Barbara Walters: Don't blame Sarah Palin for Tucson, Arizona and Gabrielle Giffords shootings

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Barbara Walters: Don't blame Sarah Palin for Tucson, Arizona and Gabrielle Giffords shootings

BY Aliyah Shahid
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, January 11th 2011, 7:58 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/01/11/2011-01-11_barbara_walters_dont_blame_sarah_palin_for_tucson_arizona_and_gabrielle_giffords.html?r=entertainment



Sarah Palin has an unexpected ally over criticism that she influenced the tragic Tucson, Ariz. shootings: Barbara Walters.

Walters argued that while Palin's map depicting Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- who was shot in the massacre -- in cross hairs was wrong, the mental state of alleged gunman Jared Lee Loughner was to blame for the tragedy.

"I'm feeling bad for Sarah Palin because I don't think that's what she should have said, and certainly cross hairs are very scary," said Walters, the most prominent, non-conservative voice in the media to back her, on Monday.

"This is a deranged young man. This is a Timothy McVeigh… We don't know what his motives are and we can hope that all the vitriol calms down. But to blame Sarah Palin as some are doing I think is very unfair to her," Walters added.

[liberal N proud]

1. I blame Palin for the hit list

Babawa can suck on that!

[OneGrassRoot]

2. People need to discern between "blame" and being "fheld accountable"

I'm not blaming Palin et al for the shooting; I DO hold them accountable for contributing to a toxic atmosphere in this country, and feel they need to take personal responsibility for their vitriolic words and actions, especially since they're on the national stage.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. She had a highly visible position in the rhetoric that created the current climate of anger.

That's the difference.

Situation 1...as Bill Maher said in a clip posted on DU last night...would have been the shooter as a field op dispatched from Wasilla. He wasn't.

Situation 2 would have been Palin posting crosshairs over Giffords' district and making statements like "don;t retreat...reload" as the freepers high-fived her from the sidelines. She did that, and more. She's accountable.

[OneGrassRoot]

6. I hear what you're saying....

I think :) -- but because we don't know of a direct connection between the shooter and Palin (unlike the direct connection between Beck and the Tides wannabe shooter), I personally don't feel comfortable saying she's to blame.

I DO feel she's to blame for the general climate of anger. I agree about that. I just don't know that we can say that's what affected the shooter, even though this involved a politician.

Blaming her and others for their stance against gun control is where I can see placing more actual, direct blame.

That's just me, but I can see what others feel differently. :hi:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

8. Once again going to the Maher clip...

...he brought up the fact that this guy was an accident waiting to happen, that his fellow students were uncomfortable around him, that one of them even said that she "expected him to bring a gun to class one day."

So Palin didn't "cause" his situation, and I think what's being said...in a much broader sense...is that rather than provide an environment in which a guy like this stands out like a sore thumb and is taken to the sidelines to get help before he hurts someone, the rhetoric and hate speech have created an environment where he just blends in...even though he's being flagged by his peers as "trouble."

There's also a degree of waiting for the other show to drop. It's natural human behavior. One tragedy makes people expect another, and it's only the absence of subsequent tragedies in a short period of time that makes them return to the pre-tragedy state of mind.

So debate is hot right now over what role, if any, Palin, Limbaugh and the Fox News "personalities" played in this. I feel that they helped define the current landscape and created a supportive environment for people who are mentally unstable.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that these people shift gears and start spewing 24/7 "happy talk"...and yes, they have First Amendment rights...but having seen what played out over the weekend, do they want to keep whacking the hornet;s nest of public anger with that same stick?

:hi:

[OneGrassRoot]

9. I agree wholeheartedly! :) n/t

[Raschel]

16. Rep Giffords said herself that the map has consequences. Why are they ignoring a victim's words?

[OneGrassRoot]

23. THAT is huge. I agree, but we know the answer to that:

They refuse to take any responsibility. Too many are absolutely entrenched in creating their own reality - even rewriting history -- and refuse to accept any personal responsibility.

Conservatives can no longer claim to be the party of personal responsibility; haven't been for a long time.

[OneGrassRoot]

24. Glitch-related dupe. :) n/t

[onehandle]

3. She's a sensationalist, not a journalist. Walters is just protecting one of her own. nt

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. Someone on DU recently put out the theory that...

...Walters is jockeying for the first post-shooter sit down interview with Palin.

Knowing Walters and the way she operates, I'm inclined to believe that.

[handmade34]

7. all I know is...

during the 2008 elections I went to Obama events and I went to McCain/Palin events... the crowds, the behavior, the atmosphere was so very different at the events that I was stunned. At one event, Hank Williams Jr, sang and one of the songs was "Country Boy Can Survive". When he came to the lyrics (specifically)

"For 43 dollars my friend lost his life
Id love to spit some beechnut in that dudes eyes
And shoot him with my old 45..."

the crowd actually cheered. I was aghast.

After the event I was driving my car (w/1 small sticker OBAMA) out of the parking lot and I can't count the number of times people, gave me the finger, called through their window that I pal around with terrorists, I love terrorists, etc...

I am just a little old lady and no threat to anyone and I was really abused.

much of it started there and it continues... yes I blame Sarah Palin and other politicians and the people who encourage that behavior...

[Enthusiast]

10. Barbara Wa Wa thinks

Rush Limbaugh is a 'fascinating man'.

[liberalmuse]

11. Looks like Walters wants to ensure she gets another interview.

Yes, I do blame Palin. And Angle. And every Tea Bagger who brings signs insinuating that they are going to use the '2nd Amendment Solution' if they don't get their way at the polls. Palin helped create this stupid gun obsessed atmosphere around the last election, and it looks like a mentally ill young man decided to literally carry out her wishes. There's no doubt in my mind that the killer had either seen her map or heard the rhetoric. I'm sick of the ladies of 'The View'. To too many of them, it's okay to use violent graphics and language, and it's okay to sodomize a 13 year old girl as long as you make good movies. These women have absolutely nothing useful to add to the national discourse. They're more like a gaggle of cackling hens.

[truebrit71]

12. Barbara Walters is a fucking idiot.

..This statement merely furthers that..

[BlueMTexpat]

13. It's long past time for Babs to ride off into the sunset. nt

[chelsea0011]

14. Has Barbara Waters had to speak out to the media about her name on a hit list

and violent attacks at her office?

[Vinnie From Indy]

15. Gee, I wonder hows Babs would feel about this incident if it were her

dumbass, botox laden face with a target on it on some nationally prominent politicians web site. Me thinks she would be screaming to high heaven about the irresponsibility of the politician.

Barbara can go pound sand.

[obxhead]

17. Fuck you too Babs. nt

[daa]

18. That is total bull shit

remember the cross hairs on the abortion doctors and how many of them have been murdered by the right wing hate machine? Palin feeds that bunch. McVeigh, wasn't he a right wing anarchist?

People are susceptible to that hate speech. It does matter. Look how Faux Nuze has dumbed down its listeners to the most uniformed, idealogical viewers.

[hamsterjill]

19. I don't blame Palin, but she is a component in all of this!

Realistically, I couldn't hold Sarah Palin, alone, responsible for this situation. But there are many components to all of this, and sorry Barbara, but Palin is most assuredly ONE of those major components.

Palin could (and should!) re-assess her tactics, and she could set a standard for her followers by toning down her own behavior.

[Zoeisright]

20. Fuck you, Barbara. You're as stupid as you are mean.

Feeling bad for Sarah Palin - just fuck off, Barbara. That's sick.

[Zoeisright]

21. You can let Babs know what you think about her here:

http://theview.abc.go.com/contact_us

[beac]

25. Done.

Thanks for the link. Walters' constant promotion of Palin is sickening.

[beac]

22. Hey Barbara, I blame YOU for helping to keep Snow Snooki in the news.

Maybe you'll think twice before putting Palin on your "Fascinating People" list again.

[Kurovski]

26. Walters is a business woman.

She's smart enough to know what she's saying, she's smart enough to know that the firearms imagery does contribute to inspiring, or at least condoning, violence.

Kissing Sassy Crackpot Sarah P's sought-after buttcrack is a business move.

[OwnedByFerrets]

27. Feel badly for the familes of the dead, BaBa

[Kurovski]

28. She's way too busy working the angles to feel anything that simple.

[JohnWxy]

29. feeling bad for sarah Palin!? Feel bad for the 6 dead and several more wounded!

IS Walters dumber than Palin? I think so! 6 million people in Arizona. How did Loughner narrow 6 million down to Giffords? He's unbalanced, doesn't like authority figures? He could have targetted any of the many local policemen he sees every day. But he chose Giffords... why?

He is unbalanced...that doesn't mean he is entirely removed and unaffected by his environment. Unbalanced people are not entirely unaware of things, and they are definitely affected by emotion in a speakers voice. Thus he could be affected by the "government is your enemy" messages by Tea-partiers and other GOPers.