Presidential Assassins

[Tom Emery]

Guess I started a good discussion on this, eh?

I agree with the earlier posts that Booth was not a loser, or anything like that. I also agree that Booth "was at the top of his game" in his profession. He was one of the most famous men in America thanks to his acting skills, and for good reason. He was hardly a fringe person, or a social outcast.

I still question his sanity, although that topic is certainly up for grabs. But like I said in my first post, I think what really sets him apart is that he was not like the other three (known) Presidential assassins. Not to simplify it, but Booth seemingly had it all -- fame, professional respect, plenty of money, good looks, etc. The other three were social misfits in so many ways.

A disclaimer -- I did not mean to neglect other intended assassins, such as the ones that tried to take out Ford, Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt, etc. Like many of you, I'm also intrigued by the Zachary Taylor mystery. I only tried to focus on known assassins who got the job done, so to speak.

One more thing -- the fate of the four known assassins shows how little regard we have for Presidential assassins in American society. Booth was reviled by many in both the North and South, which is interesting because the South was still at war with the North (Lee's surrender didn't end things; there were surrenders of armies throughout the spring), and since many in the North were divided on Lincoln.

Guiteau was laughed at by pretty much everyone, and his trial was a quick one. After Czolgosz' execution, sulfuric acid was poured over his body in the grave, mainly to get rid of him as quickly as possible. His trial was also a fast one. Oswald's grave has been defaced many times, and his family has been scorned.

We don't take kindly to Presidential assassins in America. For all of our faults, our society tends not to kill its leaders, and I think our democratic process also trumps all; if you don't like someone, you have the chance to vote them out, not kill them.