Gunsight Graphics Aimed at Eliminating Congresswoman
This is the graphic that Sarah Palin used last year to "target" Democratic Representatives she felt would be ripe to lose their seats in Congress to Republicans. She used GUNSIGHT CROSSHAIRS indicating where each Representative's state office was. One of the three crosshairs in Arizona belongs to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in the head today at an open "meet and greet" in a supermarket parking lot in Tucson today. Eighteen people were shot, and six people were murdered, including a Federal Judge and a nine-year old girl. Rep. Giffords is out of surgery, but was shot in the back of the head. Surgeons say they are cautiously optimistic regarding her recovery.
Palin's headquarters has supposedly begun to "scrub" her website of these graphics, but thanks to one of the finest activists in this country, Joe Jervis, of the blogsite Joe.My.God, we have this proof of the level of violent rhetoric Palin uses. At the time this graphic appeared last year, calls were immediately made to take it down, that it was over-the-top, that the gunsight crosshairs could incite violence, and Palin completely disregarded it. I think there needs to be some SERIOUS rethinking of just what is said by these Teabaggers and their de facto leader Palin.
• The continually unfolding breaking news story at MSNBC, here.
N O T E : Do I think for a second that Palin actually called for violence with these gunsight crosshairs and her inflamed rhetoric to "take out" various members of Congress? No. But I DO think that she never, ever thinks five seconds beyond her words. She never thinks about the consequences of her words, she never thinks about who might be listening and what they may actually do about what they hear from her. I think what she frequently says is the equivalent of yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theater. I also find it highly galling that Palin released a statement today saying she is praying for the victim's recoveries after she placed a crosshair on Gifford's seat.
Great minds think alike, Casey. I snagged this graphic from Joe and posted it almost at the same moment as you.
ReplyDeleteA tragedy made absolutely predictable.
Thanks, Ish. I honestly didnt' remember Palin's graphic until Joe posted it. He has a brilliant mind, and I just had to further the cause here.
ReplyDeleteI was about to post this very same graphic. Just as we have freedom of speech, we do not have the right to yell "Fire" in a crowded theater.
ReplyDeleteOur world is filled with unstable people, it is the responsibility of people in positions of power not to throw about terms such as "locked and loaded, targeted and take them out" when referring to the unseating political opponents. It is irresponsible and dangerous.
Lives were lost today, including that of a nine year old child, wake of America - this new wave of 'patriotism' is very dangerous.
Thank you Casey for your post.
I had forgotten about that graphic until I saw it at Joe's site, and then the outrage just built up inside of me. This is exactly what we on the left have been talking about since this violent rhetoric began. It's just so heartbreaking to think about a 9 year old child shot and killed by a wackado loser, most likely incited by the Teabaggers and their chief teabagger Palin. And Michelle Bachmann is just as bad, calling Democrats "unamerican" at every opportunity. She has also called for people to be "taken out." It just has to stop.
ReplyDeleteOh, and head over to Ish's site. He writes about politics and this serious stuff so much better than I do!
ReplyDeleteI am over-the-top angry with Sarah Palin for targeting opponents with the use of crosshairs and putting up their office addresses and this chart. I remember when it happened. She is irresponsible and a little bit crazy, IMHO! The tea baggers are very dangerous. Some of their ideas would set this country we love back by many decades. Keith Olbermann did a great piece on what the Teabagger candidates were advocating just before this last election. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! Thank you Casey for posting this. And I'm "NascarKate" who voted for your blog and made a comment. :)
ReplyDeleteKatie
Thank you Kate, you racing car freak, lol!
ReplyDeleteGN CASEY GN
ReplyDeleteGRANNY
This is all so shocking. I feel like what my late friend Raymond used to say about things: I'm amazed but not surprised. This is the logical end to all this tea party crap and I was glad to hear that someone at a vigil last night in Tucson called Palin out on it. I am very interested in what Keith and Rachel are going to have to say about all this tomorrow night. It needs to on every news outlet in the country --
ReplyDeleteWAKE UP TEA PARTY WACKOS -- THIS IS WHAT YOUR INSANITY IS DOING TO THIS COUNTRY. Of course, I'm assuming that they're sorry about this but I suspect the opposite. Now they see that it works. Are we in for another era of political assasination?
I'm distraught.
Paul, NYC
Paul, do you follow Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish? http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/
ReplyDeleteHe has put up some good posts on this.
Annie
Annie, I really enjoyed that link. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI've calmed down now, but now I'm a little frightened. Was this a one-time lashout by a ultra-conservative nutbag, or does it portend things to come? I have been deeply disturbed by all the hatred for opposing viewpoints in the political world this past year or two. People hating people, more than politicians hating other politicians. There is so much anger! Jon Stewart tried to address this and get people to work on being more civil to one another in his Rally to Restore Sanity, but the effects aren't lasting. I hope something can be done (I wish I could do it!) to stop all this hatred and anger in society regarding government and politics!
Katie
It has been going on for some time, but now with all our new communication choices, hated can spread faster than wildfires. We need to embrace a whole new mindset, I will have a new blog post after midnight on this subject.
ReplyDeleteIn a sad, sad way, maybe this had to happen to wake America up. Peace should become our mantra like John Lennon so many years ago. Time to wake up.