President Obama & Governor Brewer Take the High Road.
The memorial service for the victims of Saturday's shooting in Tuscon was perhaps America at its best. Differences were set aside and President Obama and Governor Brewer set aside their political difference and summoned up their better angels to help unite a very polarized nation. Both are obviously rival politicians bunkered in camps on opposite sides of great political divide. For them Statesmanship trumped politics.
Sarah Palin takes the "blood libel" low road:
Sarah Palin also wound up front and center once again by finally responding to comments about incendiary rhetoric perhaps inciting to violence. In my previous blog - I too was rather bombastic in my tone regarding the use of "second amendment solutions" and "don't retreat, just reload" slogans used by the right in light of Jared Loughner's attempted assassination of Gabrielle Giffords. However Palin went to a new low, by likening the criticism levied against her to "blood libel."
"Blood Libel?" Surely you jest, Ms. Palin! How in God's name does someone come up with "blood libel" as a metaphor for violent campaign rhetoric complete with cross-hairs on congressional districts and "lock and load" slogans? This shows Palin for the trivial person that she is - self-serving and self-involved - oblivious to all that transpired, she was focused on 100% on the impact these events had on her own political fortune.
Just an FYI for those who don't know - "blood libel" dates back to the middle ages and refers to the claim that Jews murdered children and used their blood in their religious practices. This libel fueled the persecution of the Jews by Christians and made them easy scapegoats from everything from bad crops to bubonic plague.
Sharron Angle didn't fare much better when she appeared with a similarly self-absorbed response to this tragedy.
Why Barack Obama is President of the United States and Sarah Palin will never sit in the Oval Office:
The two clips say it all - Nuff said by me for today.
Further Reading:
The Politics of Hate - When politicians scream "fire" in a crowded theater
© 2011 - Ruthmarie G. Hicks - http://www.therobberbaroneconomy.com
RG, I didn't like the president's speech in some respects. Here is an advanced look at my post for tomorrow: I admire your writing. Cletis
ReplyDeletePredictably, there has been a concerted effort to define the hate-filled rhetoric that has brought out national political dialogue to the level of a gutter snipe as somehow eguivical; equally apportioned between the left and the right on the political continum. That's simply not true. Also, there is an effort to say Jared Loughner's, murderous actions had no relationship to the political animosity stoked for years by Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, Palin, and scores of others on the right, but were instead a result solely of his mental illness. That's not true either. If political rhetoric had no bearing on Loughlin, why then did he choose a political rally to manifest his demons? Why a political rally hosted by a Democrat?
Loughner, who is most probably schizophrenic, could have shot up a neighborhood school or shopping mall. Certainly the vitriol directed at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords from America's political right determined Loughlin's destination that day. President Obama fed this lie with his memorial speech in Tuscon which was far too conciliatory. In an effort to heal, he rubbed in an aromatic and appealing salve which will have no healing effect because it did not derive from the truth. Saying something is so even in the interest of spiritual reconciliation still does not make it so. Loughlin was indeed affected by the relentless, hate-filled words of those on the right. There is no equivalency here and it does great damage to say or imply that there is. In his moving, appropriate, and otherwise eloquent remarks in Tuscon, the President should have simply left that aspect of Loughlin's heinous act alone.
I am still working with this post. It is proving difficult but this version is more representative of my thoughts than the first. Cletis
ReplyDeletePredictably, there has been a concerted effort to define the hate-filled rhetoric that has brought our national political dialogue to the level of a gutter snipe as somehow eguivical; equally apportioned between the left and the right on the political continum. That's simply not true. Also, there is an effort to say Jared Loughner's, murderous actions had no relationship to the political animosity stoked for years by Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, Palin, and scores of others on the right, but were instead a result solely of his mental illness. That's not true either.
If political rhetoric had no bearing on Loughlin, why then did he choose a political rally to manifest his demons? Why a political rally hosted by a Democrat? Loughner, who is most probably schizophrenic, could have shot up a neighborhood school or shopping mall. Certainly the relentless vitriol directed at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by the Tea Party and the rest of America's political right determined Loughlin's destination that day.
President Obama's memorial speech in Tuscon gave credence to the equivalance argument of, "...we need to all turn down the volume." In an effort to heal, he rubbed in an aromatic and appealing salve which will have no lasting effect because it did not derive from the truth. Saying something is so even in the interest of spiritual reconciliation still does not make it so.
Loughlin was indeed affected by the relentless, hate-filled words of those on the right. There is no equivalency here and it does great damage to say or imply that there is. In his moving, appropriate, and otherwise eloquent remarks in Tuscon, the President should have simply left that aspect of Loughlin's heinous act alone
Hi Cletis,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments about my writing. I was an academic for years and try not to be too - well - academic on a blog like this. This was not my field in any case. So its an effort. By nature I'm a nerd. I like the things that you write too. Totally different style, but well written.
I can't post as much as I would like - my vocation is that of a Realtor® - and my business blog and facebook page (for work) keeps me too busy. But I'm trying to do more. There isn't that much business - so it should be easy - but I've had a marketing push lately.....so that's why a few days might pass before I post. Just finished a calendar of events for my county....
It's a tough line to draw. Clearly this was a very disturbed individual and the right is leaving a loaded gun cocked and ready for someone just like this to use. The question of whether that was the influence this time is a question mark. By taking the high road though - he does two things - he keeps the rhetoric at an appropriate level for a memorial service and he makes Palin look terrible. So on those two points - I give him credit. I am bit more bombastic - I do not accept that conservative rhetoric a pass on this...but then i would never be president because I am too transparent. I say what I think and think what I say.
O'Reilly has already used the president's speech to point out equivalence of responsibility for the shootings in Tuscon. For those who deny responsibility for tipping him over, I would simply ask this: If Loughner was not influenced by the hateful Right, why did he take a cab and target a "targeted" Democrat as opposed to shooting up his former college or anywhere else for that matter? I'm pretty sure I would like you. Good luck with the realty effort. Cletis
ReplyDeleteYou know, I really think I would like you. May I offer a term for you compendium of Palinisms? A Palindrone, not to be confused with a palindrome, is defined as an, "incessant whine emanating from an innocuous source". I think that's original to me but I am getting old. Thanks for your wonderful blog. If you're ever in Kentucky, look us up.
ReplyDelete