This shot is more typical than not
Posted on 01/10/2015 11:11:02 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
It’s been a while since I’ve thought about Sarah Palin, except for the increasingly rare instances where someone says, “You know, with those glasses and that square jaw you look a lot like ...”
The ex-Alaska governor/GOP veep candidate/Fox News commentator has fallen off of my radar screen, even though I have absolutely nothing against her and am flattered to be mistaken for a woman who can kill and skin a moose.
But every now and then, Sarah re-emerges as a cultural lightning rod, someone whose simple existence still drives feminists to bitter tears and the men who want to date them (there are some) into fits of apoplexy.
One of the things I still very much admire about Sarah is her unapologetic willingness to offend. It’s not that I think she really wakes up in the morning, churns fresh butter for her kids’ toast, rips salmon out of the Alaska waters with her own teeth for Todd’s packed lunch and says, “How many liberals can I send into therapy today?”
I really don’t believe she calculates her moves any more, or at least that she doesn’t do it when her kids are involved. This is a mother bear who truly does have the wilderness instinct to protect, and exposing her colorful progeny to further public abuse (except for the abuse they bring on themselves, Bristol) is about as pleasant as an invitation to go sneaker shopping with Wendy Davis.
But every now and then, the stars align in such a way that Sarah can’t avoid creating controversy with her young’uns. It happened again this past week when Trig’s proud mama posted a photo of the now 6-year-old tyke standing on his black lab in an attempt to reach the spigot.
I looked at the shot, which Sarah innocently intended to be a tribute to ingenuity and toddler perseverance and thought, “This is such a sweet Norman Rockwell moment.” It might be because I doubt that a barefoot little 6-year-old with Down syndrome is capable of any malice. Or it could simply be that any dog that was truly in pain would rear up, and the photo would end up being of a toddler sandwiched between a kitchen floor and a tub of black fur.
Regardless of the reason, I loved that photo (and then “liked” it and commented how it had brought a smile to my face.) That’s when the notifications function on my Facebook page started going haywire and I noticed how many people had “replied” to my comment. It was similar to the way in which Israel “replies” to terrorist attacks, God bless her.
For every “that’s a cute shot” there were 10 “you should be shot.” Most of these came from PETA sympathizers, but some came from otherwise reasonable human beings who’d been bored since Michael Vick faded from public view and were looking for another monster to vilify. Bill Cosby had provided some temporary fun, but it stopped being amusing when you needed a calculator to keep his accusers straight, so Sarah and her dog-abusing little boy fit the bill perfectly.
Unlike some of my fellow conservatives, I really don’t think this is primarily about Palinphobia. A sizeable number of those criticizing the photo don’t really give a dog’s midnight poo about politics. They probably haven’t thought about John McCain’s running mate in years, because she only pops up when it’s a slow news day on Hannity or “The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell” (a show I can’t take too seriously because it keeps having to remind us of who the host is.)
The real reason I think that people are so up in arms about the photo of boy and dog has less to do with the idea of animal cruelty and more to do with our increasingly draconian intolerance for spontaneous, genuine, albeit flawed humanity. We have become “grievance police,” looking for ways to redress the many instances of politically incorrect or socially inconvenient conduct that defines homo-not-so-sapien.
I mean, let’s face it, people make mistakes. Some of us are particularly talented at ruffling other people’s feathers without even meaning to. Others of us (both hands raised here!) do it on purpose and with particular gusto. But it’s become much harder to say and do things without having the grievance police on your case.
Give an interview to a woman’s magazine where you suggest that a wife should want to take care of her husband’s needs? Duck, honey, ‘cause the zombie feminists will be on the warpath and you better apologize or they’ll eat you for breakfast.
Imply that female students need to take some responsibility for their own conduct and not put themselves in situations where they might be susceptible to attack? Please, Mr. University President, sign this resignation letter because we can’t afford to have you around, you caveman.
Tell black youth to stop blaming white society (or at least, only white society) for your problems? Better buy a calculator because there are a bunch of women ready to accuse you of something and not too many ready to give you the benefit of the (beyond a reasonable) doubt.
I’m glad that Sarah lashed back out at the haters, refusing to apologize for something that is neither offensive, criminal or wrong. I bet that, secretly, a lot of others are too.
Wink.
She can touch any nerve I have. Marry me, Sarah!
Actually, I think Sarah does ponder what she can say, do or be rumored to have said or done, that would make the liberals burn another fuse, and that’s okay with me.
She, Ted Cruz and Rush have decoded or figured out the Libs; what motivates, what aggravates. We need some on the right ready to ‘give back’ to the media in the same blunt and strident manner the progressives use on us.
it’s no use giving the left any response, as they are not worth the time.
let them stew in their own filth and move on
I liked that article that you or someone else posted, describing how the moment being captured was especially meaningful to families with Down Syndrome children, because there was a deeper happening being seen besides just the dog and child cuteness that most of us saw.
What Parents of Down Syndrome Kids Get About Sarah Palin That Others Don’t
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3244956/posts
1. My dogs are supremely embarrassed at what I do to them. Ut, they practically beg for it.
Maybe, because they know really enjoy a good laugh or they know I’ll scratch their lil ears, give em a snack or just gush all over them.
2. I would totally hit Christine, the author, for a good week, take her to some really great restaurants in Rehoboth and make her breakfast.
This shot is more typical than not
Actually, I think she probably does. Not that it matters except for the last item - I can predictably cause liberal veins to throb - I mean in the same person, over and over again - by mentioning her name and when the sputtering starts I just ask "What's the matter, you got a problem with strong women in government? Hey, it's OK, we're all bigoted about something." If you get the timing right you can actually see the pulse in the forehead.
Not well, you know...
I'll bet the dog loved it!
Ha ha! So true.
As a woman, I love how Conservative women drive the already nuts leftists even nuttier. It warms my heart!
Sarah Palin is too good for this people.
The Reagan legacy would have continued if this had happened.
Nice article ....didn’t like the title though....
The trig dog photo didn’t touch a nerve in America, only the people with PDS....
WOW! What a beautiful lady.Thanks for posting that.
Where has Michelle Malkin been?
You can pull his ears until you KNOW you're ripping them off by the roots ... and he'll go along with the "play" and climb on your lap and try to crawl into your skin because he just wants to BE with you .... or BE YOU. (hard to tell)
Life without Bubba is un-imaginable
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