Unable to accept her own complicity in the Tucson shootings, Palin issued a video on Face book. She obviously chose this format because she wanted absolute control of the message and no questions that she would have to field unprepared.
Once again, she has attempted to place herself in the role of the victim. While there is no obvious connection between her posts and the shooter, there is a connection between all of the political viciousness, lies, and demonization and firearms violence in this nation. Whether or not a criminal is mentally ill, they are still influenced by the propaganda that they are exposed to in their daily lives. All of us are. We do not live in absolute political isolation nor do the mentally ill. Palin’s desires to the contrary, she is heavily implicated in the divisive nature of the political climate.
My dislike for her is grounded, in her right wing theocratic political stance, in her complete unpreparedness to hold national office, in her obvious lack of political ethics, and in her use of her family as stage props followed by her complaints about them then being media targets. Now she has given me cause to raise both the level and the reason for my dislike.
It is inappropriate but consistent Palin behavior for her to play victim when something doesn’t go the way she hopes. However, for her to assume that the term, “blood libel” in any manner can be applied to her is frankly demonstrative of her utter lack of awareness of what the term means. It originated in the middle Ages as a means of finding church and politically sanctioned cause for anti-Semitic pogroms and murders. I applies to a religious minority being persecuted for their minority status by a religious majority based upon a lie applied collectively to the minority – specifically, Jews were persecuted and often murdered for ostensibly murdering Christian children in order to use their blood in preparing Passover matzos. While absolutely untrue, it was widely believed.
Palin belongs to a Christian church. She has openly sat through at least one sermon that was openly anti-Semitic. While I appreciate Palin demonstrating her lack of knowledge yet again, I object to her effort to apply this symbol of anti-Semitic hatred and bigotry to herself, her actions, and the collective display of similar bigotry and hatred pumped out by the likes of Beck and other right wing demagogues.
Representative Giffords is Jewish. She explicitly complained about Palin’s use of cross hairs and “targeting” when the web page was posted. While Palin did not pull the trigger, her actions helped load the weapon and the actions of her political supporters helped to keep guns available for the mentally ill to buy unobstructed by laws. Palin can’t lie her way out of this one. I hope that this video exposes her to the open and honest criticism she deserves.
Blood libel, Ms. Palin? I can see you in the mob at the pogrom but not as one of the persecuted. Shining light on your lack of intellect is not persecution. You’ve just earned every speck of anger anyone ever directed at you.
These three articles are short and worth the time it takes to read them.
The foolishness of the 'blood libel' charge
By Adam Serwer
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/01/the_foolishness_of_the_blood_l.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Why Sarah Palin's 'blood libel' was a poor choice of words
By Ruth Marcus
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/01/why_sarah_palins_blood_libel_w.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Sarah Palin proves -- again -- that she is a terrible politician
By Stephen Stromberg
…“Palin's video comes after a long and consequential string of political mistakes: resigning the governorship of Alaska; massively overexposing herself on Fox, Facebook, a book tour and a TLC show about clubbing halibut; and endorsing candidates in 2009 and 2010 who were far too right-wing to win general elections.
“Evaluating politicians' political skills can be tricky; you don't want to lose sight of the intrinsic quality of their work, not just how well they spin it. But in Palin's case, the characteristics that make her an ineffective politician are often the same ones that make her deficient on substance. Her anti-intellectual swagger. Her manipulative use of implication and overstatement. Her unyielding sense of victimhood. All habits that she cultivates to a fault. “
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/01/sarah_palin_proves_again_what.html
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