Category: MSNBC

In an effort to distance themselves from the shootings yesterday in Arizona, where 6 people were innocently killed including a Federal Judge and a nine year old girl, Sarah Palin and her followers have begun a campaign to suggest that all the coincidences surrounding the incident were just that… coincidences.

The we-had-nothing-to-do-with-it campaign began shortly after the shooting. The webmasters of Sarah Palin’s website immediately removed the picture showing the crosshairs over Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords district in Arizona. A feeble attempt, as with today’s technology, archives of the site were already made showing the now forsaken image.

The pitiful campaign is also being waged on Twitter by an employee of Palin’s. Her name is Rebecca Mansour. Mrs Mansour has taken it upon herself to use her Twitter account to defend her boss against all accusations that the crosshairs gesture was  connected to the shooting.  She also appeared on a radio interview to defend Palin’s website and to tell everyone how wrong it was to make the association.

And then there’s Mrs Palin herself. Shortly after the shooting, she offered her “condolences” to the victims, saying;

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.

In one of her previous tweets after listing the Congresswoman’s district under the crosshairs, Palin advised her supporters to “RELOAD.” Her actual tweet read;

“Commonsense Conservatives & lovers of America: ‘Don’t Retreat, Instead – RELOAD!’ Pls see my Facebook page.”

What Palin, her staff, and her devoted followers don’t want to acknowledge is that when you’re a renown, followed public figure who  negligently uses riotous words and actions to blatantly and willfully arouse the fearful, hateful emotions of your listeners, such as exhibiting crosshairs  over congressional districts on your website suggesting that your opponents be ‘taken out’,  then its to be expected that when a congresswoman  (and excuse my crudeness here) gets shot in the head…then connections will be made.

And this connection was made by none other than the victim herself, when she was interviewed on MSNBC almost a year ago. Asked about whether the political leaders of both parties should condemn the growing divide in this nation, Mrs. Giffords specified that it’s not only the responsibilities of political leaders to tone down the violence. She named Sarah Palin and expressed her concerned about being targeted by Mrs. Palin’s crosshairs depiction. In an eerie conclusion, Mrs Giffords warned Sarah Palin that “words have consequences!”

No one is saying Sarah Palin caused the shooting in Arizona.  But saying that she contributed to the vile political divide in this country is a huge understatement. We will always have  disagreements as a people, but we have to continue to use democratic ways to move on, while respecting our various differences.

Palin’s antics proved that manufacturing lies to maintain fake non-issues, is a profitable way to exist. She is not about solutions, for solutions will mean that  her antics are no longer needed, thus no paycheck. For  Palin and and her fellow commentator associates, saying or doing anything is warranted only if its about  maintaining the cash. As they deposit their checks however, the words of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords should ring in their ears, – “words have consequences!”

Related articles

• Sarah Palin: “My sincere condolences” to Gabrielle Giffords’ family (shortformblog.com)
• Rob Warmowski: Following Giffords Shooting, Sarah Palin’s Crosshairs Website Quickly Scrubbed From Internet (huffingtonpost.com)
• Michael Shaw: Reading the Pictures: The Giffords Shooting and the Palin Graphic: Almost Predictable (huffingtonpost.com)