More on the Shooting in Arizona **UPDATE**
Friends, fans and constituents show up at the office of Congresswoman Giffords after hearing of the shooting.
— As most of you know, this morning, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head during a meeting with constituents at a grocery store. The gunman killed at least six people and injured (from what we know at present) at least 13 others with a nine millimeter handgun.
These pictures are exclusive to Mudflats and depict the scene at Rep. Giffords’ office in Tucson several hours after the shooting at the Safeway. People began to gather at the office, using it as a place for shared mourning. (A big “thank you” to Jay and Kathy Cross for the photos.)
Out front of the Congresswoman's Office.
— Others have done some research into the now-named alleged gunman, Jared Lee Loughner. According to a YouTube profile linked to Loughner, two of his favorite books are “Mein Kampf” and “The Communist Manifesto.
— Earlier this morning, Shannyn Moore posted a Mudflats piece describing her reaction. The traffic resulting from the popularity of that article is why this site went down for awhile:
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.”
I encourage folks to read the post and the comments. There are some fascinating insights from some of the mudflatters.
From “Cassie Jeep”:
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.
As was pointed out earlier, Palin’s staff chose not to take the “crosshairs” add down until today.
From “Maggie”:
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.
— More people are starting to make that Palin connection. Witness Fox News handling of a sticky problem by cutting away from a live vigil for the victims in Arizona when Palin’s name is mentioned. (courtesy of Crooks and Liars).
I have more pictures from Arizona for you in the open thread tonight. Sadly, Jeanne and her family will not be mourning alone.
*********UPDATE********
The Palin camp is in full triage mode, as can be seen in this “special public podcast” by gun-waving right-wing radio host and Palin cheerleader, Tammy Bruce (The opening to her show: “She’s a chick with a gun AND a microphone!):
Rebecca Mansour joins me for a 30-minute special podcast addressing the horror in Arizona today, and the obscene efforts by many of the left to politicize mass murder by a clearly deranged individual. Rebecca works for Governor Palin’s SarahPAC and while she joins me personally and not on behalf of the PAC, she does address the shocking effort by depraved liberals to somehow blame Governor Palin for today’s atrocity.
This is the person you want to go to TODAY OF ALL DAYS to FIX your PR problem?
Apologies…I should have hit the “Reply” button in answer to Miss Demeanor’s post #3. Sorry!
I blame Palin’s ignorance in failing to realize the embers of hatred and racism she fanned during the election.
I disagree. Those of us who have done extensive research on Palin from the day she hit the political mainstream can attest to the fact that she is well aware of the hatred and racism she fans and, in fact, does it deliberately. It’s the only way she can accumulate power; she certainly can’t do it using reason, persuasion, or results in Alaska of her effective leadership or management skills.
Sarah Palin can cry all she wants to that she is somehow the “victim” of the nasty left wing media, but her tolerance of hate speech proves otherwise. The links below are from a Daily Kos diary linking to story about how quickly negative / critical comments get scrubbed from Palin’s Facebook page. The diarist is highlighting the fact that a very nasty comment about the 9 year old girl who was killed in Tucson was allowed to stand. Maybe an oversight, maybe someone carelessly overlooked it or took it for snark, but the fact that it was left up speaks volumes about both the moderator and the person that he / she works for… The link & the comment follow.
http://obamalondon.blogspot.com/2011/01/inexplicable-edits-on-sarah-palins.html
This is the comment that was made & allowed to remain while others critical of Palin were quickly deleted:
“It’s ok. Christina Taylor Green was probably going to end up a left wing bleeding heart liberal anyway. Hey, as ‘they’ say, what would you do if you had the chance to kill Hitler as a kid? Exactly”
Own up to it, lady – you bear some responsibility for the effect your words have on others. You are not the victim here, no how much you protest that you hate war, violence, etc.
From today’s online Washington Post:
Questions about mental illness, access to guns follow Arizona shooting
vokesk51 wrote:
This is a gutless response to the tragedy and yet another example of everything that’s wrong with our mainstream media.
When Sarah Palin has Rep. Giffords’ district in crosshairs on her website and verbally encourages her supporters to lock and load, when the Congresswoman herself cites the depiction of the crosshairs image in literature emailed to her constituents and expresses concern about it, and then a few months later a mentally unstable person with a grievance, personal or political, seeks out the Congresswoman and guns her down, along with as many people assembled to meet with her as he can take, it’s an abdication of journalistic responsibility to say there isn’t a relationship.
For a newspaper, of all possible entities, to effectively say that words have no effect on those who hear them is beyond lunacy. It’s bad enough the mainstream media is lumping criticism by the left in with the hate and racism spewing from the right, with calls for secession and armed resistance to a socialist President. Isn’t there anyone in the media anymore with a conscience about what they do for a living?
Sarah Palin herself has acknowledged her culpability while trying to portray herself as a victim of the left – an insult to the real victims of this tragedy that has also gone unchallenged by the media. But she is now trying to back off her lock and load rhetoric by saying that wasn’t crosshairs on her website, just a little geographic notation of Rep. Giffords’ district.
Palin’s inflammatory rhetoric in pursuit of a narcissistic political agenda has blown up (excuse the meaningless violent metaphor) in her face and now, instead of admitting she made a mistake, she’s outright lying about what she did.
Did Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh call up Jared Lee Loughner and tell him to go to the Safeway and shoot Rep. Giffords? No. Does that mean they’re blameless? No. Hopefully poetic justice will do for the victims what real justice will never be able to do – end the careers of people like Palin, Beck and Limbaugh through the public refusing to buy the garbage they’re selling.
1/10/2011 12:55:02 PM
Anyone interested in my experiences yesterday in Tucson, please see my Post on Candlelight Memorial.
What? What! WHAT?! That gibbering lunatic and her band of merry sycophants need brain and heart transplants. NOW. (I doubt they can come up with one soul even if we round up 10 or more.)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/reports-arizona-rep-gabrielle.html#moran
Updated: 11:55 a.m.
Amid finger-pointing from some liberals who charge that Sarah Palin’s “target list” played a role in Saturday’s shooting in Tucson, an aide to the former Alaska governor told a radio show host Saturday night that using the tragedy as a means of scoring political points is “obscene” and “appalling.”
According to the Alaska Dispatch site, Palin aide Rebecca Mansour said in an interview with Alaska radio host Tammy Bruce, a Palin supporter, that there was “nothing irresponsible” about the 20 crosshair-like symbols that appeared on a map of districts targeted last year by Palin’s PAC, including that of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).
“We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights. … We never imagined, it never occurred to us that anybody would consider it violent,” Mansour said.
Oh, Morning Joe–today’s assignment, to DENY that the shooter was politically motivated by any particular party.
By the way, did you see any Democrats bringing guns to town hall meetings?
Well, anyway, these public news LIARS will be complicit in the next shooting.
It’s a damn shame what some evil people will do for money…
Would you lie to keep your job, even if you knew it would mean that someone
would lose their life?
Just a question…
Okay, we have established that the congresswoman was targeted on the crosshairs map. We also know that news outlets have chosen NOT to mention what we are all talking about her and all over the web. By the way, news outlets have also chosen NOT to cover the war(s) and the massacres in Israel.
Anyway, in the coming days I believe someone (or some corporation) will anonymously create a legal fund for the shooter. Do you want to guess who will be contributing to that fund? Anonymously of course, or through other people?
Yes, damage control is in progress…
Is there a new “architect”? Or can we place blame on the “tools of the architect”?
A tool, remember, is to be used and discarded when it becomes “old”.
I think she’s done…soon.
At least I hope so.
This is utter nonsense, I’m so sick of people saying it was bigotry, racism, Sarah Palin (whom I dislike), the teaparty, or Americas general disdain for it’s government. Look, sometimes people will be angry with the government, and rightfully so, but there will ALWAYS be lunatics doing crazy things on their own accord. Dare we blame the shooter?
If you want to get down to brass tacks, the shooter was actually quite interested in socialist/ communist ideals, and probably if anything, is leaning to the left more than anything. Not that it matters in my mind. I center more on the ideals of the shooter, not others. People blaming right/left politicians just goes to show how messed up we really are. BTW, Gabby was more of an independent anyway… she was once a republican. Let’s put responsibility where it lies, with the shooter.
Just more reasons to censor our right to speak our minds, and have the thought police come after us. Not to mention more gun control.
And no, I am not a republican. I am part of the origional party, the governing mass, in this great republic, oops… I mean democracy.
My heart and prayers go out to the victims of the shootings. But I agree with Mudflatter Lee and that is that the victims and their families should look into suing Palin!! That would definitely teach her to never use her hateful rhetoric to incite violence. That would definitely hit her where it would really hurt!!!
Don’t forget the sycophants of Fox, blogs, etc. who were more than happy to sing along with her. Granted, Mrs. Palin and whomever was writing her script sang lead, but there were plenty in the chorus. I do not like any of them, and think their lies and nastiness will go down in History as a lesson half-learned.
Bull pucky. Palin is a public persona. Everything she says has an impact. Especially since she has such a massive cult following. She is not responsible for someone taking the action of murder or attempted murder – but she is ABSOLUTELY responsible for her words and rhetoric that have contributed to the toxic mood of the nation and incited violence against her political opponents.
Dear Palin Camp: Crosshairs? ARE YOU SERIOUSLY SAYING THAT DIDN’T HAVE ANY BEARING AT ALL TO A GUN MAN GOING NUTS??!!! NONE WHATSOEVER???? REALLY???
By not taking responsibility Palin shows once again her cowardice.
This is only the latest manifestation of why Palin should never be elected to another office, even as a dog catcher. She is thin-skinned and defensive, and cannot take criticism of any kind. As monumentally stupid as her attempt to pick a fight with the First Lady on the latter’s anti-obesity program was, this “don’t retreat, unload” topped even that because one of the people she targeted WAS shot. As always, she refuses to take responsibility for a logical (if not inevitable) consequence of her perpetually imflammatory rhetoric. It completely sickens me that even one person is injured or dead because of the recklessness of Palin and her ilk. But the death of this little girl, who had so much to offer the world, is especially sickening and saddening. My heart and prayers go out to all the victims living and dead, as well as their families. This is one debacle that Palin will never be able to live down. Now, it looks as though any political career she was planning in Arizona is dead in the water.
When a certain bush area villiage had a very serious plight several winters ago..they asked for some help from the state of Alaska..Palin was governor..then..they got no help from the state.. A newspaper that is written in most part only for that particular bush area..puslished a story from a man in that villiage written to their editor…the Native Corporation for this villiage started a big drive to help this villiage and sent with their money as well as money and supplies donated from their drive to this villiage..the dire plight was the cost of any heating and food for this area in the harsh winter. Finally later after much media press on this F.Graham who has a home also in Alaska and Palin a long standing friend of his…flew a jet of Graham s close to this villiage..Palin never misses a photo op situation does she? she snubbed the man who wrote the letter that started this needed drive…he even wrote a letter about this snub…he wanted only to talk to the then governor Palin.. to ask more about what help the state can do for these villiage situations…the Native corp..that represent those areas..flew him there..this very corporation is this year finally making good profits as they learn how to as a young corporation get the business that any corporation has to make to pay vivable dividens. to shareholders. I wonder after Palin words on reload..shoot..did Graham tell her the bible says on the subject of murder..you can kill with words..evidently the shooter took this literally…so with words..reload and shot..so did…how about the innocent little nine year old girl.there is always so much talk about the children as should be…but maybe the ultra right wing and tea party people..should know is only the ultra national corporations and the rich benefactors..hey how about the Chamber of Commerce count for their votes with the ultra right wing and teaparty political..what do the bread winners for a family of children do for healthcare payments..food and shelter when they cannot find any job..the jobs have been going overseas way before Obama was ever President.. the majority of stocks that pay good dividends are ultra national or stocks in other places. question are we then actually making these other places richer while America with few plants left where American workers make things..this has been going on for years now way before Obama even thought of any political career.
I will never forget the spectacle she made out of this village’s plight. She didn’t go there to help them, she went there to make herself look like Lady Bountiful…and in the process, embarrassed the entire village by portraying them as beggars.
Mansour will only be preaching to the choir with this. Let’s remember that the “Don’t Retreat, Reload” statement came in response to the objections to the map obviously being a hit list. “I didn’t mean violence, so don’t retreat, reload”, doesn’t absolve her from her culpability in this. If you give heroin to a junky and tell him it’s a wonderful thing he will take it. When you preach violence to the crazy people they’re going to become violent. It’s at your feet, Sarah Palin. Guess whatever you and your family was planning in Arizona might not be what it was meant to be, either.
As to the comment..good job S.Palin..what good jobs? the comment person did say what good jobs the comment thought but just perhaps one should think the good? a little better. Palin took down the map detailing in crosshairs political people their home address and names that the map used crosshairs to show..point fact one..that map should never have been posted by Palin in the first place..Why do any not personel friends need to know exactly the home address of political people particularly when the manta of do not retreat..reload…and at the and of the map..take back our country…well no doubt the shooter took this very literally…as to Hati..F.Graham ..Palin…much huge money was given to Hati…Bill Clinton..G.Bush and President Obama and his wife made definite appeals for people to help Hati..no one knows even yet what happened to that money..who got it etc. ,. so as to Franklin and Palin ..why not some mention of the others mentioned above who got much more money going to Hati… contd.
It is now crystal clear for all to see that the woman’s judgement is pathetic. She wouldn’t be so associated with this shooting if she didn’t use the crosshairs imagery. It doesn’t matter that it was a metaphor…it was dumb. That was her judgement and she apparently thought she was pretty clever. It is so apparent the woman’s foresight, judgment and maturity is nowhere close to what is necessary to be a real leader. It doesn’t seem like she’s learned much from this tragedy. I doubt the republicans are going to want to deal with someone whose judgement is so suspect.
p.s. Everyone knows her intent was to put crosshairs and not surveyors icons on that target list. The folks from that camp are getting more incredible by the moment.
Not only was it dumb, but when it was pointed out to her how people would take it, whether those of us who saw it for what it was, or those of us who ensured her that it would stir up violence, she shouted it all the louder, and claimed she wouldn’t be responsible if someone took it “the wrong way”. Sorry, Sarah. It doesn’t work that way.
Agreed. Judgment is key here.
I heard Chuck Todd blathering that “battle imagery” was a political tool which has been used many times.
~snort~
A lighted match is a useful tool, too, but throwing it in wet, cool grass is very different than throwing it in dry, sere grass with hot, strong winds blowing……irresponsible, poor judgment which has resulted in thousands of homes burning and firefighters dying in wild fires.
Palin has relentlessly played with fire during a time when the hot winds of anger and racism blew dangerously through our country after a black Democrat won the WH in ’08. She and her advisors knew exactly what they were doing, and share some moral, if not actual, responsibility in the tragic deaths and injuries in Arizona.
Tools, judgment about using those tools, and culpability are all inextricably linked. Period.
PALIN SHOULD BE SUED BY THE VICTIMS FOR EVERYTHING SHE’S GOT….AND MORE…. FOR PUNITIVE DAMAGES. As Sheriff Dupnik said: “We have free speech, but it does have consequences.”
She needs to be charged with sedition and Beck as well.
I’m with ya their and I hope people kept screen shots from every where that had the type of hate speech that can cause others to go over the edge.and I see her Daughter did not fall far from the tree although SP doesn’t use the bad language her daughter does. So all you so all Christian followers of Sp do you approve of her daughters language especially in public???????
“Palin has relentlessly played with fire during a time when the hot winds of anger and racism blew dangerously through our country after a black Democrat won the WH in ’08.”
Beautifully put.
Yesterday seems so far away and yet,it was only yesterday I had the privilege to see a “Gurgi” and to understand the magical qualities of a Gurgi. It was like being in a different time and place for me. Now,unfortunately, reality set in and more of Earth’s precious children were killed and wounded for who knows why. I want my Gurgi moment back. I don’t want to be an adult anymore.
no worries Mike we can still haz our Gurgi mini moments here and there. when we needz Gurgi we thinkz “Gurgi” an’ there Gurgi be.
I wonder if AZ has cut out mental health care services to save their budget? Does anyone know how much, if any, the new health care act addresses mental health care?
During the announced pause on repealing health care legislative activity we should campaign to honor Cong.Giffords and her staff and constituents who were killed or injured with a “Keep Our New Health Care Giffords Act” (or some such name).
I did read that it took EMS 30 minutes to respond, which hints at budget cuts.
You know I wondered about that also with brewers death panels!!!!!!!
Politics, crime and other facets of society have long histories of people promoting assaults on opponents through veiled comments (e.g., Sure would be nice if Jimmy Hoffa took a permanent vacation), or at least smiles and winks when someone else suggested such things. So should we be surprised that the Gifford shootings follow in the wake of Sarah Palin winking and nodding during her political rallies when folks shouted out threats to Obama and other “liberals”, or when Beck or Savage sang and danced on the same bandwagon? Isn’t this a hate crime, and aren’t they culpable?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/details-emerge-of-suspect-in-shooting-that-injured-congresswoman-killed-6/article1862797/page3/
The part about the shooting fundraiser on the last page stands out….
I earnestly pray that all civilized members of this great republic exercise restraint, reflection and resolve in this matter.
Mainly, let’s all join in wishing a speedy recovery for Ms. Giffords and easement of pain for everybody else affected by this senseless tragedy.
Go, Gabby!
Thanks Linda. Nice to end this day with that “special podcast” Those pee’rs need two guns so they can hit both feet. Sunday should prove some good conversation.
Does anybody know of or is planning some sort of vigil in Anchorage for Sunday?
I’m going out somewhere with an anti-hate message. It would be nice if we all gathered in the same place (or maybe not!). I guess I’ll try the park strip first, say, around noon?
I was thinking of boycotts, etc. the typical, but then a positive thing to do may be to go viral and have everyone we can reach bombard Congresspersons to NOT vote to repeal healthcare reform as they were planning when they reconvene … tell ’em to show guts. They are a bunch of scaredy cats that could never fill the shoes of the Congresswoman from AZ… She took the bullet for them and all of us.
I think that’s a great idea, the park strip would be fine unless someone has a better suggestion. You know, during the Vietnam war, we, the people took to the streets to protest the insanity and changed the course of the country, it’s time we do it again. These people like Palin and Beck aren’t going to stop until we make them. We have to take away their platform and make them accountable for everything they say and do. McCarthy was stopped and they can be too. They are too dangerous to this country to let them go unanswered.
A popular and effective Congresswoman is shot through the head at point-blank range in the course of doing her job …. how is that not political?
Mansour is worse than I thought.
From his YouTube profile is the reading list of someone who is not obviously ideological, but including Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto in there is indicative of someone disturbed:
I had favorite books: Animal Farm, Brave New World, The Wizard Of OZ, Aesop Fables, The Odyssey, Alice Adventures Into Wonderland, Fahrenheit 451, Peter Pan, To Kill A Mockingbird, We The Living, Phantom Toll Booth, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Pulp,Through The Looking Glass, The Communist Manifesto, Siddhartha, The Old Man And The Sea, Gulliver’s Travels, Mein
Kampf, The Republic, and Meno.”
______________________________
The above was from a site I read today which I find highly disturbing. I know many, many people who are very avid readers who have read many, if not all, of the books listed. To suggest that someone is very distrubed for reading a couple of them is shallow and, frankly, quite ignorant. Some people thrive on knowledge and read anything and everything to enrich their knowledge of the world we live in. I have read most of the books listed as well as (probably) thousands more, including Atlas Shugged (who didn’t read that in the 1960s?), the beautiful To Kill a Mockingbird, and the eye-opening Mein Kampf (and someone try to tell me again that the german people didn’t know – he wrote this in the 1930s and it was required reading in Gemany, I believe).
What next? Book burning?
AlaskaDisasta—-
I, too, have read all but one of those books (among the thousands of others throughout my lifetime).
It’s never the READING that is the problem, it’s the UNDERSTANDING. This is why education remains so pivotal to us all. The context of a book is almost as important as it’s content.
I hear you concern about a fear of book burning…it’s a fine line to cross over to censorship isn’t it?
If I recall correctly, at least a third of those books are required and/or suggested reading in high school and college literature classes.
Even a telephone book can be dangerous if the person reading it is disturbed and determined to cause chaos and destruction.
sounds like a basic reading list for a beginning literature class.
Like Mother, like daughter!! Idiots!!
If I wanted to be President I would tell my daughters to NOT RESPOND.
Bristol Palin’s latest Twitter:
F#ck u, asshole!
Reported->>”@MattKap20: I wonder how SarahPalinUSA would feel if someone put a crosshair on @bristol_palin ‘s new house.
less than a minute ago via Twitter for Android
http://twitter.com/bristol_palin
shoe – meet the other foot…..
Sounds more like Bristol is a hater than anyone else Hope she reads here to keep her mother appraised of what is being said.She and her mother are the haters
Christine Taylor Greene profile and portrait
http://tinyurl.com/37jgyf2
She had recently made her First Communion at St. Odelia’s Catholic Church on Tucson’s northwest side
Here’s Sarah’s Twitter today. Advertising for Franklin Graham and pushing her show. Good job, Sarah. Her staff was busy taking stuff down. But Sarah was thinking about the season finale. Did they even call her?
The price of gold today is at $1,368.90 an ounce, and during the 2-hour finale of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” you’ll… http://fb.me/y8VIdei2
Please remember to watch the live webcast from Haiti of Rev. Franklin Graham’s Festival of Hope tomorrow at 1:30pm… http://fb.me/J04GNrl8
You can watch Samaritan’s Purse/Franklin Graham’s Festival of Hope, Sunday, Port-au-Prince; live webcast @ http://www.samaritanspurse.org/haitilive
Did they even do any good there???Aside from giving bibles and taking pictures.
Linda, thank you for the update. I’m exhausted. La cama me llama. Health and peace to all.
TruthSeekerNo Gravatar says:
January 8, 2011 at 10:28 PM
what if the shoe was on the other foot? I wonder what you, RAM, and all your fanatical followers would say if there was a map showing cross-hairs on your(Palin’s) home, RAM’s home and the homes of each one of your followers.”
No truer words ever spoken.
Palin: what if the shoe was on the other foot? I wonder what you, RAM, and all your fanatical followers would say if there was a map showing cross-hairs on your(Palin’s) home, RAM’s home and the homes of each one of your followers.
Would you say that the producer of the map is blameless if something tragic happened to you or to one of the other people targeted on this map?
Or, Palin, would you lay any blame on the producer of the cross-hairs map, for the tragedy to you or your followers?
But we only want to help them survey their property, those are surveyors symbols, silly!
The country is riddled with whack jobs. Many only need to hear a “message” from one of their heroes in order to act. Sarah P. is very culpable for this incident. She has hinted at using violence for the past year and a half. The congresswoman who was shot was even one of Sarah’s specific “targets.”
The removal of her “target” page shows that even her minions realize her poor taste.
Regardless of the damage control Palin and her handlers attempt, she will forever be linked to this tragedy. Her map and her comments have been featured in news stories throughout the country and nothing she can say or do will ever erase that connection.
She has become toxic and I can only hope that the one positive thing that might come out of this unspeakable event is the utter destruction of her political and broadcast career.
I also hope that politicians and media personalities carefully consider how their words can influence disturbed people to commit horrific acts and choose to dial back the hate from this point on.
well said
Thanks for the update Linda!
Omg…..I can’t believe this. Westboro freaks are going to protest the funerals of the 6 dead apparently. Look at what they have to say. What an evil and vile bunch they are.
From Laffy (@gottalaff on twitter):
To throw gasoline on everything, Westboro Baptist Creeps to picket the little girl’s funeral. http://bit.ly/h1b1dg
Flag
It would be wonderful to see the people of Tucson form a mass encirclement of those Westboro devils and peacefully but forcefully push them far away. Or maybe the return of “tar and feathering” would be more satisfying. That is a sad, ugly group that needs to be kept away from civil society.
That has to be the most disgusting group of people I’ve ever seen. I really hope someone finds a way to stop them, peacefully, from intruding on the grief of people who have lost loved ones or who have been the victims of this latest horrible violence. Maybe there’ll be a big snow storm and their planes will be grounded or if they are driving the road will be closed and they won’t get there till after the funerals.
Miss Demeanor—-can’t remember what the Des Moines Register had on this, but they usually are more favorable Demo. It’s Vanderplats (sp) that was also running for Gov, but lost in the primary to Branstad who is pushing to impeach the judges. The Senate still has more Dem than Reps, so don’t think he will get this thru. Also it sounds like Branstad thinks it should be voted for/against in the next election. It’s amazing to think that these people think that the social agenda is more important than JOBS!!!!!!!
Speaking hypothetically, if I post a picture of Palin with crosshairs clearly linked to her, I probably get a visit from the FBI; if I were to do it after she starts her eventual campaign for President, I get a visit from the Secret Service. Even if her posting had nothing to do with today’s events, she is responsible for her words (“reload”) and her crosshairs imagery.
You’re absolutely right!! And it’s far past time that politicians be held to the same standards! NO ONE should be above the law no matter who the heck they are!
Califpat says:
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!!!
I was very moved by what Keith Olbermann had to say and he did a great job of not focusing only on Sarah Palin, but on the whole prevalence of violent metaphors and language that contributes to actual violence. I hope we can keep it that way, if we do, the more she and her followers protest, the more they will draw attention to the connection, without our help. Just MHO. (Though it is sickening that they would already be out there trying to make it about her. Please, give it up – it’s not all about you, Sarah.)
Just a note on the shooter’s ‘favorite books’ – though it did include the Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf, it also included one of Ayn Rand’s novels – I believe it was “We the Living”, one of her first novels written in opposition to communism, which she rabidly opposed. She was a vehement capitalist, to the extreme.
Thanks, Linda, for the update and for sharing the photos.
Miss Demeanor you are so right! And I for one don’t know what we can do. but I feel SP has started something that others are beginning to use to achieve their agenda.
I have posted remarks about the 3 judges that were voted out during our last election because they voted for gays to be able to marry in the state of Iowa. Now the people who were responsible for them being voted out, are now wanting the remaining judges to be impeached.
They bring in people from out of state with their money to fight for their perverted ideas.
I feel that these remaining judges could be in jeopardy.
It seems that the election box is not enough for these people. They have to go to the extreme to get their way.
Lacy Lady:
You speak of my homeland.
I am very perplexed about this vote, but I had no inkling – but should have figured outside money was involved.
One of the things I miss and loved about Iowans was their high level of education, and their ability to be critical thinkers.
Most of my family still live there. My sister went with her now-ex husband (yes there IS a correlation!!) to see Palin during the 2008 campaign. They saw one of their neighbors there, went to talk to her, and Palin’s security guards came upand escorted her out. Thewoman had no signs or placards, no purse or phone or camera, NOTHING. She and my sister asked what was going on, but no answers. The talk that incident generated was the beginning of the end for my sister.
I know how she feels. I am still HOPPING mad at all those people who voted for his fraud for governor.
But I digress. What was the Register’s position on judicial retention?
Thank the goddesses Alaska voters had the good sense to retain Dana Fabe when the right wing tried to oust her.
Interesting that the Quitter on Twitter is silent.
Maybe her handlers got to her and told her to shut the hell up for the rest of THIS day.
You mean Twitler? The Bitter Twitter Quitter?
She’s showing what kind of leadership qualities she has by hiding behind her facebook page and letting RAM speak for her.
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.
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 family members being lynched – strung up and MURDERED – because they were black and were “uppity”.
I have had it with this woman.
What constructive action can I take, besides writing and calling TLC?
I cancelled a magazine subscription because they featured SP over and over and told them she was a dangerous uneducated person who incited violence with her snarky conments. So, we can boycott anything, anyone who continues to feature this raging fool. The extreme right will NEVER give up on her – she walks on water where they are concerned. So, we have to hit the press, whoever in the pocketbook. Let the SP worshippers carry on – we can’t do anything about them.
MD,
Your words are so true about the effects of violent rhetoric/actions. I remember living under segregation, and the things you mentioned definitely happened. I was hated by members of my own country for something over which I had no choice–the color of my skin.
Sarah put Congresswoman Gifford in her sights and signed her name to the political ad. Then some crazy guy put the Congresswoman in his sights and pulled the trigger. Palin can never distance herself or deny that she created a metaphor that may or may not have contributed to death and destruction.
This is utter nonsense, I’m so sick of people saying it was bigotry, racism, Sarah Palin (whom I dislike), the teaparty, or Americas general disdain for it’s government. Look, sometimes people will be angry with the government, and rightfully so, but there will ALWAYS be lunatics doing crazy things on their own accord. Dare we blame the shooter?
If you want to get down to brass tacks, the shooter was actually quite interested in socialist/ communist ideals, and probably if anything, is leaning to the left more than anything. Not that it matters in my mind. I center more on the ideals of the shooter, not others. People blaming right/left politicians just goes to show how messed up we really are. BTW, Gabby was more of an independent anyway… she was once a republican. Let’s put responsibility where it lies, with the shooter.
Just more reasons to censor our right to speak our minds, and have the thought police come after us. Not to mention more gun control.
And no, I am not a republican. I am part of the origional party, the governing mass, in this great republic, oops… I mean democracy.
Thanks for the update, Linda. Good post.