Palin Targets Dems with Gun Sights

*UPDATE*
This post was written nearly a year ago before the tragic events in Tuscon. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. It seems to harsh to say, “I told you so” for at the end of the day the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the shooter. However, it is the duty of every decent and honorable citizen to speak out against this violence and the rhetoric that sadly often proceeds it. Urge your congressmen, your lawmakers, your religious leaders, your friends to speak out while they can when they hear violent rhetoric. When we remain silent we help arm the Jared Lee Loughner and Scott Roeders of the world. You must speak out. It is the only thing that keeps us civilized.

*ORIGINAL POST*
Sarah Palin’s PAC has put together a map of 20 Democratic Congressman their supporters should “target” because those elected officials helped pass health care reform. In case you missed the significance of using a term like “target” Palin’s PAC has decided to make it painfully clear, by putting gun sights over the locations of those Democrats and turning those sights “red” to indicate the Democratic member of Congress is no longer a threat.

This linkage of violence to rhetoric, particularly the symbolism of guns, targets, and bloodshed is one I’m very familiar with. As one of Dr. Tiller’s attorneys, who was killed by a terrorist urged on by anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, we saw it every day from the abortion terrorists. It’s page one in their handbook: websites swathed in blood, the use of graphic pictures showing aborted fetuses, the glorifying of killers, urging people to “take a stand.” It’s a very effective fund raising tool and no small coincidence that Palin would turn to the use of violence to raise money.

So it comes as no surprise to me that a fringe group would use this sort of tactic. What does surprise me is the use of it by a prominently elected, Republican party member. We’re not talking about some West Virginia congressman from the regions of “he’s a terrorist.” We’re talking about a woman who was nominated to be Vice President.

The sheer recklessness of it astonishes me. And it astonishes me in this day and age that there aren’t more Republicans standing up to say this behavior is wrong. Where are the Bob Doles, the first President Bush, the Henry Kissingers who while they may have had draconian ideas never once endorsed or stood idly by as this kind of violence took hold. Instead, we have Sarah Palin taking a page right out of the abortion terrorist’s playbook. Instead, we have John Boehner (who might as well have been beating Pelosi with a cane) screaming “hell no” on the floor of the House. Instead, we have Michelle Bachmann screaming that she wants people “armed and dangerous.”

The GOP better watch out. For when their rhetoric finally reaches someone like Scott Roeder or Timothy McVeigh, that person won’t pick up on the subtleties of the use of violent rhetoric versus the use of violence. That person will pick up a gun, just like Scott Roeder, and “target” the very people Sarah Palin has set her sights on. Shame on them. And shame on the rest of the Republican leaders for not denouncing this use of violence.