Shortly after the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and murder of six others in Tucson, Arizona, politicians from both parties began the process of either finding someone to blame or deflecting attention away from their own role in possibly instigating the incident. Sarah Palin became Democrats favorite punching bag, with many citing her use of cross-hairs and violent language during the 2010 midterm elections to describe how she wanted to take out her political opponents.
In an already infamous 8-minute video, Palin went even further (using an arguably anti-Semetic term “blood libel” in the process) by arguing that those who blame her for the Tuscon shooting were simply reaching for any reason to vilify her. She says that only the killer should be held responsible for the tragedy, and that her words were harmless political hyperbole.
Unfortunately for Ms. Palin, there are those who see a very clear connection between her words and the violence that was thrust upon the victims of Jared Lee Loughner’s senseless attack. Furthermore, they see her rhetoric as playing a role in the numerous threats of violence that have been aimed at mostly Democratic officials all across America. Finally, the public sees a relationship between the disrespect that Republicans have shown toward the first black president and the fact that President Obama has received more death threats than any president in American history.
By dodging responsibility for her words like a Spanish matador, Palin reminds me of rappers like Lil Wayne who gladly use their public platforms for personal benefit, yet neglect any responsibility for the negative outcomes of their words. Public figures in all walks of life sometimes forget that great power comes with great responsibility, and that it is difficult to serve the public and also serve yourself. So, yes, Sarah Palin has now become a political gangster rapper, with her equivocations are sounding just as pathetic.
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If you were to ask Palin if she were a leader, she would answer with a resounding “yes.” Given that she defines herself to be a leader, one would expect that she is fully aware that a portion of the citizenry reacts to the things she says. If that’s the case, and one of Palin’s political enemies has his/her life threatened after disagreeing with Palin, then she, as a leader, must realize that her statements may have played some role in the perpetrator’s decision to behave so aggressively.
In fairness to Palin, and for that matter gangsta rappers, a non-trivial slice of accountability must be saved for the individual who commits the act of violence or makes the death threat. 50 Cent or Lil Wayne can’t take responsibility for every black boy in America with tattoos up and down his body, who gets high every day, carries a gun and tries to have unprotected sex with “every girl in the world (as Lil Wayne raps about in one of his famous songs).” But if that kid says that T.I. is his favorite rapper and exudes personality traits, attitudes and behaviors that correlate highly with those suggested in T.I.’s musical imagery, we’d be silly to deny that T.I. has not influenced this young man’s behavior.
Similar to gangsta rappers, Sarah Palin is not responsible for every hillbilly and crackpot that wants to kill our president or hurt a Congressman over his support for the Obama health care plan. At the same time, when these individuals just “happen” to attack Palin’s political enemies and an extraordinary number of death threats are coming to the offices of those who disagree with her philosophy, Palin and her cronies cannot pretend that they are not playing a role in influencing this behavior. The same way Republican leaders inspire their supporters to vote, they can also inspire them to “reload” against their political targets, as Sarah Palin has consistently done.
Ironically, Republican backpedaling after the Giffords shooting is highly inconsistent with the much-touted conservative belief in personal responsibility. While those administering death threats to our leaders must assume responsibility for their role in the process, those who pour fuel onto the fire must be accountable for what they’ve done as well. The “gangsta rapper defense” is not acceptable, and as Republicans attempt to admonish and chastise gangster rappers for their behavior, they must realize that in some ways, they’re all just one in the same.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the initiator of the National Conversation on Race. For more information, please visit BoyceWatkins.com>
