Just heard that death threats agains Sarah Palin are at an all time high.

[voodoopenguin]

OK, so I was the one who started this topic albeit with my tongue firmly in my cheek. Now it seems to have gone serious I suppose I could join in.

I have no worries about believing that she has been receiving more death threats than ever. Death threats are rising against all public figures it seems as was shown by beagledave's link to the large increase in those against your own president. Other public officials have been concerned about the increase and have said about leaving office because of them. I don't think we need to see particular proof for Palin, more we could be asking if they are linked to the increase in the more violent metaphors used by all sides in their propaganda wars - see, even I use one there.

Paul

[Mac1337]

Paul, just curious. Aren't there gun metaphors in British English?

[Grace62]

voodoopenguin wrote:
OK, so I was the one who started this topic albeit with my tongue firmly in my cheek. Now it seems to have gone serious I suppose I could join in.

I have no worries about believing that she has been receiving more death threats than ever. Death threats are rising against all public figures it seems as was shown by beagledave's link to the large increase in those against your own president. Other public officials have been concerned about the increase and have said about leaving office because of them. I don't think we need to see particular proof for Palin, more we could be asking if they are linked to the increase in the more violent metaphors used by all sides in their propaganda wars - see, even I use one there.

Paul

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I don't quite agree Paul. Does she distinguish between mean and hateful comments and actual threats of violence? There just isn't any real information here.

There were media rumors last year that threats against the President had increased greatly since Obama took office, but those turned out to be false. Threats against him are the same as they were under Bush and Clinton, according to Homeland Security. It's become a common theme in American media that whenever politicians are polarizing there must instantly be lots of violent threats against them, and it nearly always turns out to be exaggerated. Attacks on public officials in the US are very rare.

There are no doubt crazy mean people who just target any face they see frequently on the news. Unlike officially generated reports on threats, Palin's report was produced by her own PR machine in what looks like a bid for sympathy and victim status. Based on history alone I am instantly skeptical of that. Without independent verification I can't consider that anything more than a PR move.

Anyway she has good private security, unlike most elected officials, and I certainly hope she is never targeted.

[voodoopenguin]

Dakota wrote:
Paul, just curious. Aren't there gun metaphors in British English?

Of course there are, the difference might be that only a very small minority of the population actually own or have the use of a firearm so wackos who don't know what a metaphor is cannot so easily cause problems. I also know that we have still had too many of our own mass killings, too many being one or more.

Paul

[Mac1337]

I heard Home Depot keeps track of people asking for hardwood stain in gunstock. You never know what they are capable of after leaving the store.

[john dough]

Are you up to answering any questions?

Prove all the naysayers here wrong and man up for once. All this cutting and running just makes you look like a coward.