13 January 2011 They’re only words…

Palin quotes Reagan (about social welfare programs) - ‘’ It is time to restore the precept that each individual is accountable for his actions



Sarah Palin's effort to defuse controversy backfires with 'blood libel' comment

“Palin officials confirmed a report by ABC News that Palin has received an unprecedented number of death threats since Saturday's shootings and has been in conversations with security officials about the matter. They declined to provide further details. “

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/12/AR2011011206366_2.html?sid=ST2011011203220

On his Monday radio broadcast, media personality Glenn Beck read from an e-mail he wrote to Palin in which he urged the former Republican presidential candidate to protect herself and invest in more security. “An attempt on you could bring the Republic down,” Beck wrote.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/01/13/palin-death-threats-rise-to-unprecedented-levels/



An aide close to Sarah Palin says death threats and security threats have increased to an unprecedented level since the shooting in Arizona, and the former Alaska governor's team has been talking to security professionals.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/blood-libel-sarah-palins-controversial-reference-riled-emotions/story?id=12601352



It's a sad statement about where public discourse is that, in response to this particularly infelicitous choice of phrase, the defense that is used is, "She has no real idea what any of the words mean." This is the sort of thing that gets me, for lack of a better word, somewhat wee-weed up.

So I can't help wondering: Is Miss America to blame for Sarah Palin?

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/compost/2011/01/is_miss_america_to_blame_for_s.html#more



Cassi Creek:

This is exactly what should not be happening. No American politician should be at risk of assassination for speaking his or her mind in a public forum. No American citizen should make threats toward politicians. There is no excuse for such action.

However, I am unable to overlook one aspect of this situation. Palin has apparently received an increased number of death threats from known and/or unknown persons. Palin has previously denied that there is any connection between her words in the political forum and the actions of others, deranged or not. What we appear to be seeing is a direct correlation between her words posted in the political forum electronically, and the number of threats directed toward her. This would seem to be basic logic; X writes, Y reads If Y is angry, Then Y threatens X. If Y is not angry, Then Y does not threaten X.

It will be interesting to watch this shake out. I fail to see how she can publically defend her contention that her words have no correlation to the actions of others in any sort of public forum. She can only maintain her assertion as long as she remains isolated from any real time interaction with other than Fox News media. Eventually, if she wishes to actually run for POTUS, she will have to face other candidates and an actual working news media in events that she is not allowed to control. Thinking on the fly is not her strong suite. I’m hoping for a bloody, brutal, event to start her political exposure to reality.