We've Been Lucky.

Today's attempted assassination of US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords brought to mind that Canada has not been immune to political assassination.  However we've been very lucky given that we have only two examples compared to the American experience.  The last Canadian politician murdered was Quebec cabinet minister Pierre Laporte in 1970, killed by members of the Quebec separatist terrorist group the FLQ.  The so-called Toronto 18 terrorist plotters, arrested in 2006, wanted to behead Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper as part of their planned mayhem, but their effort came nowhere near execution.  Given the similiarities between our two countries it's surprising we haven't had more examples in Canada.  Perhaps it's because the political rhetoric here has been less vehement than it has been at many times south of the border.  There is also the fact that the US formed out of revolution, and many have taken this fact to justify their violence.