“It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions,” former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said in a video accusing some pundits and journalists of “blood libel” for linking the shootings in Arizona to political rhetoric and imagery used by her and others. Palin is correct about not rushing to apportion blame. But shouldn’t she also be accountable for her actions? Regardless of whether the Arizona shooter was motivated by Palin — and there is no evidence yet that he was — has Palin been responsible in the language and imagery she has used? Her claim about “death panels” was judged as the 2009 “Lie of the Year” by PolitiFact.com. Even her use of the term “blood libel” — which refers to the false claim that Jews murder Christian children to use their blood in religious rituals — shows poor judgment.
Today’s Sedgwick County Commission meeting will be the first for Commissioners Jim Skelton and Richard Ranzau. It also will be the first time in 20 years that the commission has included no women. Plus, it’s been 13 years since the commission included an African-American. The need for greater diversity on the commission was among the arguments for the successful 1984 ballot initiative to expand the panel from three to five members. Though women and minorities were among the commission candidates last year, they weren’t among the winners. True, Linda Kizzire was just sworn in as county treasurer (after being chosen by the county GOP to replace Ron Estes), and Nola Foulston is the county’s longtime district attorney. But especially with voters having given all 28 judgeships in Sedgwick County District Court to men as of 2008, the new commission furthers the concern that the Sedgwick County Courthouse is getting to be a man’s world.
“It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions,” former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said in a video accusing some pundits and journalists of “blood libel” for linking the shootings in Arizona to political rhetoric and imagery used by her and others. Palin is correct about not rushing to apportion blame. But shouldn’t she also be accountable for her actions? Regardless of whether the Arizona shooter was motivated by Palin — and there is no evidence yet that he was — has Palin been responsible in the language and imagery she has used? Her claim about “death panels” was judged as the 2009 “Lie of the Year” by PolitiFact.com. Even her use of the term “blood libel” — which refers to the false claim that Jews murder Christian children to use their blood in religious rituals — shows poor judgment.
