Assassination Vacation

One of the points that Sarah Vowell makes explicit throughout Assassination Vacation is her personal opposition to political violence. That opposition, along with a belief in the rule of law, is a core part of how Vowell views her own political liberalism. For example, when referring to her objection to Emma Goldman’s advocacy of violent acts, Vowell remarks, “I’m more of a Ten Commandments, rule-of-law girl myself” (218). In tracing the legacy of political assassinations, Vowell seeks to better understand the impact of political violence in American history. 

Violence and death are, for Vowell, something that should transcend political divisions. She treats the idea of violence befalling even a leader she hates, President George W. Bush, with abhorrence. When remembering a flippant remark that she made related to the shooting of President Ronald Reagan, Vowell remarks with regret, “It pains me that, like Reagan, faced with the profundity of death my first conscious impulse was to act like a smart-alecky partisan jackass” (84)

Two figures that are central to Vowell’s discussion of political violence are John Brown and Emma Goldman. It is true that Vowell never explicitly condemns Brown’s actions. However, she does note the fact that Brown inspired