Palin’s “Reload” Hits “Target”: Updated
Sarah Palin’s call to arms, “Don’t Retreat, Reload” finally results in a tragic shooting of an Arizona Congresswoman. Three term Representative Gabrielle Giffords, representing Arizona’s 8th district and caught in Palin’s cross-hairs, was gunned down today and shot in the head. One of her aides was killed and at least 12 others injured.
In March, Sarah Palin posted this ad on her facebook page and tweeted, “Commonsense Conservatives & lovers of America: “Don’t Retreat, Instead – RELOAD!” Pls see my Facebook page.”
Arizona Senator John McCain defended Sarah Palin on NBC’s Today Show last March:
McCain was asked about what host Ann Curry described as Palin’s “incendiary language.”
“Ann, I have seen the rhetoric of targeted districts as long as I’ve been in politics,” he replied. “Please. This is — any threat of violence is terrible, but to say that there is a targeted district or that we ‘reload’ or go back in to the fight again, please…Those are fine. They’re used all the time.”
“Those words have been used throughout of my political career,” McCain added. “There are targeted districts, and there are areas that we call battleground states, and so please, that rhetoric and kind of language is just part of the political lexicon. There is no place for threats of violence or anything else, but to say that someone is in a battleground state is not originated today.”
After a testy back-and-forth, Curry said, “I think it is the ‘reload’ and ‘crosshairs’ that’s caused a lot of people to be concerned, senator.”
SarahPAC took the cross-hairs list down today. The mid-terms were over on November 2. Why would the Palin camp remove this ugly fund-raising ad from their website TODAY? Is this a tacit admission of her culpability in the violence she has been advocating since coming into the national spotlight on August 29, 2008?
UPDATE: Congresswoman Gifford in her own words about Sarah Palin’s crosshairs map.
little Miss Death Panels
sat in her red flannels
targeting statesmen all day
shots came from a man
a really big fan
but still she would not go away
Sarah Palin finally got her wish. When she spoke, hoping to inspire the twisted, demented , and mentally ill, she got through. White trash, inbred, hillbillies are drawn to her. They can relate to her and that’s no surprise since she is exactly the same. Bow to your hillbilly queen. Bask in the glory of her ugly, hateful ignorance. She has made her mark. Let’s never forget.
I personally,don’t want to see or hear people getting side tracked by assigning blame to individuals like palin & glenn beck or news organizations like Fox, or MSNBC (just examples).I want to hear a conversation by our elected officials about new gun control legislation.During the pres. campaign I felt sick to my stomach watching news footage of people carrying guns of every type at political rallys because,they stated, they felt “safer”,& it is their “constitutional right”.Some one shooting a gun didn’t save the life of the congresswoman,a very brave by stander (un-armed) & an aid with emergency medical care training did.Guns are not the answer to stopping gun violence.Do you know how many domestic violence related homocides occur every yr. with legally obtained guns? 10.6 alaskans are murdered every yr. by guns & most of these victims are women & children killed by some one they know.Guns do not keep people ‘safe’, or JFK;R.Reagan;Gerald Ford,FDR,& M.L.K. Jr. would not have been shot by assassins.All of these people were surrounded by bodyguards,secret service, etc who carried guns & many of these protectors were the best trained security available in the world.guns are not the answer.I’m not interested in holding any political party or news outlet responsible for what happened.We are all individually responsible for our own contribution to the acceptable levels of violence in our society & work towards & contributing to respectful,humanistic,approaches to solving our countries problems.palin is never going to allow herself to be held accountable for anything she has contributed to the nasty,intolerant,tone of our present political discourse in this country.she is an idiot, who at this moment is madly trying to figure out a way to spin this & get her poling numbers back up.
But they do deserve blame for trying to terrorize our legislators with violent pictures and statements. We have been trying to get the media to pay more attention to this for years now. Hopefully, they’ll finally have the sense to do so now. Which incidentally, could also lead to discussions about the right’s gun fetish, the main thing holding sensible legislation back in this country.
sarah woke up today and her first thought was ………………… I have to think very hard there has to be a way to make money from this .
Oh, she’ll make money with every interview she gives on Fox News about this. She’s on their payroll as a paid commentator, even though all she comments about is herself!
Hey, Sarah and your Pbots! Why did you remove the crosshairs from the website after the shooting? Are you feeling guilty? Sarah, you are the Forrestina Gump of the North. Do America a favor and stay in AK where it is dark at least six months out of the year.
This occurs on the anniversary of the NS ‘Freikorps’ politically murder here of Rosa Luxemborg and Karl Liebknecht here… just another day of ‘Lock and load’ and “Don’t Retreat, Reload”… and we all know where that lead in the following decade… Time to retire the Grissly Mama and here rhetoric intended to incite warped minds !
Herewith Keith Olberman’s reason plea for sanity:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40981503/ns/msnbc_tv-countdown_with_keith_olbermann/
… and the Wikipedia about the murdered politician Rosa Luxemburg. The ‘Freikorps’ were in frighteningly many ways similar to the ‘Militias’ in the US today…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Luxemburg
“Freedom only for the supporters of the government, only for the members of a party – however numerous they may be – is no freedom at all. Freedom is always the freedom of the dissenter. Not because of the fanaticism of “justice”, but rather because all that is instructive, wholesome, and purifying in political freedom depends on this essential characteristic, and its effects cease to work when “freedom” becomes a privilege.
“Without general elections, without unrestricted freedom of press and assembly, without a free struggle of opinion, life dies out in every public institution, becomes a mere semblance of life…”
… and summaries [in English] as how it is viewed from here [Germany].
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,738676,00.html
gute Nacht!
Correction: Representative Gabrielle Giffords
I am still in shock over the tragic event.
Why did the Palin family purchase a home in Arizona?
As recent as November, 2010, Sarah mentioned in a speech “crosshairs” –
and the election of Senator Gabrielle Giffords…………….
Was this tragic event in Tucson, Arizona planned by SARAHPAC?
I don’t think Sarah is finished!! She feels no remorse.
Paylin’s spawn has come full circle.
It wasn’t until Sarah Palin arrived on the national scene that the violent rhetoric really took hold in political and media
discourse.
Pre-Palin, you would be hard pressed to find politicians and/or campaigns that used violent images and slogans to appeal to voters. But then came gun slingin’ tough talkin’ Sarah fondling guns in photo opps … at parades with her fans flaunting semi-automatic weapons … always talkin’ about bulls-eyes and crosshairs and reloadin’. When others saw how Palin’s ‘base’ ate it up, the gun meme became vogue. Violence became trivialized (Palin-ized?) in cutesy sound bites and slogans.
Now Sarah Palin is the target. She is the poster child for inciting hatred and violence in our country. Her career is over, and it is of her own doing. Even her old witch doctor, Rev. Murtha, can’t quell this witch hunt.
“(S)he that winketh the eye causes trouble; And a prating fool shall fall.” Proverbs 10:10
I think Sarah Palin is a hopeless case who will never understand that the majority of people can’t stand her. However, I think the majority of Republicans and Independents are really beginning to see she’s unelectable.
A poster on another blog said if elected, Sarah would use the launch codes like a Twitter Account – Just texting another message, because I can see Roosha from my front porch, ya know, and how’s that mushroom cloud thingy workin’ out for ya there…..
How I wish that we had listened to all of you. You knew her, her ways and her temperament. We spent 2 years laughing at her and thinking only about her stupidity. I guess no one knew just how dangerous an individual she could be. We figured she could lead the loonies and never realized that the mentally inbalanced were also looking for a leader. Will she ever get it? Is there anyone who can tell her what an unbalanced, dangerous person she is? Is there anyway to stop her childish ways before more damage happens? She is a one woman wrecking crew damaging the political scene.
You know when something bad happens and maybe you think to yourself did I do something or could I have done something to caused this event or could I have done something to prevent this and then someone will say no it wasn’t you it was….you feel this way because you have compassion..but to have someone like sp find no culpability to say to everyone, because she has put herself as a national figure, what the rest of us know is fact that hate filled words and snarky mean statements have consequences just really shows what an evil person she really really is
she didnt pull the trigger and evil depraved person did that but her words and words of all the other hate mongers gave this crazy person what he thought in his crazy world view what he needed to push him
Prior to the first shot fired on Fort Sumter by the new Confederacy, the Congress of the US was embroiled in a race to find a peaceable solution to the conflict between the north and the south. The issues were complex involving slavery, states rights, a very dynamic and fast evolving economy in the north and the slower, but thriving, internationally interwoven agrarian economy of the south. Many feasible solutions were presented, and subsequently rejected by a small but stubbornly entrenched body of Congressman who seemed intent on driving the country to secession and war. Violence erupted repeatedly on the floor of the both the House and the Senate, the most famous incident being the viscous caning of Massachusetts Senator Sumner by South Carolina House of Representative Preston Brooks.
The first amendment was then, as it is today, a hot bed issue. Small town reporters in the western states battled daily to have their voices and opinions heard, and many of them paid a heavy price for their efforts. In one instance, a Kansas publisher had his type set machine thrown into a nearby river more than once. Rhetoric encouraging violent solutions to national problems was the language of politics in that era.
The political climate today has manifested itself a similar cauldron of antipathy and obstinate adherence to a plan of action by a few in Congress who see themselves as the liberators of America, or at the very least, a targeted group of Americans. However, within the chambers of House and Senate, the dialogue bears little resemblance to what existed in 1861, instead, the dialogue has moved outside the chambers.
All forms of media have scrambled to make good on the opportunity to garner the attention of an audience motivated by concern for country. Certain Congressmen and women have utilized the venue of media to do outside the halls of Congress what they dare not do in the more civilized political climate of modern times. Make no mistake however, the vitriol and outright appeal to the worst in human nature has been at play in radio and broadcast booths around the nation.
Can a correlation be made between the anger that drove Representative Brooks to beat Senator Sumner unconscious, and the anger redirected from a politically incensed Congressperson or other political activist to an albeit disturbed yet equally incensed young man?
The Congress of the United States must find ways to peaceably resolve issue between states, issues of economy, human rights and an enormous litany of other issues. A peaceful resolution will involve give and take on both sides. But what body could come to a peaceful resolution when an entity within that body makes a statement on the floor of Congress avowing compromise, then steps outside that body to stand in front of a mike and tell the public that no compromise can be made?
Rhetoric inspiring ill will and violence is in itself a practice that no public servant should engage in be it directly or indirectly through third parties acting on their behalf. But worse than such rhetoric is the practice of inspiring Americans to be divided amongst themselves that the unity of the nation is in jeopardy, and that I fear has begun to happen.
What can we do to curtail this behavior in our public servants and those who help them rise to power? We can do what citizens of the world have always done, we can gently but pointedly reject such attitudes. We continue to push for peaceful resolutions in the face of antagonism, bullying, and sometimes outright violence without ourselves stooping to such tactics. We do our business, and stand up for our rights without flinching, and if one of us falls, we honor that person, and another takes their place and refuses to give in to tyranny and ignorance. We never let them stand aloneWhen a decent person is publicly assaulted, we denounce the actions of the aggressor and anyone who encouraged their actions. We take comfort that people with calmer heads will take notice. This is how lasting change occurs.
Let not this outcome be our outcome today…
“…Moving quickly, Brooks slammed his metal-topped cane onto the unsuspecting Sumner’s head. As Brooks struck again and again, Sumner rose and lurched blindly about the chamber, futilely attempting to protect himself. After a very long minute, it ended.
Bleeding profusely, Sumner was carried away. Brooks walked calmly out of the chamber without being detained by the stunned onlookers. Overnight, both men became heroes in their respective regions.
Surviving a House censure resolution, Brooks resigned, was immediately reelected, and soon thereafter died at age 37. Sumner recovered slowly and returned to the Senate, where he remained for another 18 years. The nation, suffering from the breakdown of reasoned discourse that this event symbolized, tumbled onward toward the catastrophe of civil war (Donald David; Charles Sumner and the Rights of Man. New York, Knopf, 1970.).”
My condolences go out to all the victims. In their honor, I resolve to stand up to agitators with reason, justice, grace and mercy wherever and whenever possible, and to support others who do likewise.
Sarah Palin should apologize for the cross-hairs target she posted on her web-site. The least she should say it was irresponsible because unhinged mentally ill people could revert to violence – as one has.
Agreed. I think it highly unlikely to happen, though.
SarahPAC staffer Rebecca Mansour, who has been tweeting in defense of her boss since the tragedy took place, is stating that the crosshairs were never intended to be gun sights.
“We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights,” she said in an interview with talk radio host Tammy Bruce Saturday.
“It was simply crosshairs like you’d see on maps.”
Bruce suggested that they could, in fact, be seen as “surveyor’s symbols.”
Mansour added that “it never occurred to us that anybody would consider it violent” and called any attempts to politicize the Arizona tragedy “repulsive.”
“We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights,” she said in an interview with talk radio host Tammy Bruce Saturday. “It was simply crosshairs like you’d see on maps.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah Palin BRAGGED about her “bullseye tweet”, and what map on earth has “bullseye targets” or “crosshairs”?:
@SarahPalinUSA
Sarah Palin
Remember months ago “bullseye” icon used 2 target the 20 Obamacare-lovin’ incumbent seats? We won 18 out of 20 (90% success rate;T’aint bad)
4 Nov via Twitter for BlackBerry® Favorite Retweet Reply
Retweeted by worsement and 100+ others
http://twitter.com/#!/SarahPalinUSA/status/29677744457
And what about the sitting family court judge in Alaska overseeing her daughter Bristol’s custody case?
Palin posted the judge’s name, work, and HOME addresses and phone numbers on her Facebook page with a list of grievances against the judge.
Consequently the judge had so many serious death threats that she was under guard 24/7, escorted to and from her home by Alaskan State Troopers, over a custody case !!
Sarah Palin is many things, but one thing she is NOT……. is innocent
Of course the Quitter doesn’t have the courage to come out from hiding behind Facebook and she let’s her mouthpiece Mansour take all the heat. And of course, she believes the public is stupid enough to buy her limp excuses. Mansour wouldn’t know a rifle or “surveyor ” cross hair’ if it bit her in the butt. Pretty soon she will be claiming crosshairs are a symbol of the Christian cross!
“(S)he that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.” Proverbs 10:10
The cowardly Quitter’s career is over.
How sad… How would Americans ever consider Palin as a potential President of the US? On FOX News, they posted her comments yesterday without posting what the President had said. Have we all lost our minds? We don’t even respect the office of the President anymore… I do! My prayers are with all of the families that lost loved ones and those that are injured.
a couple of days ago,the RNC held a panel with all of the candidates for the chair.One of the questions was:do you own a gun? do you own a gun?…that is now part of the criteria for becoming an elected representative in our country.Tucker carlson, michael steele (who quoted charles dickens when referring to War & Peace) etc all answered “yes”.The sole woman candidate said she owned 15 guns including a glock. And we wonder why there is gun violence in this country.
Yes, I heard about M. Steele’s War and Peace quote “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. I blew Earl Grey out my nostrils. At least it was good timing (the quote, not the Earl Grey), as I needed a laugh during these sad times.
I mourn the loss of investigative journalism from the MSM. I believe it is a result of alchemy of concentrated ownership of media outlets and advertisers.
As for Alaskans vetting Palin, not ALL of us voted for the biggest fraud ever. As I have said over and over, take away Palin’s sex appeal, and you have NOTHING, as her sex appeal is the base for her base.
I just can’t stop ranting about this situation. lol. If Miley Cyrus and Michael Phelps get vilified for being such bad role models just for taking a hit off a bong, with their position in society….well Sarah MUST be held accountable for her violent rhetoric and hit map.
There is no way for her to repair her image after this. Thank God! Her first public appearance after this will be amazing. Nothing is left for Sarah. She can’t go home because Alaska hates her. She needs to leave the country now. Guantanamo perhaps. lol.
She has a place to sleep in Arizona with Bristol.
What makes you think that Arizona wants either on them !
Ya but than she has to be afraid very afraid of the illegals and drug smugglers.
Looking at that map, Sarah was heavy on taking over AZ. There were three people she had in her crosshairs. The only one left is shot in the head yesterday. Is it any wonder that her teenage daughter bought a giant home there last week and half of her political action committee moved there last week? She wanted Gabrielle Gifford’s seat. She thought Arizonans were ready for her brand of crazy. Too bad, so sad, Sarah. It isn’t going to happen now. Maybe Bristol really CAN go to college there now. God knows the girl needs a job.
Jeanne Dixon, Shannon Moore, Linda Biegal and Gryphen – all of you deserve a special thanks for your tenacity and willingness to keep highlighting Sarah Palin and her antics through your blogs. I have read various articles that reference one or more of your blogs for further reading on Palin. I’m hoping your message, cautioning America about the danger of Sarah’s vitriol, will gain more credibility.
I am sadden by yesterday’s shooting incident; however, because I’m an avid follower of all of you, I’m not surprised that this happened.
For the persons and their families impacted by yesterday’s tragic shooting, please accept my heartfelt condolences.
Thank you so much for the sentiments! We truly appreciate your support!
BTW, *giggle* Jeanne’s name is Devon, though her insight is so uncanny I also confuse her with astrologer Jeanne Dixon.
Is Jeanne Dixon really still alive?
I actually went out of my way to make sure I spelled your name and Gryphen’s name correctly. This is funny. Please forgive me Jeanne Devon. Well, I’m not use to spelling Jeanne’s name…
Ooops! LOL! Well, I am not use to Jeanne’s real name! I checked yours and Gryphen’s. Didn’t think to check Jeanne’s. This is funny!
I agree with your sediment especially in a state with such a small population where palin and her minions can find any of them like they did Gryphen and try to wreck havoc.
Sarah still has not taken down her gun sights graphic off her FaceBook page. Please join in the efforts to put ‘a silencer’ on this dangerous woman by reporting her page to FaceBook. Report button is on the bottom left column.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/note.php?note_id=373854973434&id=24718773587
Already did that quite some time ago and heard nothing back.
It is not just violence. Sarah is a media object packaged in religion, sex, violence, and as the disaffected female victim. It is the whole combination which is dangerous. Fox sells it as the new normal – sexual object, violent language, racial fear, religious symbols, pack heat, and hang with your tribe. How many times have we all seen this exact combination in tattoos and behavior around Anchorage? Every day. Palin trolls with this bait around the fringes of our communities. Take a nibble or swallow it whole… Palin sells to the worst undercurrent in our society.
Polarbear, your paragraph deserves to be wideldy quoted – concise, exact, truth.
I didn’t know that Prevo’s congregation was heavily tattooed, tho.
Naw, the older set (at least the women) are addicted to Aqua Net instead.
You remain a refuge in a troubled world, friend. Nasty times.
🙂
Will the Palins move to Arizona? If they do, they will need to build a tall, strong fence around their compound. McCain you should be ashamed of what you unleashed on our country. Sarah, it is time for you to put down your weapon. Put down your blackberry, sit down and shut up .
I have no respect for McCain, but I dislike unfairness more.
$arah, and only $arah, is responsible for her sins.
After all, McCain wouldn’t know $P from a rock if Alaskans hadn’t elected her governor. How good are YOUR vetting skills???
As one of the 52% of Alaskans who voted for someone else than whatzername my vetting skills are fine, thank you.
Her behavior, the first year and a half , wasn’t too bad but was beginning to unravel about the time Mr McCain tapped her for the VP.
Without the distraction AND usurpation of process in the Legislative Judicial investigation by the McCain campaign and Focus on the Family folks into what became called Troopergate , we may well have gotten rid of her all by ourselves by now. That fresh face was beginning to smell a lot like it was well past it’s sell-by date…
Right on, I am tired of being blamed for her as I never voted for her for any office. Since I have lived in Wasilla for 15 years, I had lots of opportunities to vote for someone other than her going back to Mayor John Stein running against her. It was an ugly little local election and she beat him. The rest is history.
My vetting skills are just fine. It only took one speech, the one where McCain introduced her to the convention and the nation, to realize that something wasn’t quite right with Sarah and what she was delivering. He wanted someone that could throw raw meat and rile up the crowds and that she was female protected her from taking “the figurative shots” that a male would have been “field dressed” for doing the same thing. I have no way of knowing what Alaskans wanted when they elected her except that they didn’t want to re-elect Frank, wasn’t it. Anyone but Frank…..and perhaps that was all to took to elect her Govenor.
What you saw was what we heard in “whispers from Wasilla”..
It was noticeably absent in her public presentation of herself until her second year…
And yes, she got a lot of votes from “any Republican except Frank” folks and plenty from folks who bought her clean-up-corruption crap as we winced and worried our way through the trials of the corrupt-bastards-club.
The point I was trying (and apparently failed) to make was that McCain is a very minor player in all this. I think wasting time blaming him and not $arah is a distraction and serves no purpose.
I mean, I doubt very much you all were big McCain supporters before he picked $arah.
I understand, I think, your frustration. I didn’t EVER vote for GWB, and yet he was president of my country for eight excruciatingly long and painful years.
Exactly. I have been involved with politics my whole life. Kentucky politics, yet. I remember sitting at my paternal grandfather’s dining table and being very nice and listening to wonderful men and women during the 1950’s. I was brought up to recognize danger.
The first time Mrs. Palin spoke, I saw danger. The hair, the stance, the clothing, the shoes. Nothing was telling me that she was a serious student, ready to govern this country. What I saw was somebody dressed up in their mother’s clothes, faking her way through some speech tournament. As time went on, her ignorance of national and world affairs became apparent. I call bull on the statements of her handlers that they couldn’t control her. Please. Do not tell me that. They could have shuffled her off into the sunset with some excuse, and gotten another candidate, except they were courting the evangelicals and the looney left-overs.
I call foul.
I saw it from the get-go, as did so many others. The GOP is just as responsible for her as they are for Rush, Glen, and the others. They blew it. They lost control. They chose to cater, and didn’t have the back-up.
There was no vetting of palin.They didn’t even know she had an unmarried, pregnant,teen age daughter.Even the Mccain team admits that they f***ed up the vetting process.As an Ak.from a small community,living down south during the campaign,I kept wondering why palin’s fantasy history & experience weren’t being exposed by the press.Why didn’t the press go to Ak.,sit in the local coffee shops of juneau & wasilla & vet her Ak.style.Not to mention there is plenty of documentation on remarks that she made to refute the lies she was using as her bonofides regarding the bridge to nowhere, charging the state illegally for per diems,violation of confidentiality by letting her husband investigate Troopergate.Let alone her outright lies about starting production on the gas pipeline.These were easy things to check. It was the chanting of “drill baby drill” that made me want to crawl under my chair & stay there.I felt so humiliated at the way palin was representing Alaskans. Elizabeth hasselback,on The View,actually said palin’s experience as mayor of Wasilla & hald Gov. of Ak. actually made her qualified to be Commandeer & Chief of the American Military.Elizabeth should be forced to live in Wasilla for a yr.Investigative journalism is quickly becoming a thing of the past in America.Rolling Stone just did a great piece on Boehner,but this kind of journalism is disappearing.MSNBC turns me off.It isn’t jornalism,it really isn’t that much different than Fox news.politicians hide behind twitter,facebook,& interviews that are guaranteed to show them in a positive light.Thank god for stewart, colbert,bill maher(hit & miss) & NPR.palin won’t let this latest massacre stick to her for very long.her machine & followers is too well funded by people who think we need more people like palin not less.more than ever we need a grass rots movement,as the Tea Party has demonstrated,to show that we are really serious about fighting back against the palins,becks,bachmanns,& cantors & get Obamma re-elected.
kiksadi50,
Thank you. I agree with the sentiments you expressed.
I think Elizabeth H has in some cases seen the light.She is still a conservative but she does disagree with palin and I believe the gun sights were one of the big ones
Just my observation,the most neglected and dysfunctional nation on Earth appears to be -US. We shove our noses under every other nation’s tents and let the good,old US fester and boil and nothing meaningful gets done because WE don’t want it done enough to “do it”. We attempt half-hearted town hall meetings and we feel good about ourselves and we make a start and promise to be better and then some of us remind the multitudes why we are so like a third world country. This tragedy could have been far worse,in my opinion, if citizens were allowed to carry firearms in public. There might have been scores more killed and wounded. Not having weapons probably isn’t the answer,either. I do think that until we “all” learn top respect and love each other,these obscenities will continue to happen. My deepest sympathies go out to all the victims and their families.
Good post, Mike. Just one comment. It is amazing how much of the dysfunction around us is pushed into our surroundings by media. And here we are on Mudflats, one of the few refuges of civility and respect and relative calm. There is a good heart in our way of life. There is a community of people here trying to bring the best in us to the forefront.
Sarah Palin became a ring leader for an industry of hate. Together they ratched up the hate and violent rhetoric so that it became acceptable and bigger to a large part of society. The hateful Ann Coulter wrote years ago that the only way to speak to a liberal is with a baseball bat. Palin is ginning up reloading and targeting and showing herself on TV again and again in firing ranges, hunting etc. Nothing wrong with that but now you have chip on the shoulder violent rhetoric coupled with shoot em up imagery and basically modeling. She’s been a great boon to the righteous right like limbaugh and the rest….so they encouraged, added to the mess and defended. If they are not rethinking their approach today/…..there is no hope for their selfish souless humanity.
Yes, the whole “gun” thing is one issue that does not get discussed much. There are many who really believe that Obama is going to take their guns and ammo away.
I have a friend who husband is a peace officer and although he understands all the social issues won’t vote Dem because he is convinced that Dem’s will take his guns away. Were is this nonsense coming from? I truly do not understand? What has an otherwise rational person believing that Obama is going to take his guns away?
“What has an otherwise rational person believing that Obama is going to take his guns away?”
Non-stop rightwing propaganda via Rush et al.
I hate to be such a cynic but does anyone want to take any bets on how much longer we have before Fox starts spinning this as an attack on Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, freedom, etc? Somehow, I canʻt believe that SP can allow for anyone else being the victim & center of attention for much longer.
My prayers and best wishes to all the shooting victims and their families, and to AKM on the loss of her mother. God bless you all
Whether or not this young man had ever heard of Sarah Palin’s “target practice” map, Congresswoman Giffords had and it caused her great consternation to be on it. The months leading up to her horrific injury yesterday were punctuated with vandalism to her office and death threats. I definitely hold Palin and her fellow rightwing flamethrowers responsible for invoking paranoia and fear of our Democratic legislators. And because they keep getting away with it, they are increasingly emboldened to say and do far worse.
I reposted the hit list photo on my Facebook page, with out permission. Local tough folks saying stupid things isn’t unique anywhere. Perhaps the people who are not scared of fair play will stop sitting on their hands and work a bit harder at educating the minority.
Last September ll, Alaskans rallied to denounce hate and fear projected by Palin, Glenn Beck and Joe Miller. This was in response to the Beck/Palin rally in Anchorage. We knew the dangers of hate and the harm it can cause.
Many Alaskans were there. A young couple comes to mind. They brought their baby with them. They set the tone for the hate and fear free life they wanted for their child. It was heart warming and encouraging.
Although we were minimized by talk radio and some Anchorage press, we held the rally anyway. It was important for Alaskans to tell the world that this was not the Alaska we know and love. We objected to hate and fear and the harm and damage it causes.
However, I am left wondering why Shannyn Moore is writing this article. She refused to attend the rally even though she was in town. Now she’s upset that hate and fear have come to fruition. Where was she when we needed her? Why didn’t she denouce hate then?
Really, Desa? Are you wondering? I announced your rally, gave you a platform to talk about it. I said if it was meaningful for you to go there that I supported you. You can STFU. I spent that evening with my mother as anyone listening to the radio that week knows. If you dare question my stance against Palin you can suck it…and find yourself lonely in doing so. Even Sarah knows enough to have targeted me before.
Glad to see your response, Shannyn. I think if there was more pushback even $arah would be more careful. (I may be wrong about that, though. I looked at $arah’s Facebook page, a truly horrifying experience.)
Keep up the good fight. I have a lot of respect for someone such you who pushes against the bloody red tide.
AKM, Linda, Gryphen and I know what it is to be one of her targets. It isn’t easy. We love our state and country and species, for that matter.
The crudeness of this reply ‘STFU’ is uncalled for, especially considering this thread being about the results of inappropriate speech! An apology is in order… in a sense to ALL of us here.
[Now go have another glass of wine… but preferably NOT before posting!]
Cheers.
Jeez, Desa, eat your young much?? I’m surprised you attack someone who fights harder for her beliefs than you ever will.
I suspect it’s not really the fact that Shannyn didn’t come to the rally, but that Shannyn didn’t come to YOUR rally.
Desa, if you really want to work for “peace and harmony” you may want to learn to check your ego at the door. Not attending your rally isn’t personal. Shannyn has attended and supported many rallies for many Progressive causes. She denounces hate every time she has a panel of Republicans and Democrats on Moore Up North who discuss issues with dignity and respect. Ask Republicans who are regularly on her show, like Bob Lynn and Cherisse Millet. In other words, she actually puts that “ideal” into practice.
I am constantly receiving requests and invitations and I appreciate them all. However, most of them I will not be able to fulfill…it’s not personal. All of us have lives and we must prioritize our families within them. I can’t imagine how many more requests Shannyn must receive and if you listen to Shannyn at all, you’ll know that right now Shannyn’s mom is a big priority.
Another piece of advice, Desa…don’t allow your unchecked ego to spit in the face of one of the folks in Alaska who could be your biggest help and best ally. That’s not very smart.
Way to gang up on one poster. I think being told to “STFU” was enough (nice language, especially in a thread about the violent rhetoric of the right)…did everyone else have to pile on? You all may be great Palin watchdogs, but you’re acting rather like Palinbots yourselves at the moment.
I agree. My reaction was a bit strong to a comment that made me very grumpy after a difficult weekend. I apologize. Next time I’ll sleep on it before I respond.
Cammie,
I’m really on the outside here, but from what I know of Shannyn and her views I found Desa’s comments really out of line. Not to sound like a 5 year old, but she started it. If, as Desa seems to say, she and Shannyn are sort of on the same side, Desa’s attack was totally without merit, and an overraction was appropriate, imo.
And I found your suggestion of bot-like behavior by me very offensive. However, if it’s the worst thing that happens to me this week I’ll be surprised and grateful.
sarafina, I still think the ensuing reaction was overkill, but i am sorry for the palin-bots suggestion. I guess my own first reaction was a little overboard. Peace (to all of you!)
Dessa, you don’t know much about Shannyn, but we are all here to learn and share.
I think we all have had a few bad days and are tired.
i appreciate all these thoughtful comments. they deserve to be read and considered. i’m sending them on, to honor the minds, hearts, and ideas that these words express. would that they help prevent more violence, and promote more intelligent civility.
bless us all indeed.
My heart broke this morning. It shattered a few minutes ago when I read this:
“Christina Taylor Green, nine-year-old victim in today’s Tucson shootings, once was an infant designated to be a “Face of Hope” by virtue of her birth on September 11, 2001. She was one of the children born on 9/11, reports Tucson blogger David Abie Morales. And she is thereby featured in the book by Christine Pisera Naman, entitled Faces of Hope, Babies Born on 9/11, dedicated to all the mothers who gave birth and to their babies born on the day the World Trade Towers in New York City were taken down by an act of terrorism.”
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7832686-rip-christina-taylor-green-born-on-911-died-today-by-a-gunmans-hand
– – – – – – – –
And as if the events of the day were not horrific enough, Fred Phelps has posted a video praising the shooter and announcing that Westboro will picket the funerals of the victims. He said that “Westboro Baptist Church prays for more shooters, more violent veterans and more dead”. What kind of animal rejoices in the cold-blooded murder of a nine-year-old girl? I doubt that even hell will be willing to open its gates to this sorry excuse for a human being.
http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-7832686/aHR0cDovL3R1Y3NvbmNpdGl6ZW4uY29tL3RocmVlLXNvbm9yYW5zL2F1dGhvci90aHJlZS1zb25vcmFucy8=
Awww. And she was elected to her student council in elementary school and was the only girl on her Little League team. She played second base. She was excited to meet Gabby.
I’m with you Miss Deemeanor, what kinds of constructive actions can we take that will be effective enough to make sure this kind of horror never ever takes place again? This is so horrible and frustrating. I just know $P and her ilk will find a way to wriggle out of this one, bloody hands and all!!!
When are we, the sane citizens of this country, going to stop downplaying and euphemizing these outrageous and blatant pleas for violence from the right? How many people need to die before we start holding these people responsible for the hate they spew and the damage they willingly and knowingly spawn? Free speech is an intrinsic right, but our forefathers did not intend for this kind of abuse of that right to go unpunished. And that is common sense, Sarah Palin.
When this tragedy happened I was with the Harris County Democratic Party in Houston, Texas planning for the new year. Congress woman Shelia Jackson Lee, State Congressman Rodney Ellis and several judges, attorneys, precinct chairs, and party chairs were present. I was shocked, saddened and angry all at the same time. Hate is a hurtful thing. Sarah with her crosshairs targeting candidates of democratic party and others inciting hate all over america.
Sarah Palin IS responsible for the fear and hatred she so righteously whips up among those who seem to be incapable of critical thought.
Given the fact she has been seen over and over with firearms, what does McCain THINK people would interpret “reload” and “crosshairs” as, a tiddlywinks set?
I agree with an earlier commenter who said we hold Bin Laden responsible for 9-11, even though he did not fly the plane.
Palin’s words are irresponsible and dangerous and she has NO RIGHT TO TALK THIS WAY.
As many know, you cannot scream “Fire” in a crowded theater.
Another point I need to make: When Bush was elected, even though I abhorred the man, I was grateful for the fact that we (used to) live in a country where the transition of power was a smooth one – no violence, no vigilantism, no coups or military takeovers. I hope today’s incident is never repeated.
However, I am old enough to remember back to John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bobby Kennedy, and George Wallace. It seems that once it gets started, the beast is unleased.
I blame Palin’s ignorance in failing to realize the embers of hatred and racism she fanned during the election.
My God, there are people alive today who can tell you about SEEING family members being lynched – strung up and MURDERED – because they were black and were “uppity”.
I have had it with Sarah Palin.
What constructive action can I take, besides writing and calling TLC?
I already boycott the sponsors of her show.
Boycott all the enablers of Scarah and the rest. It’s more than just Beck and Rush but also every thing that Murdoch controls. News Corp owns 20th Century Fox Entertainment, Wall Street Journal, NY Post, National Geographic cable channel. We must also starve Koch Industries.
I’m so glad that the Sheriff is on the case. He will let us know what this guy was looking at on his computer, what radio station were on the buttons of his car, etc. He clearly understands how the Republican party has been hijacked by some very evil people.
I’ve been watching some Faux tonight and they are trying to spin that the guy is “crazy”. So he can’t be held responsible and neither can they or Scarah for the filth they spew 24/7.
Don’t forget Direct T.V.
Sarah Palin is a spokesman for a terrorist organization which targets and kills US officials, and kills ordinary citizens who happen to be nearby. Simple as that.
And here’s the Great Orange Satan (Boehner):
“An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve. Acts and threats of violence against public officials have no place in our society. Our prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her staff, all who were injured, and their families. This is a sad day for our country,” Boehner said
Actually, John, it is NOT an attack on “all who serve.” It is an attack on Democrats/Liberals/Progressives and others who don’t buy into the foxapalooza b.s., and it is your fault, as much as SP, as much as Beck, as much as Limbaugh, and Murdoch, and everyone else who stands idly by as the GOP whips up hatred and violence. So eff off.
Here here!
Yeah, TXSMR….where was Boehner (besides standing around golfing and crying) when members of congress were spat upon and called names? He never said a thing against them. Now he’s shocked, shocked that someone has resorted to violence.
Bravo!
I’m making a list. Please add what you remember
Progressives/leftists assassinated or had attempts made on their lives:
Lincoln
Seward
Garfield
T. Roosevelt
F. Roosevelt
J. Kennedy
R. Kennedy
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Malcolm X
V. Jordan
H. Long
Truman
J. Lennon
Gl Tiller
Right wing/conservatives:
Reagan
G. Wallace
urm, there must be more
But it seems to me that being progressive–irregardless of what your political party’s name was or is–is more dangerous than being conservative/right wing
What makes progressives so scary and conservatives so very fearful? Is being right wing synonymous in this country with being a coward? I don’t know. That’s a real question, but I’m not sure I’ll get a real answer.
Don’t forget the college students at Kent State, murdered by the Ohio National Guard. The victims were not even protestors, just happened to be near the protest.
Ah, yes.
Is being right wing synonymous in this country with being a coward? I don’t know. That’s a real question, but I’m not sure I’ll get a real answer.
***********************************************************************
I would love to know the answer as well. i think this question is the foundation question of mankind: do we remain the same? always static? without knowledge,curiosity or thought?….. do we move forward as thinking, creative mammals on the way to defining what it is to be fully human? this is the question i think that has always been.
Lincoln was not a progressive/liberal as we define them , nor was Malcolm X.
Leon Czolgosz, likely deranged. who killed President McKinley, was a self defined anarchist though apparently not trusted within parts of that movement… that movement was a large part of the underpinnings of what we came to call the labor movement…
It may be that a careful look at violence would find that it is more often directed at what we call liberal/progressives . I don’t know.
What I do know is that human beings who feel threatened either by the loss of the status quo or alienated from their society- distinctly different in many ways but overlapping at this time in our country-are easy prey for the likes of fruitloops like our current crop of right wing big mouths.
Congresswoman Giffords is a blue dog Democrat- hardly a progressive. It is perhaps the most damning aspect of whatzername’s game… to go after moderate, centrist, or blue dog Democrats.
If allowed to continue to define moderates as the extreme left, as she does with this almost too-centrist administration, public dialogue will not take place where we live… it will stay mired in the ditch .
One for the other side, Russell Weston (later found to be unfit to stand trial, still institutionalized) shot & killed two police officers while hunting for members of Congress. He was caught in Tom DeLay’s office.
Fitting that this is what will take her down. And down she’ll go. The right really needs a scapegoat right now, and this way the Repubs can solve their tricky Sarah problem at the same time. Take out the trash, wipe their own bloody hands behind their back.
Such a sad day. I agree with all the comments posted and just feel so sad and disgusted at the same time. I hope this is finally the end of Sarah. In light of what happened today, TLC should simply cancel her silly show tomorrow night.
We moved back to the US from overseas shortly before SP was picked by McLameidiot. I went door to door for Obama (ask me how that went over in our reddest of the red area of AK!). Some nights I would cry myself to sleep. I could not believe how much the US had changed, how hateful the partisanship had become. The venom and hatefulness that I was subjected to as I went door to door (if anyone else did this you are aware that there was no salemanship involved, it began with “will you vote” then “do you know who you are voting for?” and if they said no, one asked “well, would you like to know more about Obama’s position on xyz issues…?”). My country had changed profoundly, and not in a good way.
Of course this shooter has mental issues!!!!!!!!!! The “sane” SP/Fox listeners/supporters direct their anger and hatred in less tangibly destructive ways — they become more firmly entrenched bigots and racists, they donate money to loonies like SP/Bachmann/et al, they attend crappy rallies and carry around hateful signs, whine about being persecuted by “liberals,” basically they find a million ways to undermine our democracy based on their misguided and ill-informed partisan beliefs. The mentally unstable ones whip out their guns and start shooting. Is one less destructive than the other? Not necessarily, just different outcomes. Does the fact that this shooter is mentally ill relieve SP et al of their guilt? Not one single bit.
Words matter. Actions matter. They matter in regard to our day to day interactions with loved ones and strangers, and they matter when one has the means to reach millions of strangers. If you say horrible hateful things, incite violence, bigotry & hate, it doesn’t matter that 99% of the people who hear or listen are “sane” and can be relied upon to refrain from shooting someone or blowing them up or resorting to any other form of violence — you ARE responsible for that 1% that hears and resorts to violence based, even if just in part, on what you have said or done – or both.
Perhaps there is little that will comfort the families who have been touched by this tragedy, by the wounding or death or a loved one, but maybe, just maybe, they will become martyrs, and we will see a renewal and rebirth in the US of tolerance & peace.
Yes. I’ve visited the right-wing websites. I remember back when William Buckley’s magazine was where I’d go to see what the right was thinking. I disagreed with them, sometimes intensely, but they were rational, sane, and had put thought into their positions. NO MORE. Now, they just parrot crazy talk, call our President “obummer” at best, and I can’t even bring myself to utter what they say at worst, and they’re so far off the deep end that I don’t believe they’re ever coming back. Of course, their little hero is $P, their own personal Queen Esther. I wonder whether that will continue in light of today’s events.
Spooky crystal ball (April) article and excellent quotes from Bill Clinton and Limbaugh
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-ostroy/dangerous-right-wing-rhet_b_544029.html
Thanks. I wish I could have written so eloquently and succinctly. Paragraphs 2 and 3 deserve to be quoted and re-quoted.
TX SMR that was well said! WOW!!!
Someone said it nicely that while Bin La din(sp) may not have flew the planes we all still blame him and palin Beck Rush L Bill O Hanity and others bare the same responsibility as Bi La Din did.
Does any one remember an op-ed in HuffPo written by a Palin supporter, a mom and author who pleaded with $P to stop using gun totten/violence leaning analogies in her rhetoric? It was just after her first book was published if I recall. Tried to find in HuffPo archives but couldn’t find it. Anyone else remember that article or how to find it?
This is what Rep. Giffords had to say about the rhetoric used by Pailin and her ilk: “Sarah Palin has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district and when people do that, they’ve gotta realize there are consequences to that action.” http://kateoplis.tumblr.com/post/2655554409/msnbc-talks-to-rep-gabrielle-gifford-about-the
My Prayers are with ALL….
My Prayers are with My Country
stop the fear…stop the hate…
those that promote fear and hate must be stopped…not by laws but rather by the judgment of we the people… we will no longer tolerate the division and fear and hate they all generate
I am still in shock that this happened. Words have consequences. If Sarah Palin had any shame, any sense of decency, she would publicly apologise for the irresponsible words she has spewed every since she stepped on the stage at the RNC Convention. She is not directly responsible, she didn’t pull the trigger – but she is a public figure who has a massive audience. You can not just say whatever you please, use whatever imagery or rhetoric you want, with no regard to the consequences. There are plenty of nut jobs everywhere who will gladly take her literally.
Sarah Palin: your political opponents are not the enemy. They should not be targeted or threatened. They are decent, patriotic Americans who just happen to disagree with you. Have the guts to LEARN something about policy and how to help this country then debate your opponent like a grown-up. In person. Not throwing bombs behind ghost writers on FB and Twitter.
Don’t call people names, don’t say they are sexual predators because they ask a question YOU don’t want to answer, don’t imply the President of the United States DULY ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE is a threat to America, wants to weaken America and imply he has terrorist ties. SHAME ON YOU. Shame on you for bringing a disgusting smear on the name of God – you make me sick to my stomach. If you had any common sense or common decency – stop your rampage right now. Just stop it.
Very well stated, thank you.
Aussiegal, you are wasting your time appealing to her. She is the scum of the earth.
Somehow, I don’t think she will be wandering around America or anywhere else for that matter, unescorted in the near future.
Tell the UK to brace themselves, babe, cuz the Cuda is coming to London for a photo op! She’ll draw out the crazies that’s for sure.
She will not be welcome on this side of the Atlantic….we also have much stricter laws about incitement to riot etc.
After today’s horror, no one will be willing to be seen with her!
Think about the supposed Palin move to AZ (Bristol just purchased a home). Somehow, I think they are not going to be welcomed!
They’re putting a 9 year-old in the ground this week because of Sarah Palin.
This little girl was born on 9/11, and featured in a book called “Children of Hope”. Maybe this little Angel, in death, will actually be the catalyst for a change in the way things are heading. We can only Hope.
This is such a sad day; I can’t seem to stop crying……for the victims, their loved ones, as well as for the fate of the country.
Today’s tragedy brings back to me the shock, horror, and grief I experienced during the Kennedy and King assassinations.
All I can do is pray….
God hears the prayers of the righteous – so let’s all keep praying.
From social critic Gregory McNamee in Tucson today:
“What is clear to me, at this chaotic moment, is that no one should be surprised by this turn of events. The bullets that were fired in Tucson this morning are the logical extension of every bit of partisan hatred that came spewing out during the last election, in which Gabrielle Giffords—a centrist, representing well and faithfully a centrist district—was vilified and demonized as a socialist, a communist, a fascist, a job-killer, a traitor, and more.
Anyone who uttered such words or paid for them to be uttered has his or her name etched on those bullets.
With what we have seen today, the rest of us must declare that we will tolerate no more lies, no more hatred, no more violence—and that never again will we spend a single dollar on the wares sold by those who perpetrate them.
If not now, when?”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-biggers/lock-and-load-and-lost-in_b_806267.html
On the one hand I’d like to see a list of judges who were being protected from loonies (such as Justice Roll, now, sadly, departed) encouraged to violence by SP and her ilk. On the other hand, I continue to worry about their safety. I do know, for certain, that a judge in AK was targeted by SP’s loonie followers, receiving death threats, and receiving protection, including escort to/from work. This judge’s mother and my mother are friends, so I know this as FACT.
Senator John McCain, are you satisfied? You unleashed on the American political
scene, Sarah Palin, when you selected her as your Vice President. Since that day,
this woman has done everything in her power to spread hate and evil, and undermine
the great accomplishments of President Obama.
Today, the great tragic event in Tucson, Arizona has left blood on the hands of
Senator John McCain and the hands of Sarah Palin. May God have mercy on
your souls.
My prayers are with the families who lost loved ones and are praying for the recovery
of family members. Evil struck today! Sarah Palin, do us all a favor. Go back to Alaska
and please, practice what the Bible teaches…LOVE!
Please – we don’t want her back in Alaska!
Happy now Sarah Palin? A decent public servant is fighting for her life, her family & friends devastated, lives shattered in the blink of an eye, a Federal Judge dead, an aide dead, several other innocent citizens dead or wounded. Happy now? How’s that violent rhetoric working out for ya? You have blood on your hands.
I can picture Palin saying “I didn’t do Anything! It’s all the media’s fault” .
Senator John McCain, are you satisfied? You unleashed on the American political
scene, Sarah Palin, when you selected her as your Vice President. Since that day,
this woman has done everything in her power to spread hate and evil, and undermine
the great accomplishments of President Obama.
Today, the great tragic event in Tucson, Arizona has left blood on the hands of
Senator, John McCain and the hands of Sarah Palin. May God have mercy on
your souls.
My prayers are with the families who lost loved ones and are praying for the recovery
of family members. Evil struck today! Sarah Palin, do us all a favor. Go back to Alaska
and please, practice what the Bible teaches…LOVE!
Oh please, John McCain is not that bright. If anything, I see it as the fault of the Alaskans who voted for her to be governor in the first place. McCain would never have know $arah from a halibut if Alaskans had not put her in office.
Some Alaskans put her in office, not all of us. I never voted for her for any office in this state.
I have a suggestion to the people in Wallisa. Do the american people a hugh favor. It seems allot of people in her town are scared to death of her. You all know she loves all the attention she can get. I suggest everyone give her and her family the silent treatment. Also give the silent treatment to her retarded pa and ma. You know she won’t be able to handle it. Go on do it.
Palin’s ignorant father is the one who coined the phrase: ” She’s not retreating, she’s reloading.” McQuittyPants even used that saying while she loaded a shell into the gun held by her ill-mannered kid, Willow. She thought it was cute….even funny. Does she think so now that three senior citizens and a child are also dead?
God forbid if any of those shooting victims need an organ transplant.
I’ve lived in Wasilla for 16 yrs and rarely see them. I work full time, help my son with school and his scout troop, do volunteer work in my community, things like that. She lives a couple of miles away and must keep very busy doing other things like her TV show and book tours. Frankly, lots of us prefer it this way. However, I have a suggestion for you, please do not use the word retard as it is disrespectful.
Sarah needs to be arrested for domestic terrorism. No ‘regular citizen’ would get away with putting out hits on Congress. Arrest Sarah NOW.
Say what you will, but in my opinion SP is responsible for this.
she certainly is and so are all her friends, family, supporters, enablers and ilk: Murdoch, O’Reilly, Buchanan, Hannity, Angle, Brewer, McConnell, Van Susterain, Van Flein and Levi.
miserable beings everyone.
Is she going to have crosshairs on herself…?????
Palin is finished. now we go after the rest of the scum lapping at the shores of our nation. turning the clear waters of national discourse into the putrid ramblings and rantings of the insane.
if your congresspersons or your senators are Teabaggers or some other kind of ignorant bigots, no problem; write to Congressional people in other states demanding action. let’s start by demanding the head of Murdoch and the rear-ends of the Koch brothers…..i got the torches. somebody bring the rope.
Your right. I think people need to start hold corporations who sponsor these hate talk radio personalities and Fox News. We all need to start boycotting them. You see its effecting Beck
What’s going on? and Save the Children from Brother Marvin Gaye
“only love can conquer hate…we’ve got to find a way…for the children…”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00Fm8KVoC7M&feature=related
Enough of my musical meandering now…I’m going to light some candles and call it a night.
L’Shalom,
thatcrowwoman
I’m getting bombarded by techies from MA to NY to PA telling me about the “scrubbing” going on at Palin sites. Wish I knew more about the process, but apparently Sarah’s minions will earn their pay this day.
That’s what caching is for, and I hope a lot of folks are capturing the cached pages.
I have a screenshot of the crosshairs….I’m sure many others have too.
I do too – there are many copies of things Palin has put up and then taken them down. She is such an idiot in thinking people will forget this stuff.
They can scrub all they want, but Sarah’s hand are still dirty, and so is her hate speach. It will be there forever. She can try to cover her backside, but she won’t be able to. She is just scared she will be sued.
I saw a clip today of Gabby Giffords talking about being in the cross hairs of Sarah’s chart. It gave me such a sad feeling. I have been speaking against Glenn Beck and the kind of language he uses. This sort of tragic happening is a natural progression–even though we have free speech, there must be some way to stop Sarah, Rush, Glenn and their ilk from contaminating our great country with their hate.
I heard beck talking on another channel….about the ‘vampires are going to suck the blood of our children’, and I . was. horrified…beyond disgusted…and I am not surprised. We should have shut this nonsense down this past summer….when they were talking about ‘watering the tree of liberty with the blood of tyrants’…puhleeze….I cannot stand ignorant white trash bullies…it hardens my heart to the bullies..! ……….It is time to parley.
$arah Palin’s hate spewed venom seems to be bearing the brunt of our anguish…..DESERVEDLY SO.
But hate radio, also, has a lot to be accountable for. And, all the faceless, electronic hyped up vitriol.
I’m thinking more than a few people are stunned into taking a hard look in the mirror.
(((((to everyone who is feeling the need of comforting arms)))))
hugs back Biglake. i certainly feel the need of comforting.
Come. Hold my hand. I need a friend now, too.
(((jimzmum))).
The awful thing about all of this, is that we knew sooner or later, innocent people would be killed.
Sad to say, Irishgirl, you’re right. It was only a question of time. {{{{{{{{{{ all my mudpuppies everywhere }}}}}}}}} I think we’re all in need of a hug. I’m playing my biosonic tuning forks for Rep. Giffords, and for all the others, living, dead, and left behind.
A comment just now from the Sheriff, discussing the ‘vitriol’ in current political discourse, near the conclusion of a live press conference on the Giffords tragedy…
and I quote:
“that may be free speech, but it’s not without consequences.”
This is because of HATESPEECH……not freespeech…!
OK – another. I really feel that one of the problems with the folks who think FOX is it, is because critical thinking is no longer taught in schools. Almost everything is taught for the “tests” which means there is not a thought process, but memorization of facts without the understanding of said facts. Right now I do not have a lot of hope for the education of our young ones.
OMG!!! Weaver57,
As a teacher, I am so in agreement of your assessment of education in the USA!! It is so frustrating to be a teacher and to KNOW what should be taught – and how – but to be shackled by the “pick the right answer out of 4, please don’t think outside the box, it doesn’t matter your circumstances it only matters that you get the right answer” mentality, which makes me fearful for the future. I do not want to be cared for in my old age by the kids that I am teaching…I try to go all mavericky and teach thinking skills, but it is difficult to justify this in the NCLB days. If people in our country REALLY knew what was going on in education …..but I’m afraid that John/Jane Q. Public could give a rat’s behind as long as they don’t have to pay…there will come a time when our country will be devoid of all of the arts, the social sciences, etc. because they are not on “the test,” and that is when we become a third world country.
Here’s one more teacher seconding your words. The dumbing down of American education is even more evident in places like Texas where right wingers have taken over the school boards and revised curriculums and textbooks to reflect an extraordinarily narrow point of view.
The goal in education today is, sadly, all too similar to that of politics…succeed at all costs and everything in your way is merely collateral damage.
This makes me I’ll. Mrs. Palin is indirectly responsible for this. There is so much I want to say, but it has been said by others who posted above. Bully talk will always find its mark. Stop washing your hands, Mrs. Palin. This blood will be there till the end of your days.
Ill, and I am posting from my phone.
from Psalm 133:
הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אָחִים גַּם יַחַד
In transliterated Hebrew:
Hine ma tov u’manayim
Shevet akh-im gam ya-khad
Translation: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yweBRovUL1w
praying and working for peace, love, and understanding…
Thanks for posting this. The temple where it was recorded is about 20 or 25 minutes’ walk from my home. Harvey & I went there for high holy day services a few years ago.
It is worth remembering that one short election cycle ago, DailyKos (a progressive blog) had this to say about Rep Giffords:
“Well, I’d agree that we need to narrow the target list… put a bullseye on their district…” Rep Giffords was bolded “for added emphasis” and a bullseye graphic was used.
http://hillbuzz.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/screen-shot-2011-01-08-at-3-05-33-pm.png?w=510&h=384
I’m sure that you all will all be equally outraged at the crazy extremist talk from the DailyKos that may have motivated the shooter — who apparently had some far left political views — on this tragic incident. Unless it is acceptable for progressives to “target” Blue Dog democrats, of course.
“far left political views” – are you kidding? Someone who’s on a crank about gold and silver currency? That has Paultard/Glenn Beck written all over it.
thank you. someone at DU posted that daily kos had identified the shooter as a “far leftist” and i went to look at his youtube page – made available by the local online paper. leftist, no. mentally ill, i think so. i’m trying hard to withhold judgment, but i’m with you. fox, palin, beck…all over it.
And how many Americans have been killed by “lefties”? Every homegrown terrorist that has murdered in this country were hardly left wing extremists. Dkos was referring to ELECTIONS, not Second Amendment solutions. The violent rhetoric and actions in this country comes from the right.
The longstanding rhetoric from the right that casts anyone on the left as an extremist has changed the way we see these things. We don’t have a clear sense of what “left ” really is anymore.
The threat always has and always will exist from the true extremes on either side. I well remember the Weatherunderground,the SLA.
I well remember, as well, that my father was hung in effigy at a school board meeting in 1968 by John Birchers…
This is entirely different from a mob mentality, something all groups of people must be wary of in themselves…
Some of the Tea party groups best be looking at their tendency to whup themselves up beyond all good sense and they would do well to ignore whatzername… she hasn’t got any solutions, just pigheaded nastiness…
I would never consider the weathermen or SLA as members of the left. I was an active member of the “left” in those days and we wanted nothing to do with those NJ’s.
They were the extreme left of our time…and yes, they were nutjobs. The thing about true extremes is that they are NOT part of the broader group.
ELF and ALF now often feel to me like they are on the precipice…
Earth First! changed dramatically after the car bombing of Bari and Cherney… and the death of David Chain… but the early days with tree spiking was more than monkey-wrenching…
The far left can lose it’s bearings too…
Seems to me that there is quite a bit of difference here. The use of the visual gun “sight” on Palin’s plea for contributions and her use of the word “reload” both suggest the use of a gun. The association of these terms with guns was exactly why Palin choose those words and symbols. I’m not aware of a common use of a gun sight that does not involved shooting a bullet. The Daily Ko’s example used the word “bulls eye”. This word does not suggest a gun. The words bulls eye means the center of a target.
Try again.
I would agree that both sides need to be careful of their rhetoric. However, as someone else has already pointed out, there is a big difference when you add “crosshairs” and “reload” to the mix, especially when you’ve spent a good deal of time trying to make people think you regularly go hunting. Her chart came out long before TLC proved conclusively that she has no business in the great outdoors hunting or doing anything else.
Chris (and others),
Sorry. I’m not an Alaska resident, but I’ve been following Mudflats every now and then, especially since the national tragedy that is SP. Regarding the “screen capture” and the target on the Kos website, if you look carefully, please note the picture of Ms. Giffords as well as the target clip art were added by someone else! They are not in the original posting. The words “bulls eye” are on the original posting, but the context even gives the phrase a different meaning. This is just another example of the lack of “critical thinking” people have when exposed to a shiny new object – “look, see…the LEFT is just as bad”. Willful ignorance will be our downfall, if not aggressively countered by TRUTH. Use your brains, please!!
Remember when $P called for Rahm Emanuel to be fired for using the ‘r’ word? Well I’m calling Fox and TLC to have $palin fired for promoting violence every time she opens her dumb hateful mouth.
Has anyone ever suggested that palin should have a target put on HERSELF????
FANNED.
Alan Grayson
U.S Congressman from Florida’s 8th District
Posted: January 8, 2011 06:27 PM
Gabby Giffords: A Few Words
A reporter called me a little while ago, and told me that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had been shot at a public event. She is in critical condition.
I’m going to let others comment on what this means for America. I just want to say what it means to me.
Gabrielle Giffords and I served together on the House Committee on Science and Technology. She was the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, and I was a member of that subcommittee. Her D.C. office was one floor above mine.
I saw Gabby dozens, if not hundreds of times, during our two years together. And nearly every time that I can remember, she was smiling.
Gabby is one of the most cheerful, charming and engaging people I have ever known. She’s always looking on the bright side. She has something good to say about pretty much everyone. Bad news never lays a glove on her. She loves life, and all the people in it.
No matter what is going on in your life, after fifteen minutes with Gabby, you’ll feel that you can touch the stars………….
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-alan-grayson/gabby-giffords-a-few-word_b_806271.html
the man is a class act. love him.
It wll be interesting to see if Sarah appears in Arizona for any up-coming events.
If she ever comes to Iowa again, I hope she receives a very COLD welcome!
Good it needs to be front and center.palin may have thought she could carpet bag herself in AZ because The Governor is a friend but This I hope puts and end to that.Remember how some think it is ok to kill in Gods name and collateral damage is ok.Think about that Just a thought.
I mentioned this in an earlier post – I doubt she will be welcomed in AZ – much as there no longer is a ‘welcome’ sign for her when she enters Alaska! We can’t get rid of her soon enough!
After hearing the initial reports earlier today, I made a placard asking people to join me in talking and praying about this, and went out and stood on Bisbee’s main street corder for over an hour in very cold temperatures. Most people walked right by without looking (funny how a placard can render one invisible), but there were some notable expcetions. Three lovely young ladies came up and asked if they could form a prayer circle with me. A Japanese tourist and his wife told me how sorry they were, after we exchanged several bows. And a fine member of our local constabulary muttered “thank you” to me as he walked by. All I want is for people to think about the words we use and their consequences. Today we lost a 9-year-old child, a Federal judge and four others, and Congresswoman Giffords is still not out of danger.
I am extremely angry that Palin kept her map up for almost 2 months after the election and did not have the decency to take it down until today. I hope she is capable of feeling shame, and I hope she indeed feels it.
Thank you very much to all my fellow Mudpups for their prayers, kind words, and hugs.
Blessings to you, mag, for walking the walk. Standing with you, my sister.
{{{{{mag}}}}}
wonderful Mag. you are very brave. thank you.
Thank you Crow and Bub. I was freezing my butt off out there, but a voice kept telling me “Five minutes more, stay five minutes more.” I think that had to be both of you talking to me. I love you both.
feeling is mutual Mag. i think Crow went to sleep. you know how busy crows are. they like to sleep at night.
Fighting hatred and violence with love and prayer…seems to me I remember that some guy in sandals and a beard suggested doing that a couple of thousand years ago.
Pretty impressive role model you’ve got there, Mag dear!
Thank you.
CBS News prominently featured the SP map, with Gaby herself saying she was concerned about being “targeted”. SP will not be able to hide her culpability, even if the map was removed from her own site.
Yes you are right. The map is all over the internet now.
it’s up on my facebook page.
That target map will be seen by many more people now than it ever was before.
Btw, there’s a great story about Daniel Hernandez, who had been Gaby’s intern for 5 days, who may well have saved her life after the shooting. It’s from the Tuscon paper.
Anger and hate breed violence. That’s all she’s been selling since day one.
Now that concealed carry is legal in Arizona, anyone want to go there and visit?
I was uneasy with the open carry they used to allow, but now you don’t know what nut might be carrying, and this guy was undoubtedly a nut.
Second Amendment solutions, indeed. Thanks Sarah, thanks Sharon Angle, thanks Michele Bachmann, and all the rest who peddle hate and deliberately incite extremism.
Concealed carry is legal in Alaska, too. No permit required. Alaska resident over 18 without a felony conviction, all it takes.
Thank you S.Moore for your accurate truths printed about Palin..you have had to put up with much to do this..and every American citizen not only in Alaska should be always grateful for one like you
While of course this today tragic situation if beyond..perhaps if the vast majority of Americans would listen and take seriously when a person like you is reporting the truth…then the type of incite violence which is actually a political ploy for those using to get richer and more famous..they then mywould not have the opportunity to use this incite to violence as often or to so many. I have never in my lifetime seen so many completely confused American voters..all you heed to do is read the comment people on Fox.com..confused and very misinformed..seriously so. note I am a long standing independent voter…thanks again Moore and Mudflats..with a special also to the Legal Beatle ..let us also hope that Alaska McAdams is a person that will at a time be elected to office.
There can be no doubt..that the type of retric..words..Palin..Beck and their ilk..which there are so
many if not in actual numbers the vast majority on Fox news daily…that are very responsible for this
type of tragic situation. ie including anyone..period..ie McCain that makes any excuse for this type
of retric call to violent action. It now of course has happened and look at the people killed even 9 year old child. Palin and Beck and others of their ilk..they claim the Bible..they must not know one of the most famous passages…ie subject murder…you can kill with your words..be careful of what you say…will her Christian friends as Graham point that out to her? ie while they rather debate wheter Obama is a geniune Christian…Palin and any of her ilk should be fired ..from Fox..etc.
appears to me to be a public hit list.. it even has the cross hairs!!! HMMM still waiting for this evil women to be held accountable! the Palins are some SICK people!
Well it took her two years to list the books that she has read, and now it takes “death” to make her or her staff aware that the map needed to come down…
She is truly a “vulgar” woman, beyond any value as a christian let alone a human being.
my heartfelt condolences to the many victims of this senseless violence
in shock, anger, and sadness,
I light a candle for peace
The shooter pretty clearly has some mental issues. Possibly of the psychotic break variety.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/302326
It occurs to me..that there are assorted people who will..be ‘upset’..not at what has happened..in the shootings..but that their ‘warrior’ has taken down a map..they are..emotionally intune with. That said..there will be a strong vitrol..rising..and one might well keep watch on any websites …’those types’..hang out on..for..uglier versions..of that same poisonous bile. Their fury..is going to ..build..and luckily..the FBI and all types of law enforcement..understand that..about such mental/emotional defectives.
The Progressive Alaska website has quotes from the See of Pee with some really ugly comments expressed by the Palinbots. The genie of hate speech cannot be put back in the bottle — it just spreads unchecked and infects the body politic. Today it claimed several people’s lives and changed other ones in incalculable ways. Will there ever be the same kind of access to members of Congress that we the public previously enjoyed? I don’t think so. Will there ever be a “Congress on Your Corner” event with easy access by the general public? Probably not. Today our Republic lost something irreplaceable — I weep for all of us.
Someone on Giffords Prayers FB page, made this comment:
“This brave lady just took a bullet for all of us. A child and two others are dead. When is enough – enough?”
I feel bad for the deaths! Condolences to all the families!
I just can not help thinking that $arah palin with all of her hatred spew and words that are in the public, was instrumental in insighting this young person to take matters into his own hands and help $arah make true of her “targets” come true!!!!!!!!!
In a world where we have absolute control over our choice of words, many of those words we use can still be misunderstood. That is simply a fact.
When understanding can be impeded by age, maturity, disability or any of hundreds of impediments, it simply means that we must be more clear, more concise, more careful of what we say.
This, friends, is where Sarah Palin, Fox News, Limbaugh and so many others bear guilt. They cannot control who hears their words and they cannot control their hearers’ understanding. Therefore it becomes imperative that the words used, even in jest, even as an aside, even in off-handed remarks, it is vital that the words be chosen wisely. This is where the “inciters” are culpable and bear guilt.
That’s why we don’t even joke about such things. John McCain may be familiar with the jargon of tough elections which uses military or somewhat violent references, but MOST of the populace is not.
Since we already know that Ms Palin is not terribly linguistically proficient, it begs the question why she would employ a ghostwriter for her books but not to curb her snide and incendiary remarks, her chosen rhetoric, if you will?
Can she be so patently ignorant that she does not know that the casual comment of Henry II–“Will no one rid me of this man?”–resulted in murder? If she missed it in history class, she could have encountered it in English class or seen the movie, or read the play. It is almost a world standard in being careful of what you say!
I will not demean the power of prayer and I will hope Ms Palin is sincere in offering hers, but I still maintain that the proverbial ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.
I send hope for no further victim deaths and fear for our electoral process that has been subverted and perverted and cheapened by 140 character tweets, soundbites and snark.
And the genocide in Rwanda was incited by a constant radio message thethe Tutsi were cockroaches and responsible for all of the problems in Rwanda, a constant drip drip drip of poisonious rhetoric.
I live in Phoenix and this is all over the news. Six people are dead, including Chief Federal Judge John Roll and a nine year old child. Congresswoman Giffords is out of surgery and very much alive. She is responding to commands and is listed in critical condition. Her neurosurgeon appears optimistic that she will survive. Her husband, who is an astronaut, is now by her side and will likely be replaced on the mission in ten weeks time that he was training for. President Obama has sent a top FBI agent to Arizona to take the lead in the investigation because a Federal Congresswoman and a Federal Judge were injured or killed. There will be a candlelight vigil at the State Capitol at 6 p.m. local time for all of the victims.
Personally, my dearest wish would be for Sarah Palin and her sick, deluded followers to stay the hell out of Arizona. We have enough problems without her enciting people.
I just heard….and hope it’s true…that she is responding with hand movements.
Clearly, this man was insane. Just the kind of person that is easily influenced by ‘second amendment remedies’ and ‘target districts’ and suggestions to ‘reload’.
What a terrible tragedy.
Personally, my dearest wish would be for Sarah Palin and her sick, deluded followers to stay the hell out of Arizona. We have enough problems without her inciting people.
****************************************************************************************************************
you may get your wish now. there has been a rumor for months now that the Palins were purchasing property in Arizona and were gradually making plans for Sarah to run for office there at some point. if that is the case it may be that those plans might get put on hold.
i think that this is a good moment to contact Senators who might be willing to demand a thorough investigation and to put some teeth back in the gumb of the FCC.
So – how long do you think the Rs will filibuster/block a replacement for Judge Roll?
This is what Sarah wrote on her sarahpac website,
” “On The Tragedy in Arizona”
My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today’s tragic shooting in Arizona.
On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice.
– Sarah Palin”
guess she doesn’t know that her target lived.
That “condolence” is so sterile and limp there isn’t enough v!agra in the world to get it up to snuff. Pretty obvious she can’t man up.
and she won’t man up she’ll just continue to reload, and tell everyone that too by tomorrow
Palin is a cruel, mean abusive personality. She won’t stop. She’ll try to justify her “reload” comments. Too bad she isn’t in jail or a mental hospital where we don’t have to hear from her.
This hypocrite is praying for peace and justice??!!!! She doesn’t EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE!!
McQuittyPants is prayin’ alright…praying that she hasn’t been caught.
Alaskans bore the brunt of this embarrasment. Now it’s worse. Look at the cross hairs map on her website. THAT is Sarah Palin’s Alaska.
So the twisted evil witch of the north finally took down her RELOAD MAP WITH CROSSHAIRS.
About damn time. It is a nasty attitude kind of map.
Meanwhile a lot of people in AZ need our prayers and thoughts of strength. Send good strength that way, cause this is gonna take some healing.
Well spoken.
When people ask me why I so loathe SP my answer is always this: she is single-handedly responsible for the pervasiveness & acceptance of talking hate about persons who have faith/political/personal beliefs other than one’s own.
It has never, in recent history, even during the worst of the Bush2 years, been acceptable to talk smack about people based solely on their religious, personal or political values, never mind their race or country of origin. Until the 2008 RNC, and SP’s hateful horrible awful teleprompter-delivered incendiary bullspit! Followed up by more of the same over & over at campaign rallies. Followed by more of the same at Fox 24/7.
Just yesterday I was talking to a conservative friend here in TX, having a coffee. Asked her if Fox had some subliminal messages that they were playing, because I just could not understand what it is about the Fox devotees that makes them nearly universally selfish & full of hate. It is like they have been brainwashed. Anyway, I said to her that I could not believe how it is that there is this huge group of people, GOP/Fox idiots, who hate, literally, hate a huge segment of their fellow Americans simply because they hold differing beliefs & values. As I told my friend, I may think that birtherism is crazy, but I don’t hate birthers. I hate the information – lies – that has been spoon-fed to them, but I don’t hate them. I don’t think they deserve to die. Yet there is this huge segment of fox-watchers/listeners who literally think that progessive, immigrants, homosexuals, muslims, & on & on & on, deserve to die. They think that we should die. Many of them, apparently, believe that it is their duty to see to that.
And now this.
I am sick at heart over this.
Put me under the heading of people who hope that SP will stfu now. Anything at all that will come out of her mouth, after all that she has said over the past 2+ years, is hypocrisy.
Amen.
Double Amen
I could not agree with you more. Brainwashed and full of hatred. So sad to see what the GOP/fauxnews has done and is doing to this country.
I really wish Pres. O would skip the Super Bowl interview with O’Really. It just seems wrong. More wrong than it did yesterday.
I didn’t sign the petition that came in my email to urge him to not do the interview. I fugured that his thinking was that this is a way to let those who only listen to the likes of Bill O hear what he has to say without the filter of FOX. But, like you, it now doesn’t seem like such a good idea to give any credence to someone who has said spread such hateful lies as some of the things that have come from O’Reilly.
Yes, brainwashed. It is Murdoch and his associates who have built an empire of mind control.
I think it is time to get very serious about staving this beast. News Corp. The radio stations, the cable and broadcast nets, all Fox entertainment TB and Movies and including his interests in other cable like National Geographic.
Other who fund this stuff to like Target and Walmart also come to mind.
I refuse to watch any Fox channel. It plays in my Doctors waiting room and I tell them I will wait in the car. If there were another GP in town I would switch. I closed my 1-800-petmeds account (about $200 a month) and wrote to them telling them I could not support any business that advertised on Glenn Beck. They wrote back a very nice letter saying their ad agency bulk buys and they have no control. Told them yes you do, tell your agency no Fox.
$arah is not “single-handedly responsible for the pervasiveness & acceptance of talking hate” about others. It’s been going on since Lee Atwater and Reagan, with lies about John McCain having a black daughter (adopted by Cindy, who saved the little girl’s life) in 2000. It’s just now the media focus on $arah and the 24-hour news cycle needs a lot of feeding.
I personally think $arah is hateful, petty, mean, nasty, cavalier about the truth, hypocritical about Christianity with questionable skills as a mother, but she didn’t open this door, although she has waltzed right through it.
I also hope she will STFU NOW.
There existed, prior to 2008, an political environment, that understood that it is not politically correct to disparage those with differing views. Yes, the McCarthy/Atwater/Reagan era began a downhill slide, but it was halted to a certain extent, and expectations in regard to political and social discourse were elevated for a time.
Then came the despicable RNC 2008 and the vile pitbull with lipstick speech.
Call it dogwhistles or whatever you like, but it was essentially a message to GOP adherents that it was/is okay to spout vile rhetoric about whoever disagrees with you.
Even McIdiot called out the crazy woman at his townhall who was talking about Obama being a Muslim. But not SP, she stokes those fires.
In many ways I consider SP to be a tool of her Fox/GOP overlords, talking points talking points talking points. On the other, I also consider her to be an adult who is quite capable of making her own decisions. I believe that the map above was something that she came up with, something that fosters hate & violence in those who listen to her and believe that she has credibility (those poor delusional souls).
SP is not the originator of hate &/or violence &/or despicable partisan antics, that has been going on for millenia. However, she, as a tool or on her own, re-introduced them to the stream of political discourse in the U.S. and poisoned the well from which we all must drink these days. Fomenting hate, violence & intolerance is the only value that she has for the GOP — all that they say about her, positively, that is, is “she rallies the base.” Interesting to me that “base” instincts are not necessarily defined as good instincts, and that is the portion of the GOP that follows her is referred to as the “base.”
“There existed, prior to 2008, an political environment, that understood that it is not politically correct to disparage those with differing views. Yes, the McCarthy/Atwater/Reagan era began a downhill slide, but it was halted to a certain extent, and expectations in regard to political and social discourse were elevated for a time.”
No, you seem to be confused. From 2000 to 2008 GWB was president, and the Rs just shut down the Dems like a faucet. The Rs were hateful and partisan for 8 years, continuing into the first 2 years of Pres. Obama’s term. The notion that political discourse was ‘elevated’ is wishful thinking.
By the way, the Conservatives/rightwing nutjobs DESPISE political correctness. They certainly would not engage in it. And if you don’t remember just how nasty the Rs were, you weren’t paying attention.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. What is happening? Instead of reading The Constituion the Republican party needs to read The Declaration of Independence and remember what our country was supposed to be about…
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–” Thomas Jefferson
Please note..he said ALL men
“My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today’s tragic shooting in Arizona. On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice.” – Sarah Palin –
How sincere are you really, Sarah? I see once again you have taken no responsibility for your actions. You have expressed no regret for the role your choice of imagery and rhetoric may have played in this tragedy. It does no good for you to pray for “peace and justice” when you incite hatred and violence. When you ask “do you love your freedom” at your speeches, do you mean the freedom of the people to speak out, and to vote, and to be represented by their duly elected officials, and the freedom of those officials to serve those who voted them into office without fear for their very lives? Or do you mean the freedom of your mob to rule the masses by intimidation and violence if they don’t get what they want at the ballot box?
There is blood on your hands, Sarah, and unlike caribou blood, you will never be able to wash it clean. You will never be able to bring these people back to their loved ones, or restore the life of the young shooter to what it would have been had he not been led to commit this heinous act. Please take your ill-gotten gains and your lying, hypocritical self to some deserted island where you can inflict no more harm on this nation or its people. That is what you will do if you really “love your country.”
I saw that and wondered how she had the guts to even put it out there.How she could even believe anyone thinks she really is sorry it happened..Maybe that’s why she is moving to AZ(if she is) and this helps her out as brewer is her friend.Am so happy to hear the congresswoman doing better.
I would like to add to Sarah’s most (in)sincere statement. I would like to add that we all pray for the family of the disturbed young man that heard all of this rhetoric and was unable to process it appropriately. I would like to ask all of us to pray for his mother and father, who must be experiencing an excrutiating day, knowing that their child is capable of this, and that they will be blamed for raising a monster.
We must remember that not all of the victims were taken to the hospital today.
I learned about Gratefulness.org from this site when one of the posters passed away. I now go there every day to light a virtual candle for somebody. It helps. I’ve been there several times today. Please join me. It really makes me feel better.
I think that Sarah made her statement today as a sort of, not knowing quite what to do action, and was not motivated by sadness at what happened, but by her own fear of being held culpable. She knows how she has acted and what she has said. If it can be proved that this motived the crime, there is a remedy under the law for this. Sarah is covering her backside. And I do not think she is alone.
I suspect that there was a mad scramble this morning to find a new attorney OR several frantic calls to Van Flea in AZ to get legal advice on how to cover her posterior.
She obviously cannot apologize to the families, no matter how much we cringe at her insincere form-letter posting. While I can’t see how criminal charges could possibly be brought against her, putting any kind of acknowledgement or apology in writing would open a floodgate of civil lawsuits at the very least.
I would NOT have wanted to be in the vicinity of the Palin compound today.
She can make statements till the cows come home, but as always she is unable or unwilling to admit that she has been a willing and gleeful participant in the daily hatemongering and fearmongering coming from the hard right, which have created fertile ground for such violence. I am reading allegations that she is blaming “depraved liberals” for targeting her remarks about “don’t retreat, reload” as playing a role in the shootings, The fact remains that she targeted this woman among others on a crosshairs map, and it’s also a fact that Ms. Gifford received death threats, along with her office being vandalized, well before the shootings. Now, a child is dead, and so are at least 5 others, because of the destructive stupidity of Palin and these others, which in turn helped to make it possible for an unstable lunatic to endanger so many people. I also understand that Jared Loughner may have had an accomplice. I sincerely hope that this will be the final nail in the coffin of Sarah Palin’s presidential ambitions.
And to those that think Palin isn’t responsible:
Has Osama bin Laden been accused of pulling the trigger and killing any American citizen? Has he been accused of personally killing anyone? Yet, we call him a terrorist because he incites people to kill others he doesn’t like.
How is Palin any different?
Good insights. True, even if the shooter isn’t a Palin “follower”… the fact that people point fingers at Palin immediately, shows that she is a “leader” of erratic violence. This has been evident in her stump speeches, her “books”, interviews, “the” television show, and twitters.
How would Palin react if bin Laden came out with a video in which he said, “Don’t regroup. Reload.”
Or, if President Obama warned his followers, “Don’t retreat. Reload.” The rightwing nutjobs would be OUTRAGED at that.
Can you just imagine how outraged O’Reilly, etal, would be if ANY Democrat took that violent tone?
Agreed but palin isn’t the only one doing that.Glad someone has a screen shot of those targets in case they are needed by anyone hurt or the families of those killed.
Palin, and Bachmann, and Beck, and all other media and political wing nuts on the right- and left- bear some responsibility for stirring up hatred as a way to get elected, gain popularity/ratings, and/or make money.
No one should get a free pass on this. No one. And that includes the state of Arizona, for having one of the most liberal gun laws in the nation.
And don’t forget Jan Brewer with her suggestion that if they can’t win at the ballot box, they should look to ‘second amendment remedies’ .
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
According to the director of the trauma department at the hospital where Congresswoman Gifford was brought after the shooting, she is out of surgery and the doctor is ‘optimistic’ about her recovery. She responded to commands before going into surgery and they will be able to tell more about her prognosis in the next 48 hours.
Reports say that six people were killed, including federal judge John Roll and…a nine year old girl.
I know it sounds like her, but that wasn’t Jan Brewer (unless she appropriated it, which is entirely possible). The “Second Amendment remedies” quote was from Sharron Angle, the TPRWNJ who ran against Harry Reid in Nevada.
Sorry…thanks for the correction. I always get those two mixed up because they’re both crazy and mean…a dangerous combination.
They are very similar, bottle blond pageboy, lots of teeth and hateful inanities dropping out of their mouths.
Just out of curiosity, when has ANY liberal or progressive leader fomented violence towards “the other side”? I can’t think of a single instance. Indeed, no one should get a free pass, but you can’t just throw everyone in the mix when that obviously isn’t the case.
Amen!!! I’ve been observing and participating in politics since 1972, and I have yet to see one liberal/democratic politician use violent rhetoric to win an election. One of the problems in this country is to always try to make a false equivalence which provides cover for the real perpetrators. It’s time to place the blame on the guilty parties and let the chips fall where they may.
Thank you, majii. Keith and Rachel are very passionate, but I have never heard them advocate violence against ANYONE (no matter how deserving), and they’re about as far left as the mainstream media gets. I’ve been active in politics since I was 15, and voting since I was 18 (in ’72, also). I did know radicals on the left who participated in what could be construed as violent crimes, but they were all against property, never humans. This false equivalency always, always put forth is just that: false.
KO apparently said something in that vein, for which he passionately and profusely apologized tonite. He challenged everyone else who has said similar things to do the same. Not holding my breath.
Could it be perhaps that the culture of weapons used as fashion accessories, political statements and tools of intimidation is much more prevalent on the right? Liberals tend to be more supportive of gun restrictions and more vocally against war and threats of international violence like those made by Bush II and Reagan. Liberals prefer negotiation while those on the right feel more comfortable with threatening to take out anyone who disagrees with them.
I know quite a few left-of-center people who own guns, but the vast majority are either weapons required for their jobs or guns used for hunting. You just don’t see people carrying weapons at a Democratic campaign rally the way they were seen at Republican rallies and the town hall meetings protesting the health care bill. And of course, we can’t forget the bone-chilling images from the Miller supporters marching in a family parade with assault weapons.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/supporters-of-palin-backed-senate-candidate-in-alaska-parade-with-guns-video.php
I do not personally own a gun but my husband was a hunter as were my brothers and father.That said we do need some way that people who are like this man can not get a gun from anywhere.Also ya do not need and automatic to hunt with.
After John Hinkely took a shot at Ronald Reagan, We were successful in getting the Brady Act passed into law. Maybe the only good thing to come out of this horrific mess is to get a new act passed to further restrict unecessary guns. Hunters do not need automatic handguns. Handguns are banned in Canada, where there are plenty of hunters.
I have a handgun, and have owned them for over thirty years. I use them mainly for recreational target shooting. I would gladly give them up to comply with a ban.
There is certainly no reason for a 21-year-old living in the city to own an automatic hand gun.
One of the biggest issues is the lack of control at gun shows. You can have all sorts of laws that restrict gun sales in retail stores but if those rules are waived at gun shows, they become worthless.
We also passed a dangerous milestone when the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004…thank you Congress and President Bush for that legacy.
While Sarah Palin may not have meant for her fans and followers to take her map literally, as a prominent public and political figure it is her responsibility to present her thoughts and ideas in a responsible way. And this map/graphic was not a responsible thing to do. Whether her map led to the horrible tragedy that happened today, Palin’s inability to realize or understand that this graphic could potentially lead to a tragic result just shows how out of touch with reality and how immature she really is. Sarah Palin has the mindset, brain and logic of a teenager with little comprehension of actions and outcomes.
Found this quote on the fox news website. Surprised to see most of the comments blaming $P for this, saying she has blood on her hands…etc
‘Palin included Giffords on her target list. Palin was the Republican VP candidate. Palin has made over 10 million dollars in the last year from her provocative persona. Palin is employed by Fox. The right wing owns this tragedy, as well as the deaths of millions of people all over the world.’
It looks like the Congresswoman will live. She’s out of surgery and responsive to commands. My heart goes out to all the injured and dead parties. $P should rot in the fiery hell she believes in, for all eternity.
Agree wholeheartedly and McCain along with her.Do not like that man and never trusted him.The republican party had better people who could have ran,.IMO the republicans do not have a fair voice in their votes.Before the primary was barely half over McCain had been already declared the winner because they believe in winner take all so others votes count for nothing.The rest of the country really had no voice at all.McCain would not have won if the votes were given like the democrats are.The GOP can cry all they want but thewy do not use a democratic way of voting. Rant over about this.
I know this is not the way current thinking goes, but isn’t it time for a general primary, rather than a few states doing the choosing? In Kentucky, at the end of May, we have no choice. Others have dropped out, there is nothing left. We have communications which could let this happen. And, we need a much shorter election period. These need to be within a smaller period. And, OK, I’m on it now, we need to have many more limits on campaign spending. Yeah, right!
She may or may not live. But if she does live, her life will have been forever changed/devastated.
Thanks for putting this up. The graphic was always offensive and always in poor taste. Whether or not it had any influence on the shooter in AZ, it was way past time to take it down. Palin, Beck, Limbaugh, DeMint, all of these people have to remember that people are listening to what they are saying. I’m not suggesting they should be help responsible for the actions of the public, but that they should consider THEMSELVES responsible. We know that there are people out there who are angry, have low frustration tolerance, lack a moral compass, who are actually victims themselves, pawns in the hands of extremists. None of that helps the victims and their families or the of the shooter and his family – dozens of lives were changed forever today and that can’t be undone.
Did bin Laden directly or indirectly influence the suicide bombers? Even if the bomber had never heard of bin Laden, did his rhetoric influence suicide bombing behavior?
Yes, yes it did. He’s had a negative influence on the sensibilities of ME Muslim nations even if the populace hasn’t personally heard his name.
Charlie Manson is in prison. He probably killed somebody, but that’s not why he was convicted. I am sure that if I had put a target on someone’s name and they ended up getting shot, I would be in jail by now. I’m also hoping that some very smart attorneys can convince a civil jury that the witch from wasilla doesn’t need all her zillions of bucks as much as the victims of this shooting do. We all knew it would happen. She cooked her own goose. I’m just deeply sorry at how it came to pass.
I think we all need to remember that Congressman Lewis warned McCain and Palin about the violent rhetoric Palin was using back in 2008. McCain tried to forced Congressman Lewis to apologize, but he wouldn’t, and he was right to not apologize because Palin WAS guilty of inciting violence. He warned them that if something happened as a result of Palin’s violent rhetoric, they would be just as guilty as the person who pulled the trigger.
Remember that campaign stop in PA where the audience were whipped up into a near flashpoint frenzy, shouting “kill him”? Followed by a repeat performance in FL a couple of days later. This Robert Greenwald video sums it up neatly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5mdIPNB8t8
TPM Editors blog said at the time
“Given the regularity of the cries of “treason” and “terrorist” and the like, and the frequency with which the screamers seem in oddly convenient proximity to the mics”
Read the post here
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/222875.php
This article last August:
http://www.rollingout.com/newsapolitics/politics/10576-secret-service-connect-sarah-palin-to-death-threats-increase-against-obama.html
Vicki and Bakers – good points. Beck, Palin, Limbaugh don’t make the connection that their ranting is the same as Bin Laden’s or any ranting , compelling voice that is shouting in a terrorist training camp. All of these extreme voices areidentifying an enemy. They are calling for the enemy to be silenced , not to be heard from again. They want revolution. They want their country returned to what God / Allah intended.
Most extreme leaders love their word play games. They use the violent phrases but hold back juust enough. I’m in the camp that believes that Palin wasn’t truly calling for assassination when she went on about ” don’t retreat – reload” and allowed for the posting of of the target graphic during the elections. I do, however, believe entirely that she is juvenile and ignorant and has no clue how social, political and media constructs work and play out .
Al Qaeda = the Base
For those that think rhetoric makes no difference and one cannot be held accountable for what another does because of what is said, what about education? Education is basically someone with more understanding imparting this to others through written and verbal speech. Yes, there is experiential learning as well, but a great deal is imparted verbally.
In this case, Palin was in the roll of authority, a teacher, and imparted her point of view and how to attain it to others. Any teacher knows you watch which words you use. Any politician knows that, too. Those words weren’t chosen without careful thought. Whether the gunman had read or even heard of Palin directly, he certainly was influenced by the rhetoric she inspired in her followers, the Tea Party, and right wing nuts.
And I don’t care what, if any, political leanings he had. It was wrong and her stupidity has helped to create a climate where many think this was OK.
Amen! As a teacher, I am always aware of the kind of language I use and what I say in front of my students. Language or opinions that may not be technically considered ‘wrong’ are often inappropriate and can have the wrong kind of influence on children.
Although none of us have any respect for her and recognize that everything out of her mouth is a lie or a talking point, there are tens of thousands of people around the country who hang on her every word and believe that anything she says is the absolute gospel truth. Unfortunately, she enjoys the power she holds over her followers too much to admit that there is a dark side to her rhetoric.
song with no words…Teach your children …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0b0rQIY9Y0&feature=related
now more than ever…what the world needs
I had gotten an invite from Gabby yesterday to attend her first ‘Congress on the Corner’ today and, in fact, had planned on it but instead took advantage of a big furniture sale. I was at that furniture sale when the shooting occurred and so didnt find out about it until I returned home. I have been frantic to make sure that those I had presumed might be at the event were safe (they are) and have been glued to the set all afternoon.
We don’t fully know the motive of the shooter but from what I have heard he had MySpace, Facebook and YouTube rantings primarily focusing on US currency and the gold standard and much of his rhetoric is disjointed and rambling giving one the impression of a seriously mentally ill individual. He may or may not have been further fueled by tea party or other far right organizations or individuals or specific politicians, talk radio, etc. So far there is no indication of that so I would hope that people don’t use this horrific event to fan those flames even further
That said, I have to concur that today’s tragedy has to spell the end of Palin’s political career no matter how hard she tries to distance herself from it publicly, The Sarapac site is frightening and shameful and it will be hard for people to not point to that in connection with the tragedy even if there truly is no connection at all.
If there is any good to come from this I would hope that its a wakeup call for the extreme far right, the far left and those inclined to identify with the tea party to conclude that this divisive behavior has no place in our political landscape.
Gold standard? currency? wonder if he listened to Mr Beck.
Yes, at first glance, Jared Lee Loughlin appears to be deeply disturbed, both mentally and emotionally. That said, his Governor, Jan Brewer, apparently just signed legislation that allows for the concealed carry of UNLICENSED guns (as long as one is a citizen, I’m guessing). She’s not exactly sane, either. It’s an insult to bears (who figure very heavily in creation myths in man parts of the world) to call her a mama grizzly, but that’s what Sowah would do.
many, not man. typed too fast.
The law you’re referring to does not apply to unlicensed guns. It removes the restrictions on concealed weapons. Licensed gun owners no longer need a permit or safety training to carry a concealed weapon. Unlicensed guns are still illegal under any circumstances. I’m not defending the law, by any means – just clarifying. As an AZ resident, I’ve become increasingly alarmed by the return to the Wild West since Napolitano left the state. Jan Brewer isn’t crazy, or evil. Just a Republican trying to keep her job in a crazy state. The NRA’s power here is dismaying.
“And much of his rhetoric was disjointed and rambling” Where have we heard THAT before?!
Sheesh, glad that you and yours are okay. But so sad for the others. You must be trembling.
Don’t think so it’s already happening she is playing the victim game or rather her supporters are
I have said it once and will say it again. Sarah Palin needs to be called for inciting violence.
It started during the election. I heard it many times. the place that really got my attention was when she was campaigning in Florida. A man from the Sheriff’s dept. was on stage with her—he was dressed in Uniform and yelling with his fist pumping with Sarah Palin on stage. He was released from his duties, and she should have been arrested for inciting violence. And that damm map of hers need to GOOOOOOO!!!
And John McCain doesn’t need to get a free pass . He is the person who brought this evil woman out and into the political scene.
I hope and pray that all the people who are injured today will survive. And I pray for those who have lost their lives in this terrible event.
You are so correct in your comments. Thank you.
John McCain is not responsible for $arah Palin. If anything, the people in Alaska who elected her Governor are. He wouldn’t know her from a hold in the ground if she had not held public office.
McCain has done some stupid things, but $arah launched herself, after she was elected governor.
Until Senile Old Dude grabbed her simply because she had a uterus and he thought that would grab all the Hillary fans, she was Alaska’s own curse. He made her everybody’s. I will blame him forever.
Yes, we elected her, but if it wasn’t for that dirty old man, she would still be in Alaska winking, not posting cross hairs of districts on the internet.
John McCain picked the freaking woman WITHOUT doing any major checking to verify if she was QUALIFIED (or sane) for the position of Vice-president. A position by the way, she couldn’t answer a question about concerning the responsibilities of the vice-presidency FOUR different times.
Actually come to think about it, I don’t recall her winking until McCain had her up front ‘talking’ up the crowd. Damn right I blame him.
Plus McCain has praised her ad nauseum since he picked her. He continues to heap praise on her. If he had ever admitted she was a mistake, or criticised anything she did it could have perhaps limited her success……….who knows?
But no, whenever asked about her he keeps repeating how fantastic she is………so I too blame him!
So are you saying Alaskans did “major checking to verify if she was QUALIFIED (or sane)” for your governorship?
And then she quit midway through her term? Be fair. The fault here lies in $arah, not her victims.
And John McCain is a waste of space and oxygen, imo, but you should look in the mirror before blaming him for this.
This Wasilla Alaskan never voted for her, not for city council, not for mayor, not for lt gov, and not for gov. Can’t control how others voted, but please don’t blame all Alaskans.
Short answers to simple questions:
“Why would the Palin camp remove this ugly fund-raising ad from their website TODAY?”
Because, well, mission accomplished!
“Is this a tacit admission of her culpability in the violence she has been advocating since coming into the national spotlight on August 29, 2008?”
Yes.
Fair warning, this is UGLY. I don’t know how much credibility the site has and frankly the ‘quote’ from a Pima County cop is remarkably polished under the circumstances. On the other hand the opinions expressed are not that unusual for that part of the world these days.
http://www.benningtonvalepress.com/2011/01/rare-democrat-congresswoman-in-arizona.html
Arizona used to be a nice place to live. I went to that same supermarket on the corner of Oracle and Ina once a week when I lived in Red Rock about 50 miles north of Tucson.
That article seems like a hoax. Gabby is FOR gun rights, from what I’ve read. And that cop should have been educated on how to talk to media. That’s a lawsuit begging to be filed.
Look at the other articles on that website. It’s clearly a satire website, akin to the “Onion”.
Oops, how embarrassing!!
Thanks Shannon. This is truly a sad week.
Very sad this has happened.
At least in the light of this event, perhaps it shows that they know it is extremely inappropriate to let the ad remain. That is the least we can hope for, if not a realization that it was terrible to begin with.
Bad day to be Sarah Palin. Finally.
Not only that, but her reality show will not be continued next season. She is probably consoling herself with crunchwraps.
The land of the free and the home of the brave?
Is the Congresswoman free? Or the dead child? How about other injured parties? Or the people at the rally? Are any of them feeling especially free right now? Or are they feeling like they need to huddle up in some corner, or feel pushed to take revenge? When an act like this happens, it takes real bravery to overcome gut reaction and take positive action. We’ll see who’s brave over the next few months.
The gunmen were’t brave. What cowards. We’ll probably see that played out as victimhood claims.
Palin isn’t brave. She’ll try to talk her way out of any culpability by parading her victimhood.
Isn’t it interesting how the free and the brave are never victims.
My prayers are with those that were injured or worse and their families. I won’t call them victims because victimhood is what the losers will claim. I pray they will be buoyed by their faith, convictions, courage, and love.
Yes!
All I know is Sister Sarah is shi***ng her pants right now.
I posted this as a comment in the Gurgi thread, but will repeat it here because it pertains to this topic.
Of the 20 targeted congressional representatives on the SarahPAC map, only two(2) were reelected — Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, and Nick Rahall of West Virginia. I hope Rep. Rahall is taking extra precautions to ensure his safety. Sarah Palin has made him a marked man, and his life is in grave danger, if Gabrielle Giffords’ fate is any indication.
— Maggie
I’m sure the FBI is on the alert. This is the type of thing that they’ll have had on their radar. I’m sure he’s taking care of himself and his family.
One of the police officers who spoke at the press conference today said that security for all members of Congress is being stepped up.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the local police department (Tucson?) were immediately on the case and the FBI is being brought in as well. I read somewhere that the Capitol Police are also involved, presumably for those members who are currently in Washington.
That’s one thing that makes me angry .They go after Wiki leaks and try to shut it down but no one does anything about palin and her face book page with the cross hairs on congress critters and to say don’t retreat reload.What is that but a threat and nothing is done JMO
I think we also need to remember smiley faced Angle talking about 2nd Amendment remedies if elections do go their way.
Don’t go their way. Sorry, didn’t proofread.
Well put and thank you.
Why wouldthe Palin camp remove this ugly fund-raising ad from their website TODAY? Is this a tacit admission of her culpability in the violence she has been advocating since coming into the national spotlight on August 29, 2008?
———————–
We don’t know anything about the motive of the shooter yet but I’m thinking ,
given what we know about whatzername. that this is NO tacit admission of culpability… no way.
Since when has she ever taken any responsibility for anything… except things others do, of course…?
Somebody got nervous and pulled it…
Nothing more, nothing less.
((((To DF, Mag the Mick, BeeJay and others who are constituents of Congresswoman Giffords))))
((( to all of us )))
Tks, Pi, I needed that!
Thank you , Pi. I needed that hug!
Mag the Mick, here’s another hug!
{{{{{{ AZ mudpups }}}}}
*Holding the victims, their families, and all of us in my prayers*
Indeed. May you all find peace.
(((PI)))
{{{{{{{{{{{{{ AZ mudpups }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Some of my favorite people on earth are in AZ’s 8th district. Tree of Life, where Dr. Gabriel Cousens and his beautiful wife Shanti have a live food/yoga/spiritual community, is in that district. My boyfriend and I visited a few years ago. Apart from being beautiful (I love the desert, as long as I’ve got water), it’s so quiet. The Sonoran Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park, all the state parkland, etc. are stunning. Now this. $arah, if you’re going to draw crosshairs on maps, you’d better be willing to take the heat when your followers react. If you’re going to stir up hatred, people are going to hate. It’s on you. The blood is on your hands.
This reminds me of the end of The Dead Zone (the film, not the book), where Johnny (played by Christopher Walken), dying, takes the hand of Stillson (Martin Sheen), and sees a Time magazine cover of Stillson holding up the baby as a human shield, with the headline, “No Future for Stillson.”
Reap what you’ve sown, Sarah. This is what happens when you irrigate with venom.
While Palin’s web site was the most abhorrent, don’t forget the inflammatory comments by Michelle Bachmann, Jim DeMint, Glen Beck, and others- I am disgusted by the Republican comments that attempt absolve these flame throwers and insist the killings were not about hate, but just the actions of a crazy person.
They probably think that since they removed it no one will remember that it was ever posted. Some day folk like Palin will finally get a clue that anything you post on the internet is forever. You can take it down, but someone somewhere has saved it and it’ll come back to haunt her.
Speakin’ for us all, Pi. Thanks. This is a terrible, terrible tragedy.
Like the shooter at the Texas army base, this shooter had a history of incendiary thinking, speaking, public comments/posts, as well as documented mental instability.
An atmosphere of compassion and tolerance must be fostered. That’s why Obama was chosen to be our leader. Every day he works for greater understanding between people of different cultures, different viewpoints, different backgrounds.
There is a lot of blow-back at Sarah’s FaceBook page. I screen captured a bunch of comments in case they get scrubbed.
http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin?v=app_2373072738
Rick, I’d like to see them. No doubt that they’ll be deleted, that’s how she does business over there. You can contact me at susie77 [at] gmail [dot] com. And thanks.
Sent
I checked some of them out. It’s amazing the difference in viewpoint, the pro-palinites don’t see the crosshairs or the ‘reload’ comment as possibly suggesting violence. A few even suggested prayers for $arah’s family, which I don’t doubt were needed before this. A few say it’s the actions of a mentally ill man, well, gee, don’t you think health care reform could help with that? And the notion that it is not political makes my head swell.
There are probably seven deleted posts for every one allowed to remain (I know, because it says “post deleted” all over the place). I’m glad people are trying to give that asshat a piece of their minds, even though she’ll never read it, and even though it only means that staffers are scrubbing. Perhaps some of her followers will see all those deleted posts and wonder what it means … nah. They’ll just think some “libtard,” as they call us, was using bad language.
This incident happened just 3 miles from my home. Yes, Gabrielle Giffords is my Congresswoman! And, she is a terrific person and politician.
While I would like to give Palin’s comments credit for this horrific attack, the perpetrator is supposedly only 22 years old. Is it really our very young Americans who hear this kind of call? We don’t know yet. But, those words of hatred are ringing across this country — and, they shouldn’t be. So, I’m glad to know that in just one place they are no longer seen.
I am an Alaskan at heart after living there for so many years. So, I am appreciative of those up north who support a kinder, gentler nation. Please continue to spread the word.
Hoping this makes sense… I abhor the thought of falsely accusing someone of an act or being complicit in an act. I don’t believe SP is directly responsible for anyone shooting another person, nor do I think she’d want real death in her wake (goodness, at least I HOPE this), but I do believe that the rhetoric that went with this election was meant to stir up exactly this sort of craziness. Only the SP’s of the world believe that people will stop before actually pulling any triggers. This person may or may not have ever even listened to the ‘retreat/reload’ crap, but I do believe that she and her followers and any other person who used violent slogans as part of any election bear some responsibility in creating an atmosphere where someone could do this. I believe this aside from any political ideologies, by the way. We just need to do away with violence as being an acceptable part of elections.
I also think it’s sick that she didn’t just shut the eff up today, but I’m glad that Shannyn and Andrew Sullivan and Gawker and all those other outlets are not letting it slide.
Thanks, Shannyn and keep up the good work!
No one is saying she’s directly responsible. It’s indirect responsibility, including creating an atmosphere of hate and intolerance (along with her soulless-sister, Jan Brewer). And as for Jared Lee Loughlin, his youtube channel is a bastion of right wing nutjobbery.
Is bin Laden directly responsible for the 9/11 deaths?
EXACTLY!!!
Let me echo fromthediagonal: “EXACTLY.” And furthermore something needs to be done about O’Reilly, Lambaugh, and others on Fox who also spew rhetoric that promotes violence.
How about Saron Angle’s ‘second amendment remedies’?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/16/sharron-angle-floated-2nd_n_614003.html
I agree with you NOLA.
This graphic remained on her website MONTHS after most people on it were no longer political “targets.” This ad was meant to incite general feelings of righteousness and aggression in her supporters …. not better voter turnout.
What a horrendous moment to befall this family and the people around them.
HATE SPEECH IS EVERYWHERE NOW-IT DOES DRIVE PEOPLE OF THE DEEP END.THEY BUY WHAT PALIN,BECK,LIMBAUGH AND A 1000 MORE SELL BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID AND UNINFORMED BY A SOLD OUT MEDIA.SHE IS RESPONSIBLE, JUST LIKE BILL O IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DR TILLER.NO MORE EXCUSES FOR THEM IN ANY WAY-YOU SHOULD NOT LET IT SLIDE EITHER NOLA.
One more time: EXACTLY!
Those who stir up the mob bear the responsibility for what follows. Thus History repeats itself.
NOLA, there was a case in history similiar to this. Julius Strecker was tried and convicted for crimes against humanity at Nuremberg. He was subsequently hanged. What were his crimes? He NEVER pulled the trigger. He never rounded up people to be put into camps and gas chambers. He didn’t kill anyone. He did, however, write, broadcast, publish and speak in such a manner that caused OTHERS TO COMMIT ACTS OF VIOLENCE. This is no different.
I have long thought Sara Palin’s diatribes against President Obama make her a traitor to this country. I am terrified of her rhetoric, her racism, her ignorance.
Thank You Desa for this excellent point. It sums things up quite well.
The thing is, it doesn’t matter whether her crosshairs thing was an incentive. She is a purported leader of people who look to her to set the tone of the political discourse. She has a responsiblity to come out and set an example of how to act about this.
Has she appeared on camera, or in person? Has she stepped up and spoken to people?
No – she hid behind a tepid statement on her Facebook page, and allowed a spokesperson to speak for her – and that with lame excuses and counter accusations.
She just proved is isn’t worthy of any leadership position.
I too am a transplant from Alaska. I believe that Sarah Palin is responsible for this tragedy. POS isn’t quite enough to cover her sins.
Crosshairs note still on her FB page. What a moron and no-class POS.
I’m not sure how long the posts will be on her facebook – some have already been deleted. There were quite a few posted under discussions. Some are defending Palin, most are letting her have it. And the ones that are calling her out for her irresponsible comments and crosshairs map are not kind.
I’ve never figured out how to do a screen capture, so I printed out the first three pages of one of the posts before the negative ones are deleted. I imagine some SP flunky is going to have to spend the next week monitoring the site.
I didn’t try to post – I think I’m probably still banned from the time I posted (and was deleted) last year.
try this site for screen capture program.
http://www.techsmith.com/Jing/?gclid=CKLy45abraYCFcjsKgodLjfdog
also try
freecorder4 for capturing video and or music.
http://www.applian.com/freecorder4/download.php
free progams, both
Well, the Snowbilly Grifter’s minion came out on Politico today saying the shooter is a leftist – when will Snowbilly Grifter TAKE RESPONSIBILITY? My guess is AFTER several lawsuits have been filed by the VICTIMS of the FAMILIES of those who perished and were otherwise injured.
Say what you wish, Snowbilly Grifter, Hate Radio, Faux Noise and its HateTalkers, are TOTALLY RESPONSIBILE for the vitriol and now the VIOLENCE committed due to their words of hate and the Second Amendment Rights – an amendment, like every other part of the Constitution, they FAIL to understand.
Snowbilly Grifter and her Fans: No matter how well CongressLady Giffords recovers, this is your KARMA and you are forever linked to hatred and violence and BTW,
YOU STOLE Ms. Giffords’ life and her FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS – she will NEVER be the same – it is ALL YOUR FAULT.
Portable Apps: Windows, Linux ( wine )
FastStone Capture – http://goo.gl/QyxF0
Lightscreen Portable – http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/lightscreen_portable
Wink – http://portableapps.com/node/3084
Also, possibly, a federal court judge. http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/nbc_federal_judge_also_shot_at_grocery_store_where_congresswoman_gravely_wo/
9 year old Child died 🙁
Tragic. Same age as my own sweet grandchild.
Also 30 year-old community outreach person for Giffords, Gabe Zimmerman.
And so many others killed and injured.
I don’t think Palin intended for anyone to be physically harmed. However, I don’t think Palin thinks.
She does spread hateful and divisive rhetoric and this is why she is no leader.