Palin charges critics with 'blood libel'

[Politically_Incorrect12]

news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20110112/pl_politico/47477

Jennifer Epstein Jennifer Epstein – Wed Jan 12, 7:13 am ET
Sarah Palin released a video statement Wednesday calling the rush to pin blame on conservatives for the shooting in Tucson, Ariz., a “blood libel.”

“Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own,” she said. “They begin and end with the criminals who commit them.”

In the eight-minute video, Palin says, “Especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.”

[ For complete coverage of politics and policy, go to Yahoo! Politics ]


Palin’s use of the charged phrase “blood libel” — which refers to the anti-Semitic accusation from the Middle Ages that Jews killed Christian children to use their blood to make matzo for Passover — touched off an immediate backlash. (see: Full text of Sarah Palin's statement)

“The blood libel is something anti-Semites have historically used in Europe as an excuse to murder Jews — the comparison is stupid. Jews and rational people will find it objectionable,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a New York-based Democratic political consultant and devout Jew. “This will forever link her to the events in Tucson. It deepens the hole she’s already dug for herself. … It’s absolutely inappropriate.” (see: The Arena: Palin's 'blood libel' defense fair?)

Palin has faced criticism this week for images that look like gun cross hairs she used to identify the districts of Democrats who were vulnerable in the 2010 elections, including that of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was shot on Saturday. (see: Shooting presents 2012 test)

But in her first extended response to the shooting — released hours before President Barack Obama is to visit Tucson — Palin said that “responsibility lies not collectively with all the citizens of a state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election.” (see: Obama hopes for healing in Arizona)

Though some “claim political debate has somehow gotten more heated just recently,” Palin said, it has always been “heated.” (see: Pawlenty jabs Palin over 'crosshairs')

“When was it less heated? Back in those ‘calm days’ when political figures literally settled their differences with dueling pistols?” she asked.

“In an ideal world, all discourse would be civil and all disagreements cordial. But our Founding Fathers knew they weren’t designing a system for perfect men and women. If men and women were angels, there would be no need for government. Our Founders’ genius was to design a system that helped settle the inevitable conflicts caused by our imperfect passions in civil ways. So we must condemn violence if our republic is to endure.”

Palin said that “America must be stronger than the evil we saw displayed last week.” (see: Arizona to Obama: Rise above the 'vitriol')

“We are better than the mindless finger-pointing we endured in the wake of the tragedy,” she added. “We will come out of this stronger and more united in our desire to peacefully engage in the great debates of our time, to respectfully embrace our differences in a positive manner and to unite in the knowledge that, though our ideas may be different, we must all strive for a better future for our country.”

Before posting the video, Palin had said little about the shooting. She released a brief message on Saturday afternoon expressing her condolences to the families of Giffords (who at the time was incorrectly reported to have died) and the other victims.

Her only other remarks were in a brief e-mail exchange with Fox New host Glenn Beck. “I hate violence. I hate war. Our children will not have peace if politicos just capitalize on this to succeed in portraying anyone as inciting terror and violence,” she wrote to Beck, who read her statement on the air.

SarahPAC Treasurer Tim Crawford told POLITICO the Palin camp chose to release the video because Palin wanted to redirect media attention back to the tragedy and away from the raging political blame game. (see: House rolls out Gabrielle Giffords resolution)

“She is her best spokesperson by far,” said Crawford. “She had things she wanted to say.”

Palin warned against any efforts to limit free speech, saying, “We will not be stopped from celebrating the greatness of our country and our foundational freedoms by those who mock its greatness by being intolerant of differing opinion and seeking to muzzle dissent with shrill cries of imagined insults.” (see: Beck, Limbaugh respond to shooting)

She noted in the video that less than a week after the shooting “another member of Congress announced that he would propose a law that would criminalize speech he found offensive.” (see: Tragedy marks turning point for Palin)

That was an apparent reference to Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), who has said there may be a need for revised standards for talk shows on TV and radio.

“I came up in a time that the Fairness Doctrine did not allow media outlets to say things about a candidate or a person in public office without giving that person equal time to respond,” he told NPR on Monday. “And I really believe that everybody needs to take a look at where we are pushing things and may need to take a serious step back and evaluate what’s going on here.”

Meanwhile, former Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle is blasting those blaming her for inciting the Arizona shooting, saying the accused shooter went off the deep end long before the tea party movement started. (see: Angle defends herself, tea party)

In her first comments — coming three days after the shooting — Angle said in a harshly worded statement that her critics were “dangerous and ignorant.”

“Expanding the context of the attack to blame and to infringe upon the people’s constitutional liberties is both dangerous and ignorant,” she added. (see: War of words rages on)

“The irresponsible assignment of blame to me, Sarah Palin or the tea party movement by commentators and elected officials puts all who gather to redress grievances in danger.”

She added, “Finger-pointing towards political figures is an audience-rating game and contradicts the facts as they are known — that the shooter was obsessed with his twisted plans long before the tea party movement began.”

[deziloooooo]

"people come out of this stronger and more united in our desire to peacefully engage in the great debates of our time, to respectfully embrace our differences in a positive manner and to unite in the knowledge that, though our ideas may be different, we must all strive for a better future for our country.”

"Palin warned against any efforts to limit free speech, saying, “We will not be stopped from celebrating the greatness of our country and our foundational freedoms by those who mock its greatness by being intolerant of differing opinion and seeking to muzzle dissent with shrill cries of imagined insults"

"“Expanding the context of the attack to blame and to infringe upon the people’s constitutional liberties is both dangerous and ignorant,” she added. (see: War of words rages on)

“The irresponsible assignment of blame to me, Sarah Palin or the tea party movement by commentators and elected officials puts all who gather to redress grievances in danger"

"She added, “Finger-pointingto wardss political figures is an audience-rating game and contradicts the facts as they are known — that the shooter was obsessed with his twisted plans long before the tea party movement began.”
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All I get from her statementss, if the above quotes are correct, is her inability to accept that possible her remarks, remarks of others, from both sides, were possible a bit over the top.

That they may have a bit of irresponsibility to them as the ones they are directed at, their supporterss and getting otherss to support them, just might be taken out of context by some and the same ideas could be accomplished with out the personal attacks and the fact that most of the populace from both sides are really fed up with these types of communications and are looking for more civil discussions of the problems our country.

With out all the personal attacks.

By not taking any responsibilityy for her and others actions she reminds me of a former President who believed that any admission of mistakess were a sign of weakness.

To me, such a admission of, demonstrates maturity and leadership.

Another difference of opinion I guess.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

<<< Palin should have just expressed sympathy for the victims and assured one and all that neither she nor anyone in her camp condone violence and lawlessness. A measured response would have provided no grist for her enemy's mills. >>>

...I suspect she would have been ridiculed for saying too little, too... oh, well... what a world, what a world...

[nalto]

I find it funny that everyone is being blamed, except for the man who actually did the shooting.

Personal responsibility. I guess those words don't mean much anymore.

[deziloooooo]

"except for the man who actually did the shooting."


If you mean here on these boards..I disagree, many posts on who is the culprit..the one responsibile..and the blame is put on the perp...whether being of sound mind or just off his rocker to be blunt..nuts....the rest of the comments, the thinking that the verbal of those who are in position of influence might have had a responsibility in their public rhetoric on influencing the event , which is a difference of opinion by many. Some think yes, others no..no influence at all.

[nalto]

I didn't mean on these boards, sorry. I meant in the media in general.

[floridayankee]

Jan 12, 2011 13:53:16 GMT -5 deziloooooo said:

....the rest of the comments, the thinking that the verbal of those who are in position of influence might have had a responsibility in their public rhetoric on influencing the event , which is a difference of opinion by many. Some think yes, others no..no influence at all.

All the libs frothing at the mouth over palin putting cross-hairs on a map seemed to have a problem with the DNC putting targets on maps in 2006. If something tragic like this did happen back then, I'd still say blame the asshole behind the trigger and not a political campaign map, but that's just me I guess.

Until I see credible, hard proof that palin or any political leader from either side advocated for this type of violence, I'll continue to dismiss these silly, unfounded accusations as nothing but politically motivated, point and blame, biased bovine feces.

[steff]

WASHINGTON -- In the past year, Pima County, Ariz., where Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 19 others were shot Saturday, has seen more than 45 percent of its mental health services recipients forced off the public rolls, a service advocate told The Huffington Post.

The deep cuts in treatment were protested strongly at the time, with opponents warning that they would result in a spike in suicide attempts, public disturbances, hospitalizations and brushes with the police. But according to Clarke Romans, executive director for southern Arizona's branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the state government ignored requests for relief, citing the need to implement strict budget controls.


www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/pima-county-mental-health-services_n_807522.html

[Cookies Galore]

This guy is extremely disturbed. Do I think rhetoric led him to shoot people? No, but I'm also capable of sane and rational thought. Until he opens his mouth and tells the police what his thought process was, we won't know. I can separate campaign rhetoric from reality, but at the same time, we do have to give credence to the fact that there are people out there who suffer from mental illness and will find something/one that "talks" to them. There are people out there who believe that songs contain subliminal messages that encourage you to commit suicide, so I don't think it's too far-fetched that someone deranged would take metaphors and buzzwords to be gospel.
I don't think it was words from Palin, Beck, et al, that led him to shoot all those people. I think that he was obsessed with Rep. Gifford, which is psycho in its own right. Wasn't there something she said back in 2007 that set him off? I think he was obsessed with her perceived wrong and felt that he needed to "take care" of the problem. But again, this is all speculation until that idiot opens his mouth and tells us his reason.

[billisonboard]

I don't know that I care to give much credence to what rationale an irrational person gives for his actions.

[dmsm]

We better pay attention so that maybe someone will spot the next one before he can cause so much damage.

[billisonboard]

Jan 12, 2011 15:09:45 GMT -5 @dmsm said:

We better pay attention so that maybe someone will spot the next one before he can cause so much damage.

how to assess a patient's risk to harm self or others
About 1,640,000 results (0.27 seconds)

www.google.com/search?q=how+to+assess+a+patient%27s+risk+to+harm+self+or+others&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8&rlz=1I7_____en

[billisonboard]

Jan 12, 2011 15:18:25 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

We better pay attention so that maybe someone will spot the next one before he can cause so much damage.

Truer words were never spoken. Pray this is the last one for a while.

Plus we need to make sure that we allocate the tax dollars to fully evaluate the millions of referrals that will result from the knowledge that all of our fellow citizens gain from paying attention.

[handyman2]

We should not blame the state for lack of identifying the shooter as a person who should have been in the mental system. For the state to put him by court order into the system there must be an evaluation process that is accepted by the court to force him in. I have read nothing that indicates any agency was alerted to his mental status.

[lakhota]

I feel so sorry for Sarah. She is obviously the victim in this horrible tragedy. Get well soon, Sarah.

[vonnie6200]

Tacky

[billisonboard]

Jan 12, 2011 17:13:43 GMT -5 vonnie6200 said:

Tacky

And that is being kind.

[billisonboard]

I hope she meant the card.

[vonnie6200]

Yes and most of the media

[vonnie6200]

What I really meant was the one person responsible is in custody - the finger pointing is and has been a bit out of hand

[deziloooooo]

"either side advocated for this type of violence,"
----------------------------------------------------------

Of course she didn't advocate this kind of violence Florida, you know that and the map she put up was one with scope cross hairs on it which insinuates a shooting of, in a joking , joshing way or what ever..and if she came out and said in hind site it was out of order and over done I would give her that.

However she isn't doing that, just yapping away with accusing others of what ever. So you keep defending her because she is from the right as you are and in your mind it's all from the left...all these posts and nothing changes..like kicking a dead horse to get it to move. It won't move, it's dead as are the arguments here, all dead, all parties set in their ways and no one changing or moving, not a inch.
So you don't read , say my arguments , and possible think well possible just possible he might just have a point and I will do the same to yours.

[Politically_Incorrect12]

Jan 12, 2011 17:03:31 GMT -5 @lakhota said:

I feel so sorry for Sarah. She is obviously the victim in this horrible tragedy. Get well soon, Sarah.

Where is that "Don't feed the troll" icon?

[vonnie6200]

Where is that "Don't feed the troll" icon?[/quote]

Good one.