Gifford was among those in Arizona whose offices were targeted with vandalism and threats during the health care debate in 2009.
(via @nytjim)Giffords was also one of the lawmakers Sarah Palin “set her sights on” in the Palin PAC infographic below (takebackthe20.com). The congresswoman and others are targeted with simulated gun sights on a map of the United States.
Despite putting a “target” on Giffords and asking her fellow nutjobs to find a “solution” to the congresswoman, Palin had this to say about the tragedy:
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.
Michael Moore asked this via Twitter:
If a Detroit Muslim put a map on the web w/crosshairs on 20 pols, then 1 of them got shot, where would he b sitting right now? Just asking.
Update Jan 9, 2010:
According to ABC News Palin denies “she meant the graphic over the districts to look like a gun sight.”
Rebecca Mansour, a spokesperson for SarahPac said, “We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights.”
Oh, Crap! I hope the Dems didn’t shoot her just to blame Palin!
As a fan of noagenda I am very disappointed to see this kind of crap posted here. This is the same stuff we were seeing posted in the swamps before anyone knew anything about the shooter.
You are making the world a stupider and meaner place.
Please stop.
Well yah, course Palin is the PuppetMaster!
It is entirely in her best interest that crazy people, er, I mean HER SUPPORTERS take up arms and ASSASSINATE her political opponents!
The ‘Set Your Sights’ was not metaphorical, but LITERAL.
KILL KILL KILL.
What group keeps referring to “second-amendment options” and to “reload” and other such idiocy? Hmm…
Free speech comes with responsibility…when your constituency includes a big pile of gun nuts, it’s not a good idea to use this sort of image. Among those gun nuts are at least a couple real wackos, and those are the ones we need to watch out for.
This graphic was a seriously bad idea when she first posted it, and now it’s looking very stupid. Considering the source…
Bob said: “As a fan of noagenda I am very disappointed to see this kind of crap”
I’m always amazed at these idiots who have so much time on their hands to comment about stuff they don’t like. Life is too short to write about stuff you don’t like.
Go outside. Make love to your wife. Read a book. Seriously, dude. Get a life.
By that I do not mean the Right is coordinating this domestic terrorism. I do mean their rhetoric gives the weak-minded rationale to do criminal things in the name of what they think this country stands for in the words of the pandering pundits on Faux News.
It is sublime, the line between outrageous free speech and illegal incitement to violence. Palin and Engle certainly went up to that line and danced all about it. Certainly “good judgment” would prevent drawing gun targets on the backs of political opponents or abortion doctors. but Palin has never been confused with having good judgment. Will she do it again? I think “probably not.” Think I’m naive—I hope not, but in any case as Robin Williams said: “She’s gonna smoke a turd in Hell for that one.”
Ha, ha. Good christians all.
Smartalix…great point. The guys at CrooksandLiars.com agree:
When the conservative movement’s True Believers are fed a steady diet of extraordinary warnings intended to induce a paranoiac, panicked fear — They’re Destroying America! They Want to End Your Liberty! Health Care Reform is the End of America! — and simultaneously fed a diet of suggestions that the solution is simply to do away with them, then what other outcome should you expect?
Its worth repeating (from the other post) that it could well be the case that the “right wing crazies” set the atmosphere for gun violence in political affairs and yet it be the “left wing (crazy!) zealots” that actually do the shooting. The left wing are “activists” who want to change things, while the right wing are holed-up in their outcountry survival compounds listening to Glenn Beck et al.
Not hard to diagram. You have to be crazy to use/recommend a gun to solve any problem. You have to be right wing to set an atmosphere that TAXES ARE SLAVERY and enslavement should be resisted by force. Then you only have to add in that dash of actually doing something. You find the right wing on the radio, and the left wing in the streets.
Culture. All interactive.
bobbo you should turn that post into a madlibs. That is the perfect form to blame people you hate for the actions of someone who agrees with you.
Bob–I don’t agree with anyone recommending gun violence, least of all political assassinations.
You gotta dig a little deeper into what you think I said. A madlib? Yes. But not as you suggest.
Try again. You’ll be better for it.
ok . . ok . .
Right Wing Radio made a Left Wing Loon shoot a bunch of people.
Global Warming is making it snow more.
Spending more money will help reduce the deficit.
I got it now.
thanks . . .
Bob–excellent==scored triple bull’s on that one.
I will quibble though. Crazy made the guy shoot Gifford. The right wing provided the gun as a solution, and the left wing provided the motivation to actually “do” something.
Not that hard. Actually just a mental construct having nothing to do with the actual facts on hand whatever they are/turn out to be.
You don’t think that political ideas of the day have any effect on those that disagree with them? Why are closeted homosexuals the loudest homophobes?
Really Bob–take to heart the sophistication you mock.
Ha, ha.
“Really Bob–take to heart the sophistication you mock.”
1) Your point is not as subtle as you seem to think it is. It just looks like Psychological projection to me.
2) The Tea Party “did” something last year so I don’t think your theory that it is only the left that takes action holds true any more.
3) Sophistication in a comment thread? Really?
#17–Bob==you continued in your muddled state:
1) Your point is not as subtle as you seem to think it is. It just looks like Psychological projection to me. /// Hard to reference subtle when my point is clearly stated and repeated. No, your missing the point does not make it a subtle one. Projection? Really? You are being either to subtle or wrong again. Please point out the projection to me, I don’t see it.
2) The Tea Party “did” something last year so I don’t think your theory that it is only the left that takes action holds true any more. /// Oh my dear. Yes, I made a broad statement and you want to Project your own kneejerk rejection on to it. “Doesn’t hold true “ANY MORE!!!!!” Ha, ha. Quite revealing, with any sophistication at all. Quibbling is a hard road to anything of merit. Makes you look silly. ((Thats a trap–don’t jump without looking.))
3) Sophistication in a comment thread? Really? /// Of course. Either you never offer any of your own, or you don’t see it in others.
Sad.
Schizophrenics don’t need politics to drive them insane.
@#19 Murderer is not schizophrenic, though Left may now want to switch to that track.
By people who knew him and his own videos on internet, murderer is radical Leftist, marijuana addict and atheist.
Left now also wants to do “judo” move and transfer blame to people who are against every bit this idiot represents (Palin, Beck, Talk Radio,…). Sorry, no way. It is Leftist, anarchist action this idiot believed in and acted out. No blaming the other side. Own your own idiots, Left.
Let us all wait for the facts to come in.
Arizona is probably second to Florida in Sunbird population so the gunmancould be fromanywhere.
Let the nutcase speak and dig his own grave.
bobbo:
one last post before I head out to the bar . .
You think “The right wing provided the gun as a solution, and the left wing provided the motivation to actually “do” something.” is clear? Was “The right wing” the name of the gun shop where the loon purchased his gun? Also; why would you compare left wing motivation with the actions of a person you say is crazy? Being wrong from both sides is an original (sophisticated?) tactic, but it doesn’t get you anywhere near the truth.
Yes; for most of my life it was only smelly hippies that went out and protested; but that has changed and that makes your point wrong. Paradigms change and your theories need to change with them.
Not only does sophistication not equal correct. It makes it all the more likely the analysis is BS.
………………………..
This is the point where I pull the handle marked “Never argue with a fool”; albeit too late.
Have a nice day.
““Never argue with a fool” ///
#20–dismal==what is the clear intent of putting a bullseye target on someone’s name and asking for a solution? “Will no one rid me of this priest?” “I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse!”
What are you saying dismal, that Palin doesn’t know what she says or just that she assumes everyone will ignore what she says after they fork over their $20 bucks?
dusanmal…hold onto your knee-jerk diagnosis, schizophrenia looks likely given his online persona and comments from people who knew him. Let’s wait and see.
Can count on oleo bywater of boggins to amuse us all with his eternal wisdon.
And this posting is fucking ridiculous to begin with.
The wider question remains: in a perfect world of our own constraints, would an ad like Palins be illegal? And if so, what should the penalty be?
I think “Yes” to its being illegal, but am having a bit of trouble with the “right” penalty==meaning, maybe it shouldn’t be illegal?
Or maybe, just apply the current law that does draw the line at “having an actual ability and taking preparatory steps to carry out the threats?” I guess that is what it means to be right next to the line, and not actually on it?
KKK has been sued civilly for money damages on similar advertisements. So have certain right to life groups. I think Giffords family could do nothing better than to sue Palin for this ad. Money, more than power, is what motivates her.
Hit her where she lives for taking the life of an innocent.
The RUSHpublicans and Fox News robots are totally bat-shit crazy. Time to round them up before they hurt more innocent people.
Faxon, really? Three things….what do you know about schizophrenia?
Are you knee-jerking, too?
Which side of the political debate has an exclusive on 24/7 vitriol and outrage for the opposition? This isn’t a “both sides” issue. It all belongs to one side. The American idiots.
You figure it out.
When we get to the day that politicians of all creeds have to stand behind what they say, and be directly accountable for those statements, we can all breathe a lot easier.
Wikileaks is helping in the right direction, but whistle-blowing can reach a lot wider and deeper – without endangering those low-level ‘grunts’ that have to work for these self-centered bigots at the top of the heap.
Before I Go Crazy!
#28. I concede that you know quite a bit about schizophrenia. My closest experience is with Frank Chiu, the SF icon.
Its more fun to hurl sh*t at this point than find out what ‘n why.
I guess….
To paraphrase George Carlin: “I don’t do Political Jokes. It’s not like Politicians fall out of a rift in the universe from a parallel dimension. Where do you get greedy, corrupt, stupid Politicians? You get them from a greedy, corrupt, stupid Society which rewards greed, corruption, and stupidity. What’s to joke about?” //// So where do these homicidal gun carrying hateful kill the opposition types come from?