Here’s Gov. Palin’s statement (HT: Mel):
The stories of two very different lives with similar fates crossed through the media’s hands yesterday—both equally important but one lacked the proper attention. The death of 67-year old George Tiller was unacceptable, but equally disgusting was another death that police believe was politically and religiously motivated as well.
William Long died yesterday. The 23-year old Army Recruiter was gunned down by a fanatic; another fellow soldier was wounded in the ambush. The soldiers had just completed their basic training and were talking to potential recruits, just as my son, Track, once did.
Whatever titles we give these murderers, both deserve our attention. Violence like that is no way to solve a political dispute nor a religious one. And the fanatics on all sides do great disservice when they confuse dissention with rage and death.
She’s right on all counts. Contrary to my initial expectation, the killer here wasn’t a fringe anti-war activist, but rather an American Muslim convert and Yemen-trained Islamic terrorist. My point still holds, though: will the media and leftist pundits (but I repeat myself) treat Long’s murder as a terrorist act and go after those whose hateful rhetoric encourages such acts? So far, nope. (Go on, tell me you’re surprised.)
Update: The Atlantic‘s Jeffrey Goldberg has noticed, as has Toby Harnden of the Telegraph.
Granted: I'm not that surprised either, though I can see liberals not leaping to claim a Muslim convert who gunned down military recruiters, which seems even more radioactive than claiming a liberal extremist doing the same. I'm comfortable denouncing any intentional killing, whether it takes place in America or Iraq, whether it is motivated by politics or religion or economics or whatever, but then again that makes me stand out even from liberals as a true fanatic.
"Violence like that is no way to solve a political dispute nor a religious one."
I like this quote, because it is Palin being careful to say "violence like *that*". I would just say "violence is no way to solve any problem ever", but then again, that's my fanaticism coming out.
Oh, granted; I misread the matter, and I certainly don't expect liberals to offer any mea culpas in this case. I would expect them to call a spade a spade, though, and perhaps to reflect on some of their more extreme anti-military rhetoric.
As to your quote from Gov. Palin's statement, I think you're overanalyzing it. I certainly agree that she shows herself in that line not to be a pacifist, but then we knew that; beyond that, I wouldn't read too much into it.
I would also say, I think fanaticism is more about the way in which one holds one's positions than it is the positions themselves; if you were in fact a fanatic, you'd have a much harder time dealing with people who disagree with you, much less being able to carry on civil dialogue with them. Personally, I'm glad you're not a fanatic; I think you're a good soul.
Rob, you give me too much credit, but I will take it.
And I don't read too much into Palin's statement – it isn't surprising, just a reason I'm unlikely to vote for her (or, honestly, any candidate from the two parties).
No, I don't think I do give you too much credit. 🙂 Should we wind up with a President Palin, though, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. (Not surprised enough to vote for her, I'm sure, but I think that in that event, you'd find her more amenable than you expect.)