| Of all the things that befall us in life, nothing quite | | | | aura of these murders has been amplified so much |
| equals the monumental impact that love and death | | | | that they shall be remembered forever: |
| have on the way we go about our daily lives and the | | | | Oscar Romero: One of the most tragic deaths of this |
| way we view reality. Lives are made and unmade, | | | | century would definitely have to be that of Oscar |
| political situations are fueled and break, and in general | | | | Romero. This priest from San Salvador, el Salvador |
| the very fabric of reality is changed forever because | | | | was one of the strongest lobbyists against human |
| of these two phenomena. | | | | rights violations. He was gunned down while saying |
| And it is arguably death that is the stronger of the | | | | mass on April 24, 1980 by an as of yet unidentified |
| two in spite of what a lot of hopeless romantics | | | | assailant. Many say the murderers came from |
| would say. It is perhaps the finality of death that | | | | Salvadorian death squads trained by the United |
| gives it its tremendous emotional and anthropological | | | | States but now we may never know for sure. |
| significance. When someone dies, it is truly the end. | | | | The Black Dahlia: Edgar Allan Poe would agree with |
| That is why everything from cosmetic surgery to | | | | you if you said there was something strangely |
| horror films are so numerous in our society. These | | | | romantic about the death of a dark and beautiful |
| are our ways of sublimating this fascination with the | | | | woman. And the Black Dahlia, aka Elizabeth Short was |
| terminal nature or our attempts to parody or delay | | | | definitely that. Her beauty, mystique and brutal death |
| its inevitability. | | | | were the primary reasons why she remains popular |
| Another manifestation of our intense fascination with | | | | to this day,. Many movie adaptations, books and |
| death and dying would be our glorification or | | | | investigations have been done on this case but it is |
| remembrance of unsolved murders. It is one thing | | | | unlikely that her killer will ever be brought to justice. |
| that can very easily strip any modicum of normality | | | | Andrew and Abby Borden: One of the grisliest |
| and stability that you perceive your life to have and | | | | murders ever committed was supposedly done by |
| makes you reflect on the mystery and swiftness of | | | | this couple's underage daughter. Although she was |
| death. Another thing that gives color to these cases | | | | pronounced innocent due to lack of evidence the |
| would be the victims. They could either be heroes of | | | | legend of Lizzie Borden is so powerful that it inspires |
| their societies or someone who could have been our | | | | songs, novels and pop culture to this day. |
| mothers, fathers, sons or daughters. Either way, the | | | | |