In defense of Palin

I find it disappointing, but not at all surprising, that your paper piled on former Gov. Sarah Palin in its reporting on the Tucson massacre.

On the one hand, you note Rep. Steve Rothman’s urging of patience in the investigation of the lone deranged gunman, who, as it has been learned, had been stalking Rep. Gabrielle Giffords as far back as 2007, well before Palin had become a household name anywhere outside of Alaska.

On the other hand, your publication eagerly joins in the blood libel against Sarah Palin by noting how “many, particularly in the media, have put the spotlight” on the governor and blame her for influencing the shooter. How pathetic!

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One individual is quoted later in the article as saying that the rhetoric has “got to be toned down.”

Actually, it was The Jewish Standard that deemed Sarah Palin a “nightmare” from the very moment that Sen. John McCain announced her as his VP pick in 2008.

But I guess in your opinion the term “nightmare” is a benign characterization and one of the highest forms of civility.

Thankfully, many have come forward to defend Sarah Palin’s use of the term blood libel in her recorded remarks regarding the shooting. These include some who are on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Mrs. Palin, namely Alan Dershowitz and former Mayor Ed Koch.

Your publication owes the former governor and her supporters in the Jewish community an apology … but I’m not holding my breath.

The editor responds: This reader is confusing news with opinion. It is a statement of fact that “many, particularly in the media, have put the spotlight” on former Gov. Sarah Palin “for influencing the shooter.” The Standard’s editorial, it should be noted, did not. We chose to focus on guns and bullets rather than rhetoric.