PALIN INDICTED FOR HATE CRIMES?

1/10/11

If only it were true.  I can’t tell you how much this situation angers me.  And how does that anger manifest itself?  Well……my pulse and blood pressure are elevated; and I am motivated to write and speak to people about it.  But I don’t promote or incite hate.  I don’t promote or incite violence.  And I’m sure Ms. Palin would say she doesn’t either.  Really?  This from the woman who says “don’t retreat – reload”.  Really?  This from the woman who runs an ad campaign with a gun sight super-imposed over some congressional districts.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I am not commenting on her political position.  I am commenting on her tactics – and I view these tactics equally reprehensible, and I wish criminal, whether coming from the left or from the right.

And let’s talk “free speech” for a moment.  I am a big believer in free speech – but just like we have rules for slander and libel, we should have rules for hate.  Speaking or communicating in metaphors that so overtly relate to guns and shooting is so very different from expressing one’s disagreement with another person’s views or values.  And what Sarah Palin and her like fail to understand is that they are not a video game, or a movie with fictional characters – they are public figures, who may even be admired.  They have national and even international exposure, and were or are elected to govern. Their entire existence is devoted to influencing people – so how is it when something like what happened in Tucson occurs, they say that of course they are not responsible for the actions of others.  And perhaps they are not directly responsible – but I submit there is some sort of contributing effect.

So while I wish our Attorney General had the courage to indict Palin for her role in what happened in Tucson – I know it will not happen.  But….she is a villain here, and she should be vilified in the court of public opinion for her tactics.  And our legislators need to set some rules so we as a society can come to grips with this issue.

(see “A Million and One Ways to be One-in-a-Million”; Chapter 10 – A Final Word)