June 6th, 2011
Sarah Palin drew more attention to herself and her bus tour yesterday as she claimed that Mahatma Gandhi, remembered for his role in the Indian Independence Movement and his philosophy of non-violence, fought for gun rights in India. The comment came after a reporter asked Palin about her personal heroes.
Palin also listed predictable figures such as Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, Jay Ward, and the founding fathers. When she noted Gandhi as another one of her heroes, however, the reporter prompted her to explain what about Gandhi she admired. Palin then said, “He warned, uh, the British that they wouldn’t be takin’ the Indian people’s guns and that the, uh, Indians should be free just like those Americans across the Atlantic Ocean from them.”
Palin’s answer has once again stirred up questions about her knowledge of the world and whether she is “ready for primetime.” For her part, Palin has doubled down, insisting on the O’Reilly Factor tonight that her answer was technically correct. “Of course the Brits weren’t gonna just sit back and let the Indians revolt. What’s the first thing the British were gonna do? Take their guns! I was right in sayin’ that Gandhi did not want this to happen,” said Palin. O’Reilly then followed up by asking whether Palin seriously thought Gandhi supported gun rights to which Palin replied that if Gandhi had possessed a hunting gun, he probably would not have starved.
In addition to insisting on the correctness of her statements, Palin has also derided the “lamestream media” for taking her statements out of context and for even asking the question in the first place. Palin has since labeled the reporter’s question as a “gotcha question” meant make her look bad. Gandhi may be one of her personal heroes, but when it comes to journalists, Palin clearly believes in taking an eye for an eye.
Disclaimer: This diary is purely satirical. Please take it only as seriously as you take Sarah Palin.