At a time when most Americans are mourning the tragedy in Arizona, and tentatively looking to our leaders to see how they will react–personally and politically–there is nothing more heinous than a show-stealer. I’m a dedicated Republican, but even I can see that Sarah Palin’s recent “blood libel” video is exactly the sort of stunt that we should shun and condemn.
Not because her overall message is wrong, and not because she doesn’t deserve to defend herself again the accusations regarding the “cross-hairs” map. Her overall message may be honest and full of conviction, even her sentiments may be justified, but her deliberate use of the fraught term “blood libel” secures her a place in the center of the field that is not rightfully hers.
Palin’s stunt–and let’s call it what it is–is particularly egregious because she’s turning our focus from those who most need and deserve it. There is justifiable outrage over her use of the phrase, and there are fair and well-reasoned rebuttals in favor of her statement. But by using such a controversial term, she has essentially shifted the cross-hairs of public attention and consideration to herself. Now isn’t the time for that. Now is a time to remember the men and women who were wounded and murdered in Tucson. Now is a time to turn our attention to a newly-focused, reflective Congress. It is the time to discuss and consider how we can avoid a repeat of this tragedy.
Arguably, if Palin had avoided the controversial term, her message might have assisted with just that. Instead, her video becomes another notch in her celebrity-belt. Another debate about Palin that contributes more to (or against) her 2012 run than this country’s current plight. Oh, sure, she has the right to say whatever she wants. But this time, it’s just wrong.
