In the wake of the Tucson tragedy the left has made quite the big deal of a map that Sarah Palin put on her website To listen to the media murmur you would think that Palin’s Map was the primary, if not the sole cause of the shooting of Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the murder of six innocent people. The New York Daily News opined that Giffords' blood was on Sarah Palin’s hands because she put a cross hair over Giffords' Arizona district on her map. Today on virtually every broadcast and cable news show you will see talking heads referring to the cross hairs on Palin’s map.
OK … just what map are we talking about here? Several months ago during the heat of the 2008 midterm elections Sarah Palin put Giffords on her “target list” of Democrats in vulnerable districts who voted for ObamaCare. The list included a map featuring what the media and those on the left are calling telescopic sight images placed over vulnerable districts. Somehow, the liberals have construed that to mean that Sarah Palin literally wanted to “target” Giffords to be shot.
Were the symbols on Palin’s map really the crosshairs through a gun sight, as claimed, prior to the shooting, by Congresswoman Giffords herself? Palin’s office says they were not. They claim they were surveyor’s marks. So who’s right?
We’ll start our quest for the truth with an actual look at the map that was posted on Palin’s website:
OK … An argument could be made that those are cross hairs. But Palin’s office says they were surveyor’s marks. Can that argument be sustained? Here’s a link for you to peruse. The link leads you to a booklet from the U.S. Geological Survey titled “Topographic Map Symbols.” After you’ve clicked on the link start scrolling down the page. About halfway through on the right column you will see “CONTROL DATA AND MONUMENTS.” Now remember .. these are symbols for maps – as in “Sarah Palin’s Map”. The first entry under the title bar is labeled “Principal point,” and there you have it. Just to the right. Just about the exact same symbol that appears on the Palin map. Well, by goodness, it would seem that it is indeed a surveyor’s symbol! A map symbol! Just what you might expect to find on a …. MAP!
Crosshairs are placed on people. Map symbols are placed on maps. It’s a pretty simple concept, really.
But I know that this isn’t going to be good enough for many of you. There is, after all, a political advantage that can be gained by insisting that those are crosshairs on the Palin map. That’s why many in the ObamaMedia will continue to run with that “cross hairs” scenario. It works for them, so stick with it in spite of the facts.
Well, there’s not much we can do about that. Fine; but before we move on why not take a look at just two more maps?
The above map appeared on the website of the Democratic Leadership Committee back in 2004. Please make note of the use of the word “enemy” to refer to Republicans, as well as the phrase “ripe targets for Democrats.” You’ve already notice that on this map there are no surveyor’s marks. What you have are bull’s-eyes. Yup … bull’s-eyes. Clearly the type of bull’s eyes you would use for a target for shooting purposes. Ahhh .. but these are Republicans being “targeted” by Democrats. So, no harm, no foul.
Now .. another map:
This map was posted on the website of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee about a year ago. Do you see any surveyor’s marks or anything that could be mistaken for surveyor’s marks? Nope. But what DO we see? Looks to me like there are some bull’s-eyes there. Targets, pure and simple, plus a map legend that said the bull’s eyes represented “targeted Republicans.” You need to know that this week Democrat Congressman Chris Van Hollen was quick to make an appearance on MSNBC with Chris (of the tingly leg) Matthews to condemn the Palin Map. He said that it was really dangerous to try to make your point in that particular way. Christ Van Hollen was the leader of the DCCC when the above map was placed on their website.
Of course none of this makes any difference whatsoever to those of the leftist persuasion who are determined to seize on this tragedy for political gain. You, though, now see how phony, not to mention hypocritical, this “Palin’s Map” nonsense is.
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