
transitive verb

To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons.

The dick head wasn't prominent.

The word "prominent" can mean a variety of things, including well-known or famous. Kirk was certainly very well known to a sizeable segment of the population, including those who agreed with and admired him and those who strongly disagreed with his views and found them detestable.

I dont have a strong opinion either way as to whether it's appropriate to call his murder an assassination, but to claim he was not a prominent figure makes no sense to me.

People have carelessly used it with John Lennon, who was not a political official of any sort, and the killing had nothing to do with politics.

"Assassination" has to do with the murder of a political official, not an operative like Kirk, and primarily for political reasons though not always.

Likewise, Charlie Kirk was not a political official of any kind, so he was not "assassinated."

"Murdered" is a perfectly suitable word for what happened to him.

Murder for a political reason.

Interesting

Mark David Chapman's motivation for killing John Lennon was an outgrowth of his personal mental illness and had nothing to do with politics. Lennon was known for expressing some strong political views at times, but he did not lead an actual movement the way King did, and he was not killed for political reasons.

I say this as a person who was and is both a strong supporter of King and the civil rights movement and a longtime fan of Lennon as a Beatle and as a solo artist, and who has great respect for both men and what each of them stood for. King was assassinated. Lennon was murdered by a confused, mentally disturbed man.

Whom probably 85% of the US population over age 18 had never heard, prior to this week.

murder by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons.

Probably fits the definition.

Why?
assassinate /ə-săs′ə-nāt″/
transitive verb

To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons.

Go back to when he was killed.
The headlines here, on DU, screamed Charlie Kirk shot!
Very few responses said “WHO?” Or claimed they had never heard of him.
Whether you believe it not, Charlie Kirk was their Greta, or their David Hogg. Would anyone have a problem calling them prominent people?

The kind the right thinks is no big deal.

It simply puzzles a body!

I wish someone had the audacity when meeting Trump to refer to him as "your Majesty." Maybe the next person could shout "I am not worthy" and the next one prostrate himself!

The nation could entertain itself for the rest of Trump's term by finding new ways to overrate fascists.

Why on earth did J.D. Vance rush out to personally escort Kirk's body? Was Trump too busy?

is literally the definition of 'assassination'

assassinate /ə-săs′ə-nāt″/
transitive verb

To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons.

Merriam Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassination

Firs perfectly. An 'assassination' if the English language means anything. Pretending otherwise is mendacious.

Mendacious? Moi? Mind your manners

I was agreeing with you - giving the American dictionary definition that concurs with the OED.

I failed to read closely. My apologies. Reading comprehension strikes me occasionally, and I’m about due.

Mark David Chapman was a mentally ill religious fanatic who was angry at Lennon for having once said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus (which at the time was arguably true, imo). He also disapproved of what he saw as Lennon's lavish lifestyle. I don't see that murder as politically motivated (which to me is what an assassination implies).

And fits into the spectrum of school shootings we've been enjoying for years now. Bulwark has a good discussion on it. I agree with this take. In a sense, some school shootings are assassinations of one student by an individual.

The question is, will America finally do something?

Kirk was not important. He was a piece of dogshit that someone accidentally stepped in, and dragged into the house.

People are saying, with some justification it must be said, that this is not how we should be solving our problems. I'm still hung up on how Charlie Kirk thought gun deaths were the natural price we pay for freedom. Of course, he only said that because it was not he himself paying that price. The worm has turned for him.

pest control."

This one was a tragedy that should never, ever happen.

It is important to recognize how much politcial influence people like him have.

of a high-profile person, not necessarily a politician or national leader.

a specific emotional response.

But a lot of murders of bad people, like gang bosses and other criminals, have also been characterized as assassinations. The only common characteristic is that they were all well-known or important in some circles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assassinations

...Kirk was unequivocally hard right.

Any talk about the motive at this point is still pure speculation.

This was just another disturbed kid, heavily influenced by RW hate culture, and with access to an arsenal. Just another day in America. And yesterday, top political figures including the "president" were blaming "the left" and calling for civil war/mass killings and repressions against liberals and Democrats (that's us here).

Our side needs to stop buying their side's narratives and using their language.

Some event it's a big deal. The technical definition might be fluid at this point.

it put him out of my misery.