Tell Sarah Palin: Violent threats have consequences

[Anonymous]

I'm shocked at the hypocrisy here from OP. the last few crazies we've heard about were ardent Luba or Obama supporters and no one blamed the left for its vileny rhetoric, yet, since a Dem congressperwoman got shot, everyone assumed its due to the conservatives rhetoric and use this opportunity to shut down any opposing voices. Sarah Palin is only a big deal bc the left has made her one. Don't use her as an excuse to become anti first amendment fascists.

[Anonymous]

Sarah Palin adn right-wingers are unapologetic. They are pretending those aren't cross hairs to survive this episode but in reality that stand by that icon and what it obviously means. Other candidates may "target" politicians to take out of office but none ACTUALLY TARGET THEM. If you speak to those on the far right, they are not surprised by what happened to Giffords.

[Anonymous]

OK, I was willing to give Palin a break -- overheated rhetoric and all. Common on both sides.

But the "explanation" that those were "surveyor's symbols" -- give me a farking break. It's like when Shanahan offered daily-changing reasons why he benched McNabb with 2 minutes to go against Detroit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm shocked at the hypocrisy here from OP. the last few crazies we've heard about were ardent Luba or Obama supporters and no one blamed the left for its vileny rhetoric, yet, since a Dem congressperwoman got shot, everyone assumed its due to the conservatives rhetoric and use this opportunity to shut down any opposing voices. Sarah Palin is only a big deal bc the left has made her one. Don't use her as an excuse to become anti first amendment fascists.

It's not OP hypocrisy. If you look at the last two years of news articles, the subject of hostility in the tea party movement has been a constant topic. Whether it was the epithets like N**** hurled at Congressmen during the first tea party gathering on the mall, to the liberal protestors who have been physically assaulted during rallies, to the gun references, to the vandalism of congressional offices, something is going on. Death threats against congresspeople have skyrocketed, and nearly all of them are targeted to members of congress who voted for the Health Care bill. Death threats against the President have gone up 400% since Barack Obama took office. Two years into office, there are people disputing the constitutionality of the presidency. Pundits on Fox News have joked about killing Obama. People all over, not just OP, are making this observation. The press and members of congress are saying it. In this particular case, the sheriff investigating the shooting commented on the level of hatred in the Az political scene. And Giffords herself warned about where this was going months ago in a videotaped interview. Her own political opponent ran a fundraiser "Get on Target for Victory in November. Help Remove Gabrielle Giffords from Office. Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly".

No one is arguing that liberals have not in the past or even in the present committed violence. Examples include the usually chaotic world bank protests, the black panthers at the entrance of that one polling place. But you do not hear the leadership egging this kind of thing on, not directly condoning the violence but producing rhetoric consistent with it. You do not hear the press making excuses for this kind of behavior like we have seen in similar incidents from the Fox commentators. And most important, the left does not have a potential presidential candidate using hunting metaphors to energize their supporters.

[Anonymous]

The difference is that when I, a liberal Democrat, see the Democrats engaging in violent rhetoric or using violent imagery, I condemn it. I remember how tense the town meetings over healthcare reform got, and predicted that someone would shoot someone at some point. Someone brought a gun to one of Gabrielle Giffords' town meetings, someone blew out her office door, either with a gun or a hard object, after the vote. We've been teetering on the edge of a violent eruption for a long time, folks. Any politician who engages in the sort of rhetoric and imagery that Sarah Palin has used is reckless and should take responsibility for it and publicly pledge not to do it again. Instead, what do we see, the nastiest comments on her Facebook page, from her supporters, who are in a tizzy about godless liberals. Meanwhile, conservatives in Arizona want the sheriff to apologize. No one's calling them nuts. But the right is always hurling the nastiest comments at the left. I am sick of the mudslinging, the double standard, the hypocrisy.

[Anonymous]

To all of the "it's not her fault" posters:

would you be happy if your child used violent images for what should be a non-violent debate, say-- student government elections? Even if there were no tangible consequences, would you be proud? How about when he or she is grown up and running for elected office or hosting a radio show?

If your spouse brought home a poster like that for his or her campaign or client and asked your opinion, would you say "great idea, honey. That's how people should act."

There is a lot of daylight between "it's her fault" and "that's a classy, intelligent way to participate in US politics."

In all of the drama about the First Amendment-- which applies to government action, not to private behavior-- the question of common sense sometimes gets lost.

Ask yourself if Palin's behavior meets your standards for yourself. Ask if your grandma would have tolerated that nonsense from someone she knows.

[Anonymous]

no tea-party crowd hurled the N word at anyone. that has been disproven. way to buy into the lies.

the violent talk against Palin is worse than anything coming out of her dumb mouth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To all of the "it's not her fault" posters:

would you be happy if your child used violent images for what should be a non-violent debate, say-- student government elections? Even if there were no tangible consequences, would you be proud? How about when he or she is grown up and running for elected office or hosting a radio show?

If your spouse brought home a poster like that for his or her campaign or client and asked your opinion, would you say "great idea, honey. That's how people should act."

There is a lot of daylight between "it's her fault" and "that's a classy, intelligent way to participate in US politics."

In all of the drama about the First Amendment-- which applies to government action, not to private behavior-- the question of common sense sometimes gets lost.

Ask yourself if Palin's behavior meets your standards for yourself. Ask if your grandma would have tolerated that nonsense from someone she knows.

I agree with you. I also find it interesting that so many posters think Palin's language can have an effect on people, yet the same thinking doesn't apply to what our teenagers (and emotionally unstable adults) see and hear on a daily basis? Whenever the discussion of the effect of violent and/or pornographic movies, music, video games, etc. comes up, we hear free speech must be protected and it's up to parents to monitor. We should also be concerned about the effects of what teenagers (and unstable adults) are hearing and watching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Holy shit. Sarah Palin pulled the trigger?

Didn't think so, Einstein.

She is in a position of leadership -- and she wants to be even more. Do Presidents pull triggers in wars or do they LEAD wars? They lead wars, not shoot the actual guns (Einstein).

What is she leading? All I seeher as a person who just had her TV show axed -oooooppppps I mean taken off the air

this situation in AZ is sad, very sad, it was not Sarah Palin getting this guy motivated to go out and do it. That is like saying music is driving people to kill themselves.

A person who is going to kill someone is going to do it, if this guy couldn''t get a gun he would have used something else, imagine if he drove a car into the crowd, do we blame Lee Iacocca?

The bes tthign to do is ignore Sarah Palin, she is a train wreck who will evenutally go away but the more peole pay attention to her the more she continues.

She is not a leader not even close

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, I was willing to give Palin a break -- overheated rhetoric and all. Common on both sides.

But the "explanation" that those were "surveyor's symbols" -- give me a farking break. It's like when Shanahan offered daily-changing reasons why he benched McNabb with 2 minutes to go against Detroit.

Exactly. Her camp seems to think there is some kind of connection because they're lying about what those really are. She has in fact referred to them as "bullseyes."

[Anonymous]

I'm the poster who called OP a moron... To respond to your comments:

1) I voted for Obama. Not that's hrs doing a great job or anything, but he's not Bush and he's not Palin, so he's doing something right.

2) I'm not a bully, and I actually would call the OP an idiot AND a moron to their face. This thread is stupid, and the petition is even stupider. When and where did Palin ask people to murder the individuals on her map? Does an icon = a murder invititation?

So yes, OP, you are a MORON for posting that crap.

[Anonymous]

Palin is not a leader? Did she not lead in Alaska? Did she not run to become Vice President? Is she not a leader in the tea party? Of course she is a leader. Her words (and images) obviously mean something to many people. That is the whole point of using them -- it motivates people to action. She should take responsibility for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Palin is not a leader? Did she not lead in Alaska? Did she not run to become Vice President? Is she not a leader in the tea party? Of course she is a leader. Her words (and images) obviously mean something to many people. That is the whole point of using them -- it motivates people to action. She should take responsibility for that.

She is a has been, what did she lead people to do? no one led this guy to do this, he was not a stable person, stop denying the fact that people are sick,

Who led the kid to kill his doctor in Bethesda a few years ago? no one, the guy was sick, who led the Virginia Tech guy to do what he did? A sick person is going to do what they do, they don't all of the sudden think, oh so and so said this so now I must get my weapons and go.

but let me add this, the fact that several people died and many are hurt and need support is much more important then whatever your view is of sarah palin or the next wack job who thinks they are a politician.

[Anonymous]

PP here, I am not defending palin at all, can't stand the lady

[Anonymous]

I am no Palin fan, and a Democrat through and through. I think it is completely awful to focus on any role of politics or Sarah Palin when the uniting call should be on improving mental health access for people. This young man was clearly deranged and not in treatment without any support. I'll sign a petition to improve mental health coverage for Arizona residents but would never link this to a certain politician.