Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. In typical Sarah Palin fashion, the Empress used Facebook to bring attention to herself, by using someone else. We have seen her use her children when it suits her purposes. We have seen her use charitable organizations dedicated to the Right to Life Movement, and Special Needs children for her financial advantage. She has even worked hard to compare herself to Ronald Reagan, even though there is no comparison. However the use of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is morally offensive, and ethically reprehensible. MLK Jr. was the antithesis of Sarah Palin.
Suggesting that her principles were comparable to those of this noble leader, Palin began her Facebook post with a quote from MLK Jr.:
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.facebook.com/notes/sarah-palin/dr-martin-luther-king-jr/490074263434.
In 2008 Americans were not silent about what mattered to them. We voted for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and against John McCain and Sarah Palin. It mattered to America then and it matters to us to an even greater extent now. By Nov. 4, 2008, we knew that if Sarah Palin ever became the Vice President of the United States it would be a disaster of epic proportions. That was before she suggested solving the Gulf Oil Spill by building dikes, before she couldn’t name a single founding father, before she displayed her ignorance about whether North or South Korea was our ally, before she criticized the President for using a teleprompter even though she had written on her hand, and before she demonstrated her ignorance by using words like “refudiate”, “mandation,” and “repill.” That was before she resigned as Governor of Alaska having finished only half of her term, before she declared that Ronald Reagan went to college in California, before she said in a speech that Trig was born in Anchorage, before she traveled by private plane on her “bus tour” for Going Rogue, and before she proclaimed that the Empress was not wearing any clothes in her book America by Heart. That was before she defended Dr. Laura’s use of the N-word 11 times on national radio. That was before she appeared with Glenn Beck, the “lying sack of dog mess” at the Restoring Honor Rally, and before she received recognition for telling the “Biggest Lie of the Year” by PolitiFact for her Facebook post regarding Death Panels. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/dec/18/politifact-lie-year-death-panels/.
Given all we know about Sarah Palin we refuse to begin the end of our lives by becoming silent about things that matter. It matters to all Americans that we elect the most competent, educated, intelligent, ethical, savvy leader to guide us out of this period of despair. Sarah Palin is not that leader.
In case there had been any question before, Palin has recently proved, beyond “refudiation,” that a Palin Presidency would be the end of America as we know it. The tragedy in Arizona, and Palin’s response to it, are the most revealing indicators of the potentially disastrous consequences of a Palin Presidency. Important consideration to remember are:
1. Palin “targeted” Congress men and women who voted for nationalized health care.
2. Palin incited violence with phrases such as “man-up.” http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/18/palin-to-gop-man-up
3. Palin became associated with the phrase “don’t retreat, just reload.” She used this phrase in speeches (e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSyZt1v128w), posts on Facebook (http://us4palin.com/gov-palin-dont-retreat-reload/) , and even in her TLC television show, Sarah’s Palin’s Alaska. (http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/sarah-palins-alaska-bristols-skeet-shoot.html).
(picture from conservatives4palin web site)
4. The Biggest Lie of the Year was Sarah Palin’s “Death Panels” Facebook post regarding nationalized health care. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/dec/18/politifact-lie-year-death-panels/. These words were used to incite people even though they were proven to be a total fabrication.
5. Even after the vote on nationalize health care was concluded in March of 2010, and members of Congress became targets for violence, Palin didn’t change her rhetoric or map with targets. Representative Steny Hoyer, the House Majority Leader in March of 2010 reported that at least 10 House members had raised concerns about their personal security after the health care vote. Mr. Hoyer characterized the cases as “serious.” At least two congressional offices were vandalized, including that of Louise Slaughter of New York, and Gabrielle Giffords. Louise Slauther also reported threats of sniper attacks against lawmakers and their families. Authorities in Virginia investigated a cut propane line to an outdoor grill at the home of the brother of Representative Tom Perriello of Virgina, after the Representative’s address was mistakenly listed on a Tea Party Web site. Representative Bart Stupak of Michigan also reported receiving threatening phone calls. Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, received an anonymous fax showing the image of a noose. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/health/policy/25health.html. A man was arrested and charged with threatening to kill Senator Patty Murray of Washington because of her support for healthcare reform. The man arrested said:
“There’s a target on your back now.”
“There are many people out there that want you dead. Just remember that as you are politicing [sic] for your reelection. It only takes one piece of lead… Kill the … senator! Kill the … senator! I’ll donate the lead. Now that you’ve passed your healthcare bill, let the violence begin.”
“You are signing my death warrant, so I want to sign yours.”
That was April of 2010. At that time journalists reported, and warned, that these cases illustrate… “the dangerous and sordid underbelly of the current angry mood in the country. And it underscores the risk that can arise from supercharged rhetoric used by some leaders that seems designed to feed the anger.” http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0406/Let-the-violence-begin-death-threats-against-Sen.-Patty-Murray.
6. Gabrielle Griffords herself declared that the violence-provoking language of Palin should stop immediately. http://www.good.is/post/gabrielle-giffords-warned-of-the-dangers-of-palin-s-crosshairs-map. Palin didn’t change anything.
7. Palin endorsed Sharon Angle and it was Angle who advocated “invoking our Second Amendment rights.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/12/sharron-angle-defends-con_n_807911.html.
8. After 18 people were shot and 6 died in Arizona, Palin declared herself to be a victim of “blood libel.” http://malialitman.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/blood-libel-is-palins-revenge-for-exposing-her-nakedness/
(9 year old girl killed)
In the face of this history of inspiring violence Palin has the temerity to suggest that she is committed to “continuing his (MLK Jr.’s) work for a more peaceful and just nation.”
http://www.facebook.com/notes/sarah-palin/dr-martin-luther-king-jr/490074263434. How dare she commit such blasphemy! How dare Sarah Palin, the promoter of violence, suggest she is committed to the same ideals as Martin Luther King Jr.! MLK Jr. was an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights both in the U.S., and around the world. Following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, he advocated change through NONVIOLENT means. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965. He was awarded the American Liberties Medallion from the American Jewish Committee for his “exceptional advancement of the principles of human liberty.” He was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award named after a letter by Pope John XXII calling for all people to strive for peace. MLK Jr. was awarded the Planned Parenthood Federation Margaret Sanger Award for “his courageous resistance to bigotry and his lifelong dedication to the advancement of social justice and human dignity.” More than 730 cities in the United States have streets named after king. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr. Palin has demonstrated her disqualification for every award earned by King, through her promotion of violence and bigotry.
She left Hawaii because she didn’t like Asians. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/06/palins-father-she-left-ha_n_381724.html. She defended Dr. Laura in her rant against African Americans. http://malialitman.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/palin-respects-those-who-dont-respect-her/. Then to make matters worse she encouraged Dr. Laura not to “retreat but to reload”. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/18/sarah-palin-supports-dr-laura_n_687148.html. A Muslim New York cab driver was stabbed after Palin posted the comment regarding the Mosque in New York, “Doesn’t it stab you in the heart?” http://malialitman.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/tell-the-holy-spirit-to-yell-at-sarah-palin/.
More recently she used the people of Haiti, when her motivation was clear. http://malialitman.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/2995/
If Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today he might forgive Palin, but he would never be her supporter. He said:
“Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”
Palin has a history of aggression, retaliation, and revenge. http://malialitman.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/beware-sarah-barracuda-might-call-you-a-puppy-kicker/.
King said:
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
Palin hasn’t learned to live together with even her neighbor. She is a fool.
King said:
“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”
Gabrielle Giffords and the family of the 9 year old child killed in Arizona aren’t feeling much love right now.
My favorite quote of MLK Jr. that I used on the first page of my book, Rebuttal to the Rogue, is:
“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.
Sarah Palin is dangerous! She might be part of King’s nightmare, but she was certainly not part of his dream.
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