Gobsmacked by Sarah Palin<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Deacon Greg has the story.\u00a0 Evidently, former Governor Sarah Palin made the statement in a speech at the national NRA convention that if she was\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/2014\/04\/gobsmacked-by-sarah-palin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gobsmacked by Sarah Palin\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Deacon Greg has the story.\u00a0 Evidently, former Governor Sarah Palin made the statement in a speech at the national NRA convention that if she was\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/2014\/04\/gobsmacked-by-sarah-palin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Public Catholic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-04-28T15:58:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-12-27T08:37:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rebecca Hamilton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rebecca Hamilton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/2014\/04\/gobsmacked-by-sarah-palin\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/2014\/04\/gobsmacked-by-sarah-palin\/\",\"name\":\"Gobsmacked by Sarah Palin\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2014-04-28T15:58:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-12-27T08:37:51+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/#\/schema\/person\/e8d2778109308e0e776e5c16eae7b67d\"},\"description\":\"Deacon Greg has the story.\u00a0 Evidently, former Governor Sarah Palin made the statement in a speech at the national NRA convention that if she was\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/2014\/04\/gobsmacked-by-sarah-palin\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/2014\/04\/gobsmacked-by-sarah-palin\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/2014\/04\/gobsmacked-by-sarah-palin\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Gobsmacked by Sarah Palin\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/\",\"name\":\"Public Catholic\",\"description\":\"Catholic in the Public Square\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/#\/schema\/person\/e8d2778109308e0e776e5c16eae7b67d\",\"name\":\"Rebecca Hamilton\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f6253ced313d53e0b7bfa51e5c9eb56d?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f6253ced313d53e0b7bfa51e5c9eb56d?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Rebecca Hamilton\"},\"description\":\"During her tenure in the Oklahoma Legislature, Rep. Hamilton has been an advocate for human rights, believing that government must support and defend the sanctity of all human lives, from conception to natural death. Representative Hamilton: Authored the original Victim\u2019s Protective Order to protect battered women, Obtained funding for the first statewide program for adult day care and the first statewide program of domestic violence shelters, and she She has also passed legislation to prevent law enforcement officials from publicly posting the private information of rape victims, Rep. Hamilton authored a 2005 law hailed as the most significant piece of pro-life legislation in Oklahoma in 30 years. She also passed the bill outlawing elective abortions in state-funded hospitals She has passed pro life bills requiring informed consent, parental notification, and limiting forced abortions. 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{"id":22149,"date":"2014-04-28T09:58:45","date_gmt":"2014-04-28T15:58:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/?p=22149"},"modified":"2014-12-27T01:37:51","modified_gmt":"2014-12-27T08:37:51","slug":"gobsmacked-by-sarah-palin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/publiccatholic\/2014\/04\/gobsmacked-by-sarah-palin\/","title":{"rendered":"Gobsmacked by Sarah Palin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\n<\/a>Deacon Greg has the story.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Evidently, former Governor Sarah Palin made the statement in a speech at the national NRA convention that if she was president, \u201cwater boarding would be how we baptize terrorists.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went on in this speech to indulge in a string of name-calling; talking about \u201cintolerant, anti freedom leftist liberals\u201d and \u201cclownish, Kumbaya-humming, fairytale-inhabiting Democrats.\u201d<\/p>\n

How are these comments offensive? Let me count the ways.<\/p>\n

First, aside from the issue of using torture against our enemies, baptism is a sacrament. It is the sacrament of initiation into life as a Christian. It washes away our sins. We were directly commanded by Our Lord \u201cto go to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

What was former Governor Palin thinking, to use this wonderful sacrament of forgiveness, healing and salvation as a one-off in a speech dedicated to hate, violence and the torture of human beings?<\/p>\n

Second, the name-calling ugliness about \u201cliberals\u201d and Democrats is the kind of nonsense that has led us to the pass we now inhabit in our society and our government. Our elected officials in Congress have given up their responsibilities to govern this country in order to indulge in partisan eye-jabbing of one another. This language \u2014 which comes from both sides \u2014 feeds this hatred.<\/p>\n

It is simply unacceptable for a person who has held the high office of governor of one of these 50 states and who was the nominee for Vice President of the United States of America of one of our two major political parties to talk trashy hatred like this. She makes herself look like a performer in a sideshow instead of a serious woman who wants to act in accordance with the common good.<\/p>\n

A few months ago, I wrote a couple of posts decrying the filthy, misogynist<\/a> and downright OCD<\/a> attacks on former Governor Palin by MSNBC. I do not take back one word of what I wrote.<\/p>\n

I do not agree with every policy idea that Governor Palin has, but no one should be subjected to the attacks against their good name and humanity that MSNBC was launching against her.<\/p>\n

Now, I am in the position of making a public statement criticizing the over-the-top language coming from the former Governor herself.<\/p>\n

I do not know if former Governor Palin wants to be taken seriously as a politician, author or commenter, but if she does, she really should re-consider these shoot-from-the-hip statements. She has been strong in her witness to her Christian faith, yet she denigrates the sacrament of baptism to make a cutesy comment supporting torture. Instead of talking about issues, she simply comes out with a string of attack-adjectives aimed at those she disagrees with.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not doubting her Christian faith. I\u2019m not even debating her positions on issues.<\/p>\n

I am just saying that these comments are offensive on many levels. They do not give reasons or talk about ideas or even tell us what Governor Palin\u2019s positions on issues might be. They certainly do not explain why her beliefs are worthwhile or something anyone else should adopt.<\/p>\n

Just letting fly with a string of expletives is not discussion. By the same token, brandishing a string of attack adjectives and cutesy comments is not taking a position. It is hate mongering.<\/p>\n

I like to see women in government do a good job. I don\u2019t care which party they are in, I want them to succeed. I am not offended when people have ideas that differ from mine.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m honestly not offended by this very offensive use of the precious sacrament of baptism to make an ugly point in an overall ugly speech.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m gobsmacked by the stupidity of it.<\/p>\n

Governor Palin needs to stop caricaturizing herself. How is this kind of red-meat speech-making stupid and destructive? Again, let me count the ways.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"