Sarah Palin incorrectly uses term “blood libel” to defend herself

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.
Sarah Palin • Defending herself from criticism while using a pretty heavy term incorrectly. From Wikipedia: “Blood libel (also blood accusation) refers to a false accusation or claim that religious minorities, almost always Jews, murder children to use their blood in certain aspects of their religious rituals and holidays.” She may have a claim to being unfairly treated by some, but it certainly wasn’t “blood libel.” source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

Probably the most interesting take we’ve seen on this whole incident comes from James Fallows. “It is legitimate,” Fallows writes, “to discuss whether there is a connection between that tone and actual outbursts of violence, whatever the motivations of this killer turn out to be.” The suspect – we don’t know what was going through his head, and who knows if we will. But a generally vitriolic political environment can have an unwieldy, uncontrollable result in the wrong hands. The reason why things like Sarah Palin’s “Take Back the 20” or her congressional opponent’s gun-shooting event worry us have nothing to do with Palin having a direct role in the shooting, but with the way that general anger and rage has played an influential role in our political climate. You have to be careful with this kind of imagery. A good comparison Fallows makes is the JFK assassination, where he offers a suggestion that Lee Harvey Oswald’s motives may have been influenced by the general anger and discontent in Dallas at the time of Kennedy’s visit. Arizona has a lot going on right now. It’s fair to draw comparisons, even if on the surface, they aren’t so clear. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today’s tragic shooting in Arizona. On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice.
Sarah Palin • In a statement on her Facebook page about the Gabrielle Giffords shooting. No judgment, no criticism. It’s simple and fair. We’ll just leave this here. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

All of a sudden, Sarah Palin’s “Take Back the 20” site is getting slammed. In case you can’t get into it, here’s the main image used. One of those three targets is Giffords, ~~the first congressperson to be killed in the line of duty since Leo Ryan made an unfortunate trip to Jonestown in 1978.~~ (EDIT: There are conflicting reports.) Suffice it to say that Palin has yet to tweet about this. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Jan 2011 10:05