“This is just the first salvo in a fight to elect people across the nation who will bring common sense to Washington.” That’s about it for firearm-oriented rhetoric on Sarah Palin’s post-Obamacare Facebook page. But the accompanying imagery [above] has put Palin in anti-Palin commentator’s sights—as if she wasn’t there already. [See: Charles R. Larson: Tea Party Gun Owners “Retarded”] In combination with her Tweet—Don’t retreat, RELOAD!—well, the left has gone ballistic. Here we go! ” I would not find it surprising if someone from the Department of Justice rang [Palin] up to advise her that what she is doing is inciting violence – which is a federal offense,” Margo Howard from wowowow.com wrote. “As if it weren’t bad enough that people were spitting on legislators, yelling epithets and wearing sidearms into Starbucks, here comes Sarah Palin using the language of guns … and this in a country that has seen political assassinations in our lifetime. Hate speech, anyone? I would suggest to McCain’s Mistake that she, well, think before she speaks. Or better yet, just stop talking.” More?
The armed and dangerous theme isn‘t just in the streets and at the protests. It‘s now the vernacular by which supposedly mainstream conservative politicians address their followers.
Rachel Maddow, MSNBC
Palin’s rifle scope map is the kind of image one might expect to see in an ad for a violent, first-person shooter video game. Again, neither the language nor the imagery Palin uses are neutral. For Palin, the concepts of political “organizing” and “volunteering” are recast as the functions of a rifle. “Campaigning” is re-imagined as a counterassault on a war battlefield. Even more disturbing, Palin re-imagines the traditional U.S. map as a military kill list. Engaging in election politics is framed as violent assault.
Jeffrey Feldman, The Huffington Post
Honestly, where in any decent, civilized society is there room for Sarah’s latest tweet, “Don’t retreat, RELOAD!”? While some may dismiss that as silly rhetoric, or even humor, it is anything but. One only has to recall some of the weirder moments during the last presidential campaign, especially the Sarah Palin rallies. Some of those people were not only whacked-out, conspiracy nuts, they were more than willing to take “justice” as they define it, and use whatever means necessary to achieve it, including violence. And they are armed.
Rob Kezelis, Capitol Hill Blue
Palin has a history of inciting violence. The UK Telegraph reported in 2008, "The Republican vice presidential candidate attracted criticism for accusing Mr Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the sixties radical William Ayers.
The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric."
Now she encourages <wink wink> her flock to "target" Democrats that voted for healthcare and what happens? Death threats, coffins placed on lawns of reps, rep's brother's home gas lines are severed.
Robert, it's not the left that has gone ballistic. This is terrorism from within.</wink>
Comments are closed.