The assassination holds an especially gruesome place in the political sphere. A split second can destroy a collective dream, ideology or potential peace.

Killings of this nature are far more significant than a murder - the crime becomes a statement.

Specific assassinations certainly exist in their respective context - Martin Luther King and Franz Ferdinand's shootings took place within widely varied cultural climates, and with arguably different results - but mere mention of the fearsome verb can resonate far and wide.

That's no more true than during the current primary here in the United States, where we seem to have a morbid love affair with assassinations and the myths they birth.

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