Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
I’m sure most Americans are aware that former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has been on a bus tour along the east coast of the United States. What is the purpose of her tour?
Only Palin knows for sure. She did, however, provide people with her reason for taking this tour of historical places on her Sarah PAC website.
It’s interesting when (for the 100th time) reporters shout out, “Why are you traveling to historical sites? What are you trying to accomplish?” I repeat my answer, “It’s so important for Americans to learn about our past so we can clearly see our way forward in challenging times; so, we’re bringing attention to our great nation’s foundation.” When that answer isn’t what the reporters want to hear, we’ve asked them if they’ve ever visited these sites like the National Archives, Gettysburg, etc. When they confirm that they haven’t, it’s good to say, “Well, there you go. You’ll learn a lot about America today.” (They usually don’t want to hear that either!)
Last Thursday, Palin stopped in Boston for a tour of three Revolutionary War sites. She said she was “getting goose bumps’’ from all the history she was glimpsing in Boston. She added, “You’ve got to know a lot about our past in order to know how to proceed successfully into the future.’’ And thanks to Palin we’re learning history anew as she provides reporters with her version of American historical events when she speaks to them on stops along her way.
After visiting the Old North Church in Boston’s North End, she hailed Paul Revere and what he did on his “famous ride.” Here is how Palin described that event: …he who warned the British that they weren’t gonna be takin’ away our arms, uh, by ringin’ those bells and, um, makin’ sure as he’s ridin’ his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we’re gonna be secure and we were gonna be free. And we we’re gonna be armed.
Got that? Revere warned the British! That’s news to me. And to think that I thought for decades that Paul Revere had been riding around on his horse warning certain American colonists about the British. The archivist at the Cambridge Public Library doesn’t know what really happened that fateful night either. The archivist wrote the following in a blog post: “Paul Revere and his famous midnight ride is so much a part of the collective memory of the American Revolution that it is often forgotten that Revere was just one of several men and one woman who alerted the Minutemen of the impending British advancement.”
I guess the History Channel got it wrong too. Following is what I found on the channel’s website. It includes no mention of bells.
By 1775, tensions between the American colonies and the British government had approached the breaking point, especially in Massachusetts, where Patriot leaders formed a shadow revolutionary government and trained militias to prepare for armed conflict with the British troops occupying Boston. In the spring of 1775, General Thomas Gage, the British governor of Massachusetts, received instructions from Great Britain to seize all stores of weapons and gunpowder accessible to the American insurgents. On April 18, he ordered British troops to march against Concord and Lexington.
The Boston Patriots had been preparing for such a British military action for some time, and, upon learning of the British plan, Revere and Dawes set off across the Massachusetts countryside. They took separate routes in case one of them was captured: Dawes left the city via the Boston Neck peninsula and Revere crossed the Charles River to Charlestown by boat. As the two couriers made their way, Patriots in Charlestown waited for a signal from Boston informing them of the British troop movement. As previously agreed, one lantern would be hung in the steeple of Boston’s Old North Church, the highest point in the city, if the British were marching out of the city by Boston Neck, and two lanterns would be hung if they were crossing the Charles River to Cambridge. Two lanterns were hung, and the armed Patriots set out for Lexington and Concord accordingly. Along the way, Revere and Dawes roused hundreds of Minutemen, who armed themselves and set out to oppose the British.
Tim Murphy—snarking little fellow—wrote this in an article at Mother Jones: “We don’t mean to nitpick—we just think that if you launch a major publicity tour on the subject of great moments in American history, it might make sense to brush up on the details first. We can only imagine how Palin might try to spin this: ‘Listen my children and you shall hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. If the story doesn’t sound like what you read on Wikipedia, you know who to blame: the elite liberal media.’”
It’s just not fair! Tim Murphy and other members of the “lamestream media” love to make fun of Palin. I don’t understand why. She’s only trying to give us the scoop on what really happened in our country’s past—just like Representative Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota. Thank heavens we have women so well versed in American history that they can enlighten us today with their knowledge.
SOURCES
Palin hits town to pick her spots, take her shots (Boston Globe)
Just passing through (Boston Globe)
Reminding Reporters, too, of America’s Foundations (Sarah PAC)
Sarah Palin’s Reasons for Bus Tour Misguided (Yahoo)
Paul Revere’s Ride, Reimagined by Sarah Palin (Mother Jones)
The Other Paul Revere: William Dawes’ Midnight Ride through Cambridge (The Cambridge Room)
Revere and Dawes warn of British attack (History.com)
Personally, I love her, because she makes libs go crazy. Palin derangement syndrome is a real phenomenon.
I have enjoyed reading the knee jerk reactions to kderosa’s posts. I have come to the conclusion that he/she has been screwing with all of you for over 600 posts. I imagine he/she has a few friends in the background egging him on and drinking beer and laughing over the replies you all have made.
The funniest one so far was from the gomer who said he/she uses strategy so he waited 600 posts to deliver the coup de grace. I imagine kderosa’s crew howled over that one, I know I did. And then the comments of others have been quite humerous as well. A big shout out to Elaine and Otteray Scribe for their contribution to mirth and merriment.
Hey K pass some of that Dogfish World Wide Stout and some more of those brats, this is better than a Broadway show.
You libs sure have spent a good deal of time trashing a “stupid” woman. I wonder why that is? If she wasnt a threat you wouldnt care. The fear is palpable. I dont know what you are so afraid of.
… round and round we go.
Elaine, I think I am out at least until Monday. My packing is almost complete. If you you to make sure I stay out, you should just stop saying stupid things that are easily skewered.
kderosa,
“@Elaine, that’s funny coming from someone who embarrassed herself by arguing that someone was dumb because they didn’t know some historical details and it turns out that you were the one who didn’t know them. Priceless.”
I have no reason to be embarrassed. Keep spitting and drooling as you continue on with your defense of Sarah Palin’s statement about Paul Revere’s ride. That’s what I call funny!
*****
“… and the final death spiral into incoherence, bitterness, and just plain crazy has begun in earnest.”
Thanks for alerting us! Goodby, troll.
Are you truly on your way out this time?
… and the final death spiral into incoherence, bitterness, and just plain crazy has begun in earnest.
***************************************
You sure are.
You can try to make a shit sundae, but it will still taste like shit instead of ice cream.
… and the final death spiral into incoherence, bitterness, and just plain crazy has begun in earnest.
Billy, we don’t THINK Sarah is a dimwit. We KNOW she is. Has nothing to do with liberal or conservative, since Republicans who have not drunk the Teabag Kool Aid think the same thing. Every time she opens her mouth in front of cameras it is a facepalm moment for the sane wing of the GOP.
This reminds me of Monty Python’s “Upper middle-class twit of the year” sketch.
“This boy doesn’t know when he is losing.”
“He wouldn’t know if he were winning either, he has no external sensory perception what-so-ever!”
kderp, you have been consistently wrong, consistently outclassed – I would say out-thought but that would be too kind in suggesting your sludge was thought. Either you are so stupid you don’t realize that you have lost or are hoping people here are stupid enough to think you may be right or you really are being paid by the word to spout nonsense in front of decent people.
Since I know how hard it is for a workin man out there today I’ll ask you again to try and explain why your lame attempt to turn The Great Quitter’s word salad into English is any more accurate than mine. Your discourse on that topic should earn you a couple of nickels.
kderosa:
they don’t like Palin and think she is stupid, you are never going to change a liberal mind. Once it thinks it has the answer it will slam shut and no amount of reason and logic will unlock that gate.
If you like Sarah Palin you will interpret what she said one way, and if you don’t, the other way.
They are just pissed because there are 2 ways and you don’t agree. It is group think going on here. They are really afraid of other points of view, because deep down they are very insecure people.
Heh. You, who endlessly repeat the same drivel over and over, complain about me. What is there to say? Sarah the Incoherent said something. You continue to defend it in the face of facts contrary to what she–and you–say. Not much to add to that. You really need to work on your difficulty with reality contact. You do know, don’t you, that there are medications that may help with that condition?
OS, is there anything in that weak non-defense that you haven’t parroted ten times previously?
Disagree all you want, junior. Wailing and gnashing of teeth while flailing arms do not facts make. What is incontrovertible is that Sarah Palin made a nonsensical, factually inaccurate statement in a rambling incoherent manner in front of video cameras. What followed is a study in damage control and propaganda on an epic scale. Her groupies and camp followers have fanned out across the internet, attempting to rewrite history to conform to her idiotic rambling. That makes the camp followers and suck-ups idiots too. Persistent idiots, but idiots nevertheless.
By doing so, you not only have missed the propaganda and damage control boat, you have managed to shine a spotlight on her idiocy by magnifying it and keeping the story alive. Keep it up, junior, we are here to deal with it. The regulars who hang out on Professor Turley’s blawg did not get advanced degrees by letting stupidity stand, or by not being persistent.
Buddha and a couple of others have presented factual information regarding what Paul Revere did on that fateful night. You have countered by either ignoring the facts, or bringing in irrelevant accounts by people who were not there. Are we to believe that Sarah Palin made a statement in front of those cameras based of obscure information from some of the accounts you have presented? That she somehow knew things that even historians might not know, even if they were true? You think this shallow and undereducated woman knew odds and ends of stuff known only to the writers you drag in to this blawg? Your hero is a grifter, baby. She is no more actually running for office than I am. She has a good gig and is becoming fabulously wealthy doing her thing of promoting herself. All while people who are more in contact with reality, and that includes traditional Republicans, are shaking their collective heads over the sideshow.
Keep going, Black Knight. We will continue to lop chunks off your ever-dwindling carcass.
@Frank “You never got around to explaining why your edit of the Wasilla Grifter’s word salad was any more accurate of her intent than mine. I think her verbal barf can be edited to make it sound right – hell look at the work of Andy Dimbart & company, editing reality to make it say what they want IS their occupation. But she has not shown the intellect, not once, not ever, that would allow a rational person to assume what you assume in your edits.”
I always assume that trolls that work this hard are true believers(tm). Not that they might not be getting money for the effort but they do it because they are stupid enough to actually believe the bullshit they are spreading.
It is the perfect marriage of ignorance and arrogance so money would just be icing on their shit sundae.
Look how well your own argument applies to your own words. You are self-refuting.
@Elaine, that’s funny coming from someone who embarrassed herself by arguing that someone was dumb because they didn’t know some historical details and it turns out that you were the one who didn’t know them. Priceless.
@Buddha “The more you talk, the more you prove your tactics.” Who can argue with that irontight logical?
I always assume that trolls that work this hard are true believers(tm). Not that they might not be getting money for the effort but they do it because they are stupid enough to actually believe the bullshit they are spreading.
It is the perfect marriage of ignorance and arrogance so money would just be icing on their shit sundae.
And kdoucha? You never got around to explaining why your edit of the Wasilla Grifter’s word salad was any more accurate of her intent than mine. I think her verbal barf can be edited to make it sound right – hell look at the work of Andy Dimbart & company, editing reality to make it say what they want IS their occupation. But she has not shown the intellect, not once, not ever, that would allow a rational person to assume what you assume in your edits.
“Then you are disagreeing with the FRE and FRCP and not just me, dumbass.”
No, sumbass, I am only disagreeing with your interpretation of the FR and FRCP. As, we see from above your anterpretation skills are subpar at best.
“The proof for the reasonable non-propagandists is in the comparison of Palin’s statement to the deposition of Paul Revere – the only legally admissible evidence of the events in Paul Revere’s life on the night of April 19, 1775.”
I continue to disagree.
“You can bleat to the contrary all you want.”
My bleats are in response to your bleats.
“The argument has been won already.”
Is this on the theory that if you say it enough timee it must be true? Your propgandic ways ares showing again.
“Reasonable, evidentiary based thinkers see the proof and know this is true.”
I think the judge wants to see you in chambers for your lesson on what evidence is and isn’t, 1L.
rafflaw,
“I tend to agree with Buddha’s thought of a paid agent.”
Working for much less than minimum wage, I’d guess. This agent has a bit of a problem with word usage and comprehension. Probably suffers from “cognitive dissidence.”
😉
raff,
Yes, she will.
Come on.
The more you talk, the more you prove your tactics.
Hurry it up.
OS,
I tend to agree with Buddha’s thought of a paid agent. Palin will stoop to any low point to try to deflect her own stupidity and laziness.
“I continue to disagree, Ironside.”
Then you are disagreeing with the FRE and FRCP and not just me, dumbass.
In fact, I don’t care if you disagree. I like that you disagree in the face of evidence that crushes your silliness like a bug. It’s not in your proven tactic of the Big Lie to ever agree.
I care about the proof and other people, not you, the evidence and logic proof propagandist as is required by your tactic of choice.
The proof for the reasonable non-propagandists is in the comparison of Palin’s statement to the deposition of Paul Revere – the only legally admissible evidence of the events in Paul Revere’s life on the night of April 19, 1775.
You still lose.
You can bleat to the contrary all you want.
1) It’s tactically expected and 2) it’s all you can do at this point in the face of proof sufficient for any court of law (or reasonable person) in the United States for to admit you are wrong is to break your tactic – a tactic that does not work once exposed.
I fully expect that you will try to distort and gyrate your way out of any evidence presented. Even if Paul Revere himself came back to life and told you Palin was full of shit and so are you? I’d fully expect you to argue with him too.
However, arguing is not the same as winning an argument.
The argument has been won already.
Just not by you.
Reasonable, evidentiary based thinkers see the proof and know this is true.
But do carry on.
As I said . . . it’s what is expected.