In the Aftermath of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting in Arizona. The media has begun to realize that what is said in the political climate has real consequence.
All except one person: Sarah Palin.
Besides a post on the day of the shooting offering condolences and prayer for all the families affected, she has been resoundingly silent.
Until today. She has released an 8-minute video via Facebook. (I will save you the torture of watching it because I already have).
One of the worst quotes in the insanely insincere video is; "Within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn," she wrote. "That is reprehensible."
Let's first ignore the fact that she has no clue what "Blood Libel" means. Because it is often used as a propaganda term mainly against the Jewish Religion that they sacrifice their children.
But really inciting hatred and violence is reprehensible? What is it that you do again?
Let's go backwards shall we:
In the Spring of 2010 on Sarah Palin's political action committee SarahPAC's website. A map was posted. This map was 20 districts that the Republicans won in 2008 Presidential Election, that had a democratic Congressperson who voted for Obama's health care bill
If you look closely at the names accompanied on this list, Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8) was shot in the head on Saturday. Now I know Sarah Palin was not insinuating to go out and attempt to take her life, nor do I think she is the sole blame, but I just don't think she gets it. Those look tremendously similar to cross hairs, and there really is nothing wrong with it so far, but add the tweet that told you to go to facebook where it had the map
I know she wasn't inciting violence. BUT it is IRRESPONSIBLE to put cross-hairs on a map which she called "surveyors" and have a tweet about "Don't Retreat, Instead- RELOAD!" That gives an imagery of violence that is so disturbing especially when said about a politician considering our long standing history of political assassinations.
There is more.. Add this to what Giffords opponent in 2010 said:
"Get on Target for Victory in November Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly"
Come on this is just ridiculous now. As the Pima County Arizona Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said on Saturday "It may be free speech but it does not come without consequences."
If you are still not convinced let's go further back in time.
From October 4th, 2008
And again on October 6th, 2008
The Aftermath: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/sarah-palin/3405336/Sarah-Palin-blamed-by-the-US-Secret-Service-for-death-threats-against-Barack-Obama.html
Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service over death threats against Barack Obama
All quoted from the Telegraph:"The Republican vice presidential candidate attracted criticism for accusing Mr Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the sixties radical William Ayers.
The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.
But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.
The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin's attacks.
Michelle Obama, the future First Lady, was so upset that she turned to her friend and campaign adviser Valerie Jarrett and said: "Why would they try to make people hate us?""
Maybe Palin got the hint?
From Fox News Sunday: Feb. 7th,2010
Sarah Palin's book "Going Rouge" in 2009:
Page 306-307: In relation to the breaking news about the friendship between the unrepentant domestic terrorist [Ayers] and the Democrat candidate for president of the United States, headquarters issued an approved sound bite about Obama "palling around with terrorists," and I was happy to be the one to deliver it. As more information was made public concerning Obama's associations and the fact that he had kicked off his political career in Ayers's living room, the sound bite was written into a rally speech. The left went nuts, accusing me of lowdown rhetoric unworthy of presidential politics. And although it was headquarters that had issued the sound bite, the folks there did little more than duck.
An Interview with Sean Hannity on November 18th, 2009
It all leads to the central premise that she just doesn't get it. Keith Olbermann, politicians on the left, and the right have since denounced the use of inflammatory rhetoric. She doesn't apologize. She doesn't say "she used bad judgement." She just lets it go. Not even 1 mention of how potentially damaging her rhetoric could have been. It was all the media's fault, and not hers.
Once again her irresponsibility shows why she will never hold a major National political office, because her disconnect with common sense, morality, and humbleness, and human decency just don't exist.
If someone were to use the same rhetoric against her, she would tell them that they are despicable for putting her life in danger. But since she did it, it is ok.
As a politician she should realize just how wrong it is to invoke any imagery, no matter how unintended or innocent that could potentially deal with assassination.
And if she didn't feel she was wrong. Why was the map, and the tweet deleted shortly after the Massacre?
No one is saying she is 100% the blame. No one is saying she is 1% to blame. But owning up to your misjudgment even if the consequences are yours to bear or not is the human thing to do. All it takes like many have in the past few day is a simple "I am so sorry, I used ridiculously poor judgment in my choice of words in the past. I realize how idiotic it was of me to even allude to violence against a politician. I apologize to every family who lost a loved one, I apologize to those who had to see this horrific event first hand. And I apologize to the American people. While I never meant for someone to commit an act of violence against a politician, some have mistaken those words as that. I again will say that I made a bad judgment, and in the future I will be very careful of the words I choose, in order to have a civilized discourse, and functioning Democratic Debate.
But she won't. She is missing that realization that the world being a bigger place than just yourself.
She just doesn't get why she is wrong, and that terrible judgment is exactly why she has a ridiculous unfavorable rating.
Maybe Palin got the hint?
From Fox News Sunday: Feb. 7th,2010
WALLACE: Let's talk about national security. During the campaign, you said this about Mr. Obama:
PALIN [video clip]: Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country.
WALLACE: The president has escalated the war in Afghanistan, he has launched more drone attacks in his first year than George W. Bush did in eight years. Given what he has done as president, do you take back "palling around with terrorists"?
PALIN: No, I don't, because his associations with Bill Ayers and with others, he never really has, I think, adequately addressed why in the world he would have a relationship with a type of person like that, who had such disdain for America that he would want to bomb, harm, hurt, kill, Americans.
Sarah Palin's book "Going Rouge" in 2009:
Page 306-307: In relation to the breaking news about the friendship between the unrepentant domestic terrorist [Ayers] and the Democrat candidate for president of the United States, headquarters issued an approved sound bite about Obama "palling around with terrorists," and I was happy to be the one to deliver it. As more information was made public concerning Obama's associations and the fact that he had kicked off his political career in Ayers's living room, the sound bite was written into a rally speech. The left went nuts, accusing me of lowdown rhetoric unworthy of presidential politics. And although it was headquarters that had issued the sound bite, the folks there did little more than duck.
An Interview with Sean Hannity on November 18th, 2009
It all leads to the central premise that she just doesn't get it. Keith Olbermann, politicians on the left, and the right have since denounced the use of inflammatory rhetoric. She doesn't apologize. She doesn't say "she used bad judgement." She just lets it go. Not even 1 mention of how potentially damaging her rhetoric could have been. It was all the media's fault, and not hers.
Once again her irresponsibility shows why she will never hold a major National political office, because her disconnect with common sense, morality, and humbleness, and human decency just don't exist.
If someone were to use the same rhetoric against her, she would tell them that they are despicable for putting her life in danger. But since she did it, it is ok.
As a politician she should realize just how wrong it is to invoke any imagery, no matter how unintended or innocent that could potentially deal with assassination.
And if she didn't feel she was wrong. Why was the map, and the tweet deleted shortly after the Massacre?
No one is saying she is 100% the blame. No one is saying she is 1% to blame. But owning up to your misjudgment even if the consequences are yours to bear or not is the human thing to do. All it takes like many have in the past few day is a simple "I am so sorry, I used ridiculously poor judgment in my choice of words in the past. I realize how idiotic it was of me to even allude to violence against a politician. I apologize to every family who lost a loved one, I apologize to those who had to see this horrific event first hand. And I apologize to the American people. While I never meant for someone to commit an act of violence against a politician, some have mistaken those words as that. I again will say that I made a bad judgment, and in the future I will be very careful of the words I choose, in order to have a civilized discourse, and functioning Democratic Debate.
But she won't. She is missing that realization that the world being a bigger place than just yourself.
She just doesn't get why she is wrong, and that terrible judgment is exactly why she has a ridiculous unfavorable rating.
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